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HISTORY 



-o:f — 



BUREAU COUNTY, 



I LaLaI n oi © 



H. C. BRADSBY, Editor. 



* * * liere as else"w]iere 'we must search, out the causes after 
•we have collected the facts. No matter If the facts be physical or 
moral, they all have their causes; there is a cause for ambition, for 
courage, for tnith, as there is for digestion, for muscular movement, 
for animal heat. Vice and virtue are products, like vitriol and vinegar. 

TAINE. 



ILL"CrSTI?..A.TEX). 




CHICAGO: 
WORLD PUBLISHING COMPAKY. 

1885. 



Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1S85, 

BY H. C. BRADSBY 

In the Office ot the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 






John Morria Compatij/, Pnntera, Chicago. 



PREFACE. 




I HE history of Bureau County, Illinois, after much toil and patient research, is 
now completed, and it is believed that no object of public importance or interest 
has been omitted, save where the most diligent efforts failed to secure reliable 
results. 

The chief aim of this book is to give the facts and dates as we found them in 
the recollections of the few surviving early settlers, the private and public records 
in the County and State archives, the few private diaries, family Bibles and on the tomb- 
stones placed by the hands of affection over the final resting-places of the departed, in their 
chronological order. The legends and traditions have been carefully gone over, and no 
small part of the work has been in collating and verifying them, and in every case where 
fiction had found its way into the web or woof of the story, to retain the true and reject the 
false. 

In some respects the reader may think, especially if he should be a stranger to the 
pioneers and their descendants, that at times there is a tediousness of detail, or even that 
some are unimportant, but a generation from now these very details will be the more highly 
prized the more full and complete they are. 

In telling the story of the general county history we have combined and woven together 
the account as best we could, and in addition to the county's genealogy and chronology 
will be found that of the people, together with the biographies and lives of the living and 
the dead, that will some day be an invaluable prize in the hands of the future historian, as 
well as of interest and profit to the readers of to-day. 

We believe the whole will be found clothed in a literary garb, and brightened with 
reflections, suggestions and philosophical deductions that will make it a store-house for the 
young and old, where they may find new and valuable ideas, and thus gain knowledge and 
pleasure that will repay them many times the original outlay for the book. 

This work has cost us much labor and a large expenditure of money, and as the territory 
is but a single county, and, therefore, our patronage can be but limited, yet we have given 
here more than we promised, and we feel assured that all thoughtful and fair-minded 
people will recognize and appreciate the work and its permanent value. 

There is a perceptibly constant increase in the interest in the history of the pioneers. 
This, of course, commenced in the original States of the Union, but is extending all over 
the West. In the New England States it is still far in advance of the Mississippi Valley. 
It may be true that these are richer historical grounds than the newer States can present, 
but it is not certain that, therefore, there are not great fields here for the real historian. 



PREFACE. 



because there is much in the man who writes the history of a people as to whether he finds 
and suitably points out, and fully works up the actual material that may he within his 

possible ^eac^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ followed no beaten track in formulating the story, the subjects 
treated, or the manner of treatment, and some readers may conclude that to that extent we 
have marred what we have done, yet we have followed a general plan, and made prominent 
those special subjects that we have, after long study and reflection, conceived to be for the 
best in the end, even if not now. 

And all we care to say in self defense is, that where the reader may fall upon chance 
paragraphs that do not meet his cordial approval, that in justice to the writer he withhold 
his iudsmenta until he can fairly view and estimate the work as a whole— the story in all its 
lights and shadows. H. C. BRADSBY. 

December, 1884. 




CONTENTS, 



CHAPTER I.— iDtroduction to the Subject Generally— 
The State's Present Growth— The Anglo-Americana— 
Cavaliers and Puritans— People Sutfer Only for their 
Ignorance — Lawmakers Generally Considered— Med- 
dlers in Social Organizations— Climate, Soil, Race, 
Epoch, and the Pent of the Public Jlind the (ireat 
Workers of Eyents— History Considers Men's Errors 
Mostly Because These Predominate — The Measure of 
People's Morality is the Knowledge They Possess — The 
Present is Completing the Past and the Past Explaining 
the Present, etc., etc 13 

CHAPTER IL— Why History Interests Us— What is His- 
tory ?— Laws of Development- The Soil and its Won- 
ders — Importance of Teaching it to All — Needs of Our 
People — The Coming Public Schools — Learned Igno- 
rance Should Stop Now — Early Illiteracy and Modern 
Demoralization Compared— Who Are the Real Immortals 
— True Philosophy and Kindly Thought — Teaching 
Error a Crime — How to Educate — An Agricultural 
People Should Have an Agricultural JCducation— In- 
stances Given— Education the Most Practical Thing in 
the World— Geological History, its Immensity and Im- 
portance— The Rocks, Soil, Age, Climate Great Factors 
in Making History — Geology of Bureau County — Coal 
Measures — The Wonderful Stories of the Prairies, etc... 21 

CHAPTER III.- The Wonders of Prehistoric People— Re- 
mains of Great Cities — The Indians and yet Older People 
Who Were Here— Winnebago War, Capture and Death 
of Red Bird— Black Hawk War— First Bloodless Cam- 
paign in 1S31 — Black Hawk Enters into a Treaty — 
Starved Rock, the First Settlement in Illinois— Joliet 
and Marquette— LaSalle's Colony and Fort St. Louis — 
Two Hundredth Anniversary of the Discovery and 
Possession of the Country— First ^Yhite Settlement 
in the West Made in 1682, at Starved Rock— Capts. Willis 
Hawes, and Stewart's Companies and the Men from 

Bureau County, in the Black Hawk War, etc., etc 43 

I 

CHAPTER IV.— The Genealogy of the County— New j 

France — Canada — Louisiana— Northwestern Territory | 

— St. (.lair County — Madison, Clark, Bond, Crawford, 
Pike, Fulton. Peoria, Putnam and Finally Bureau 
County— The Several and Final Treaties— The Chain of 
Title to the Territory— Title to the Land, etc., etc 58 

CHAPTER v.— The Grand March of Empire— The Marvels 
in the Sweep of Population Across our Continent— The 
Work of One Hundred Years— The Legislative Act 
Creating Bureau County, etc., etc 65 

CHAPTER VI.— The Order in which the People Came— 
First the Explorer, then the Trafficker, then the Trap- 
per and Hunter, and then the Settler — Their Curious 
Habits and Customs— The Children of the Solitudes— 
What They Encountered— Hog and Hominy— The Shirt- 
tail Age— Houses and Furniture— Suffering for Bread- 
Anecdotes — Some of the Experiences of Pioneer Chil- 
dren — To Your Gums I ! ! — Experiences of a Boy at His 
First Hotel— He Hears a Gong — Supposes the House 
Busted— Board Two Dollars and a Half a Day, and He 
Eats Bread and Water— Witches, Wizards, and the Hor- 
rors of Superstition- How People Ported- Weddings, 
Dances, and the ( )ne-Eyed Fiddler— Bottle Race— How 
People Dressed— Salute Your Bride— Going to House- 
keeping, etc.. etc 69 



PAftE- 

CHAPTER VII.— The Name of Bureau Countv— How it 
Came— The First Five Families— Who They Were — 
Bulbona, John Dixon. Charles S. Boyd, Henry Thomas 
—Sketches and Anecdotes of Early Settlers— Death and 
Burial of John Dixon— Gurdon S. Hubbard— Who Was 
the First Postmaster— Oldest Living Settlers— Abram 
Stratton.— His Remarkable Trip in 1829— Sketch of Him 
—The Brighams— The Countv's Total First Tax- 
Remarkable Career of John H. Boyd— The Three Broth- 
ers-in-Law— The First Death in the County, Daniel 
Smith— His Widow and Family, etc., etc., etc 79 

CHAPTER VIII.— Records Made by Old Settlers— On All 
Disputed Questions They are the Best Authority— Old 
Settlers Society— First Agitation of the Subject— Histor- 
ical Importance of Speeches, Poems, Addresses, Remarks, 
Anecdotes and Pictures— Address of E. S. Phelps— First 
Old Settlers' Meeting — Who Participated— Their 
Records of Early Settlers, and When They Came— Poem 
by John H. Bryant— " Doctor Bill "—Officers of the 
Society— Killing of Phillips— Milo Kendall's Address- 
Warren's History of Putnam County— E. Strong Phelps 
— John M. Gay, Munson and Miss Hall— First Burial 
and First Birth- Caleb Cook— Aquilla Triplett— A 
Long List of the Early Settlers and Their Descendants 
—Arthur Bryant's Poem — Michael Kitterman, Sketch of 
— Thirteen Dogs and the Assessor — More Anecdotes — 
Rev. Martin and His Dog "Penny"— The Perkinses- 
George Hinsdale— C. G. Corss— And a Great Many 
Others, etc., etc 87 

CHAPTER IX.— Lone Tree— Putnam County Organized— 
Capt. Haws — John M. Gay Elected Commissioner — 
Dr. N. Chamberlain School Superintendent in isai — 
Bureau Precinct— Its First Nineteen Voters— Their 
Names and Whom They Voted For— A Democratic 
Majority at the First Election— Bureau Men on the 
Jury in 1831— Daniel M. Gay and Daniel Dimmick 
Elected Justices— Gurdon S. Hubbard's Account of Bur- 
bonnais— Peoria and <_ialena Road— Dave Jones— First 
Steamboat on the Illinois River— First Grist and Saw 
Mill— " Dad Joe" Smith, a Sketch— Young Dad Joe's 
Ride— Alex Boyd's Ride— People Flee the Country— 
Shabbona, etc.. etc 110 

CHAPTER X.— End of the Indian Troubles— Commence- 
ment of Permanent Settlements and Improvements — 
Election of 1834 — Bryant and Brigham Elected for 
Bureau Precinct^ — Estimated Number of People Here 
Then— Browne's Company of Rangers— Hampshire Col- 
ony — William O. r'hamberlain ItsOriginal Inventor — E. 
H. Phelp's Account of the Colony and Their Coming 
and the History Thereof— Names and an Account of the 
Colonists and Their Friends 125- 

CHAPTER XI.— "Curt " Williams, the Man of Many Marks 
—Smiley Shepherd— The Deep Snow of 1R31— John, Job, 
Timothy, Brown and David Searle— Greenbury Hall- 
Lewis Cobb — The Cholera in 1832 — Scott's Army and Its 
Suflering From the Plague — First Steamboats Arrive in 
Chicago, 1832— Politicia'hs In the Black Hawk War-" I 
Surrender, Mr. Indian" — Sketches of Many Early Set- 
tlers-Henry F. Miller— M. Studyvin— David Chase — 
James Coddington — Enoch Lumry — James Garvin — E. 
Piper — James Wilson — Jacob Galer — John Leeper — John 
Baggs—Wiswalls—Tripletts— Halls — How Negro Creek 
Got its Name, etc., etc 13S 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XII.— Immke's Group Picture of Early Settlers 
— Of Gre;it Value Now, Hut of Greater Value in the 
Future — Appeal to the CouDty Authorities— The First 
Families, the Keal Knickerbockers— A Chapter That 
Will Long Grow in Value, etc., etc 144 

CUAITER XIII.— John H. Bryant—The Farmer Poet— A 
Sketch of His Life and Works— His Kame Identified 
Wiih Every Important Movement in the County Since 
He Came Here, etc., etc 155 

CHAPTERXIV.— Something About a Great Many People 
of the County — When Ditferent Places Were Settled and 
by Whom— First (Jovernmeut Land Surveys— The I'en- 
hanis — Moseleys — .T, V. Thompson — -Tudge R. T. Temple- 
ton — Rev. E. Scudder High and I>oughnuts — To Market 
to Sell a Pig— Walnut and Ohio Townships, etc., etc 169 

CHAPTER XV.— The Churches of the County— Their Pres- 
ent Pastors and Condition— The Growth of Church In- 
stitutions—In God We Trust— A Well Written Chapter 
by iL B. Leeper, of Princeton, etc., etc 180 

CHAPTER XVI.— The Anti-monopoly Movement, its Ori- 
gin — John H. Bryant's Connection Therewith and Also 
Senator L. D. Whiting— Birth of the Republican Party 
— Judf^e Lawrence I)efeated and Judge Craig Elected 
Supreme Judge— The Great Contest of the People 
Against Corporations and Monopolies — Effect Through- 
out the Whole Country — How Bureau Has Led in Many 
of These < ireat Movements— The Xlllth Article of Our 
Constitution, How it Came About— The Laws and the 
Courts' Hecisious Founded Thereon— Illinois the Birth- 
place of Nearly i>ery Political Revolution — ??ome Cor- 
rections in ( urrent History— Sluch Information and 
Many Important Facts That Will be New to Most Read- 
ers 204 

CHAPTER XVII.— The Hennepin Canal— History of the Ill- 
inois and Michigan Canal— Its Extension to the Missis- 
sippi River — Its Paramount Importance — Cheap Trans- 
portation the Great Want of the Mississippi Valley — 
Some Curious Legislation— And a Few Statutory Pyro- 
tecnics, etc., etc 217 

CHAPTER XVIII.— Horticulture-Arthur Bryant the Pio- 
neer in This Line Here— Forestry— About Fruits Gen- 
erally, and Shade and Ornamental Trees— Sketch of 
Arthur Bryant, etc., etc 227 

CHAPTER XIX.— Gold and Silver Mines— Curious Super- 
stitions About Them—'* Way-Bills." Leading to Fabu- 
lous Fortunes— How Ignorance Dupes Itself— Tenacity 
of Ignorant Beliefs— Ancient Fools Perished in the Hunt 
for the Fountain of Youth— More Modern Ones Also 
Pursue Their Foolish Dreams of Wealth— Counterfeiters 
in Their Caves, etc., etc 237 

CHAPTER XX.— Dch-itingSocieties— Some Immortal Speci- 
mens—Old-Time rhurch Severity— How These Things 
are Moditied and Bettered— Forefathers' Day in Prince- 
ton and Addresses— Discussion About it in the Press— 
The Puritans Attacked and Ably Defended— The Writ- 
ers Tartly Review History, etc., etc 241 

CHAPTER XXI. — Drainage — Swamp Lands — Illinois 
Drainage Laws— The Long Fight to Make Them Effect- 
ive—How L. D. AVhiting Successfully Fights out the 
Long Battle for the Right— The Great Benefits His Ac- 
tion Will Confer on the Entire State, etc., etc., etc 262 

CHAPTER XXII.— Bureau County Created, 1S37— Election 
— Bureau Triumphs and Jullities— " Shut the Door!"— 
The rirst Uighway— Part of the Old Indian Trail Yet 
Preserved— First County I )ilicials and Their Acts— List 
of County Otlicers Complete, Brought Down to the Adop- 
tion of Township Organization- The Civil History of 
the County, With Sketches of Some of the Prominent 
Actors, etc., etc., etc 267 

CHAPTER XXIII. -Civil History Continued— Laws, Pub- 
lic and Special, Referring to the County of Bureau and 
iu Towns— A Complete Index and Reference to the 
Same, etc., etc., etc 278 

CHAPTER XXIV.— Township Organization Adopted — 
Board of Supervisors Meet — John H. Bryant First Chair- 
man-List of Supervisors- George McMannia Second 



PAGE. 

Chairman— Premium for Wolf Scalps— John M. Grimes 
First Attorney for the Board— Terwilleger Overseer of 
the Poor— R.T.Templeton County Judge— List of Town- 
ship and County Olficers to 1357 — The Anti-Duelling 
Oath Required— Jacob T. Thompson's Report as County 
Treasurer — County Otficers, Supervisors, and Other 
Officers— J. T. Thompson— 0. L. Bearss— Sketches, etc., 
etc., etc 280 

CHAPTER XXV.— Continuation of County Officers— Com- 
plete List to Date — Marriages — First One J. H. Olds and 
Louisa C. Bryant — Powers Exercised by the County 
Court — Public, Civil and Private Affairs Generally — 
These Old Law-Makers Regulate the Price of Whisky 
and Eating and Sleeping and Horse Feed, etc., etc., etc... 291 

CHAPTER XXVL— Courts— Lawyers— Judges, and Those 
Who Held These Offices — Legal Doings— Lawyers Who 
Rode the Circuit — Visiting and Local Lawyers — Simon 
Kinney First Attorney to Locate in the County — Cyrus 
Bryant the First Circuit Clerk — Sketch ot Him — Fuge 
Songs — Judge Martin Ballou the Second Lawyer to Lo- 
cate in the County, Now the Oldest Jlember — Hon. 
Charles L. Kelsey — How Judge Eraser Lost a Federal 
Judgeship — Bureau County Electors — Representatives 
and State Senators— Congressmen, etc, etc., etc 296 

CHAPTER XXVIl,— The Press— First Paper the Bureau 
Advocate — The Three Political Parties Run the Same 
Paper — A Novel Idea — The Princetonian — Post — Herald 
— Yeoman — Democrat — Republican — Tribune — Patriot 
— News — Motor — Tidings — Press — Register — Indepen- 
dent — Call — Home Guard — Times — Who Managed Them 
— Present Papers — List of Editors and Publishers — 
Present Papers and Proprietors, etc., etc., etc 307 

CHAPTER XXVIII.— Agricultural Society— Its Commence- 
ment and Who Started It — List of Offices — A Successful 
Institution— Its Great Value to the People — Land in 
the County — Agricultural Interests — Value and Tax of 
the Same — Farms — And Much Other Information, etc.... 321 

CHAPTER XXIX.— Hon. Owen Lovejoy— The Martyrdom 
of His Brother Elijah P. Lovejoy — An Event in Ameri- 
can History — Owen Lovejoy 's Mission in Life — His Death 
in the Hour of the Triumph of his Political Principles, 
etc., etc 326 

CHAPTER XXX.— The Rebellion— Bureau County and its 
Important Part Therein — The News of the Firing Upon 
Fort Sumter — A Detailed Account of the Companies, 
Officers, Regiments and Squads — Killed and Dead — Bat- 
tles— Politicians-Knights of the Golden Circle — Wo- 
men's Aid Societies — War Meetings — Bounties — 
Speeches— Enlisting, etc., etc., etc 340 

CHAPTER XXXI —Schools— Reflections on the Subject Gen- 
erally—Suggestions and History of Schools — Learned 
Ignorance — Classical Education— Investigation Invited— 
Progress of the Schools — The Present Number and 
Efficiency— The Princeton High School — Teachers, etc... 367 

CHAPTER XXXII.— Stock— Graded and Thoroughbreds- 
Growth of this Industry — Who First Experimented in 
This Line— Cattle, Horses, etc., etc 379 

CHAPTER XXXIII.— Political Matters Generally-Census 
of the County — Douelas and Stewart's Congressional 
Race— The Size of the Original District— Post Otfices 
and Postmasters — The County's Vote — Great Wolf 
Hunts— Roads— Relics— H. L. Kinney, etc., etc 392 

CHAPTER XXXIV.— Odds and Ends — Retrospective- 
Paths, Indian Trains and Railroads— Blessings Received 
and Anticipated — Farmers and Their Future Education 
— The Buftalo and the Indian — Natural Engineers and 
Places for Great Cities— Douglas, ;Breese and the Idea 
of the Illinois Central Railroad, etc., etc 404 

CHAPTER XXXV.— City of Princeton— Whence its Name 
— First Survey — First Election — Who Voted — 
Officials — Improvements, Growth, Beauties, Societies, 
Business, etc., etc 40fi 

CHAPTER XXXVI.— Townships. Villages and Towns in 
the County— Additional Information in Regard to Each 
Township— The Settlers, Prominent Men, etc., etc 419 



CONTENTS. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



PAOE. 

Alphabetically arranged 439 

In memoriam, Hon. Justus Stevens 



Received too late for insertion in proper order.. 



PAGE. 
706 



PORTRAITS. 



Allen, Joseph Facing 400 

Battey, Silas " 340 

Boyden. A. W " 216 

Brenneman, Martin " 322 

Brvant, .■irthur " 304 

Bryant, John H " 28 

Coiver, Jacob " 416 

Dayton. Chauncey L Between 286 and '2S9 

Dayton, Mrs. Lydia B " 286 and 2S9 

Edwards, Richard Facing 96 

Fassett,E. \V " ig.s 

Frary, R. B " 114 



PAGE. 

Gray, Nathan -Facing 182 

Henderson, Thomas J " 80 

Knox, .S. M " 250 

Miller, Henry J Between 164 and 167 

Miller, Mrs. Jane " 164 and 167 

Norris, I. H Facing 46 

Reeve. Tracy " 232 

Stevens, B N " 268 

Stevens, Justus " 62 

-Whipple, William M " U8 

Whiting, L. D " 130 

Williams, Solomon " 366 




HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY, 



CHAPTER I. 
INTRODUCTORY. 

I. 

ILLINOIS has passed through its pio- 
neer period of development, and from a 
raw state of savagery and wild waste to one 
of the foremost States in the Union — ah-eady 
the first State, indeed, in many of those stand- 
ard articles of agriculture that are contribut- 
ing so much to make the Upper Mississippi 
Valley the garden and granary of the world; 
a State but sixty-six years old (1818-1884) 
and already in the lead in the number of 
miles of operated railroads, as well as lead- 
ing in many of the best agricultural products; 
the third State in the number of persons en- 
gaged in the various occupations of life ; a 
greater population engaged in agriculture 
than any other State in the Union, and this 
industry extended during the past decade be- 
yond anything before known in history; her 
mining and manufacturing industries lagging 
only behind her agricultural growth, and yet 
keeping pace well with perhaps any other 
similar sized communitj' in the world. In 
all the elements of present wealth and future 
promise, the State, young as it is, bids well 
at no distant day to stand peerless and alone. 
And phenomenal as has been the gi'owth of 
population and wealth, the increase bears the 
evidences that it is not sporadic, but regular 



and permanent, and the limits of its future 
are too vast for present possible estimate. 

Some measure of the mental and commer- 
cial activity of a people may be gained per- 
haps as well or better through the postoffice 
reports than from any other easily accessible 
source. The total postoffice expenditures for 
the State in 1882 in Illinois were second to 
that of the State of New York, although in 
population we are the fourth State in the 
Union. In illiterates — those ten years of 
age and over — Illinois is the foiuteenth State. 
In newspapers, she stands next to New York; 
in the average daily attendance in the public 
schools, Illinois is the fourth State ; in col- 
leges she is second, leading New York by 
one. [Railroads, in mileage, Illinois by far 
exceeds any State in the Union, nearly doub- 
ling the mileage of New York.] But with a 
much smaller mileage, the railroads of Penn- 
sylvania have larger annual earnings than 
the Illinois roads. 

II. 

The prosperity of a new State, especially 
when it is marked, is as a rule ephemeral. 
At first all industries flourish, but soon com- 
petition is felt, and the wave of prosperity 
is followed usually by a marked decadence of 
all these, or a relaxation of the active ener- 
gies that seem to wait for the new growth of 
an increased demand that will come iu time 
and revive trade and traffic to renewed energy 



14 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



and effort. This general experience of new 
and rapidly growing communities has never 
come to Illinois. Flush times and hard times 
have come and gone here as well as else- 
where, but they were the same in their visits, 
and at the same time that they made their 
appearance all over the land. The perma- 
nency of her growth, and the solidity and 
glory of her marvelous greatness has con- 
sisted chiefly in her farmers — those whose 
prudent foresight discovered here a wealth of 
soil and climate unequaled in the world. 

For more than a century after the discovery 
and first small settlements of what is now 
Illinois by Joliet, La Salle, and the Jesuits — 
Marquette and Hennepin — the feeble but dar- 
ing little colonies were isolated in the heart 
of our great continent, and more remotely 
separated from the civilized world than could 
any people now be upon any portion of the 
globe; their growth was only the natural in- 
crease, as their isolation from mankind was 
almost complete. Religious enthusiasts, bear- 
ing aloft the cross of the church and the lilies 
of France, penetrated the wilderness and car- 
ried to the untutored savage the sublime mes- 
sage of "peace on earth and good will to 
man." And following in the long course of 
time these children of the church, came the 
"war-whoop that oft woke the sleep of the 
cradle," the massacres, the assassinations and 
the wars, and the last were the means in 
every instance of bringing here the first 
streams of immigrants, who were the base 
upon which has grown the present greatness 
of the State. It was the sons of Mars who 
were the fathers of oui- State builders. First, 
the war of 1776 and of 1812-15 brought the 
Virginians and Carolinians, and made them 
acquainted with Southern Illinois, and then 
the war of 1832 extended the acquaintance 
of the Northern and Southern States to the 
northern limits of Illinois; and ther wonder- 



ful stories of the beauties and natural wealth 
of the new country were told to their friends 
in their old homes, and thus again and again 
were the streams of immigrants started 
afresh. The first fruits of discovery and oc- 
cupation were from the church ; the final 
great results came of war and marching 
armies. 

in. 

The controlling, the supreme human forces 
upon this continent are the Anglo-Americans, 
the commanding and master-spirits among 
men. And it is their restless and wandering 
activities, and the fact that, except the Jew, 
they are the most cosmopolitan people in 
history, ancient and modern, that has been 
one of the distinguishing marks of this race, 
and has contributed much to maintain their 
matchless superiority. The earliest history 
of the Anglo-Saxon people presents them as 
pirates upon the high seas and roving and 
dauntless invaders and robbers upon land. 
And when they attached themselves to the 
soil in the British Isles, their roving habits 
and knowledge of the waters resulted in 
making them the greatest commercial people 
in the world, and to this fact is due much of 
those characteristics that to-day so distin- 
guish them from all other people. They 
traded, trafficked and warred all over the 
known world, and in one way or another they 
came in contact with every variety of peoples, 
and thus, in the race of life, distanced all. 
They are a remarkable demonstration of the 
fact that man's best schoolmaster is his 
fellow-man, in his endless varieties; and 
that a people that attaches itself to the soil 
becomes stationary, as it were, and if not 
visited by those of different ideas, manners 
and bias of mind they are never a progressive 
people. 

IV. 

The early settlers upon our continent were 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUI^TY. 



15 



the Cavaliers and the Puritans — the latter 
locating in New England, and the former in 
the South; the Cavaliers just entering upon 
a career of refinement and luxurious indo- 
lence, and the Puritans emerging from the 
severe religious ordeals that had filled his 
blood with iron and had prepared him well 
for entering upon the race for thrift, energy, 
power and wealth. His sufterings had taught 
him the severest economy, and the people of 
the South were learning their lessons in indo- 
lent ease, while their New England brothers 
were practicing a rigid frugality and learn- 
ing well the fact that money is a 'direct 
power that gratifies the ambition^ and, com- 
mands a certain respect that need not be 
despised. The Cavalier grew haughty and 
domineering, as was natural from the position 
of master and slave, and the Pui-itan de- 
spised these vain pretensions and soon learned 
to meddle in the afi'airs of his distant and 
slave-proud neighbors. And in the long- 
distant years ago were planted the seeds of 
the " irrepressible conflict " whose fat harvest 
was war. 

The misfortune to both and the whole 
was that our country was so large that both 
had taken up their abodes in the dis- 
tant portions of the land, and in time 
they nearly ceased to mingle and associate 
together in the every-day business and social 
affairs of life; and in the end the war was 
something of a necessity to bring the two ex- 
tremes once more together, even if it was 
upon the field of blood; for amid the wrecks 
and woe and desolation, the dead, the 
wounded, the sick, the dying, the hospitals, 
the prisons, the flying skirmishes and the 
great red gaps of battle, the Northerner and 
the Southerner met, and here and there and 
everywhere was that " touch of human nature 
that makes all the world akin." And of the 
many results flowing out from the war, this 



one of making the people of the different 
sections better acquainted with each other 
can be contemplated by all with unmixed 
satisfaction. 

In the exultation of victors (this admoni- 
tion will never be needed by the vancjuished) 
the North should not forget that a society 
cannot permanently prosper that is founded 
only on the pursuit of wealth, pleasure and 
power. A profound respect for liberty and 
justice are the first essentials to real national 
greatness and glory. Splendid cities, costly 
cathedrals, vast and numerous churches, 
many and magnificent schoolhouses, the col- 
ossal fortunes of millionaires, and immense 
factories and their many hundreds of em- 
ployes, are not the absolutely necessary finger- 
boards pointing always to the greatest welfare 
and happiness of the people. The cottages 
vastly outnumber the palaces, as do the labor- 
ers far exceed the idle and the rich. The 
real people live in humble homes; their toil 
is the world's wealth; and their health, hap- 
piness, comforts and their education and 
content are the true measure of a nation's 
greatness and glory. 

V. 

"Genuine history,"' says Taine, "is 
brought into existence only when the histo- 
rian begins to unravel, across the lapse of 
time, the living man, toiling, impassioned, 
entrenched in his customs, with his voice and 
features, his gestures and dress, distinct and 
complete as he from whom we have just part 
ed in the street." A history of a people 
which has passed away is the effort to make 
the past the present; to revivify the dead and 
present every phase of actual life as it once 
existed, with all its bad and good, its bless- 
ings and its sufferings; the home life, the pub- 
lic highway, the street, the field, men and 
women privately, collectively, at work and at 



16 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



play, socially and morally, as they once were 
here in the struggle for life. A picture most 
difficult, perhaps about impossible to draw. 
Hence, to approach this perfection in any 
respect, will make a valuable book, and one 
whose lessons will remain perpetually to the 
coming generations. 

VI. 

The people of a State, or any separate 
civil government of laws and police powers, 
must be considered in reference to their local 
laws and government, as well as estimated 
morally and socially, in order to fathom the 
causes when the facts are once understood. 
This is unquestionably the freest government 
established among men, and it may possibly 
have the " finest civil service on the planet," 
yet one fact is patent, namely: that it is 
already complex and is growing in these in- 
tricacies, and from this is and long has been 
coming some of that confusion among men's 
ideas of what are the true boundary lines 
where the people should cry out to the law- 
makers, " hands off here. '' We have a gen- 
eral government and laws, applicable to all 
the people of the country, then State laws 
and institutions that are local; then county, 
town and cit}- governments, laws, police and 
courts; and the constant tendency is to in- 
crease these — enlarge their complexity, and 
the genius of our law-makers is exhausted in 
the scramble for new laAvs. From the earliest 
childhood, from ancient times, when civiliza- 
tion was emerging from darkness, all were 
taught to respect the law and to pray regu- 
larly for the rulers and law-makers. And to 
worship the flag and condone the crimes of 
those in power is the common measure of 
your neighbor's patriotism. A rather stupid 
judgment, truly, iiut the very best the average 
man of this age could be expected to form. 
The tendency of all this is to run to those 



most glaring evils of all governments, over- 
legislation, and thus what was intended for a 
protection, may become the heaviest oppres- 
sion. In so far as laws and governments are 
concerned, they are a necessary evil — some- 
thing not needed by the good — their only 
I^urpose or excuse for existence being to 
restrain the bad, and to protect all from the 
evil, the ignorant and the perverse. The 
evils of overmuch law and government med- 
dling in the affairs of men, affairs that every 
one should shape and control for himself, 
have been too little considered by the people, 
those who suffer as the result of their own 
ignorance. The world is full of men who 
think a vote will make them wise, virtiious, 
rich and happy, and when these mistaken 
men are clothed with the ballot, and find 
themselves far from complete happiness, they 
are very apt to tui-n their eyes ever toward 
some new law, some commission or new office, 
created to relieve them of all their woes. 
When all these panaceas have run the gamut 
of experience and dismal failures, he may 
then wail at the demagogues, and fairly bray 
in a mortar, this meek and ever patient long 
eared animal. 

"The fault, dear Brutus, is iu ourselves 
And not in our stars that we are underlings." 

The right of universal suffrage, in fact, all 
right of voting, implies and compels for 
the voter either the intelligence to select 
the proper representative to make and exe- 
cute the laws, or he must abide the cruel con- 
sequences of the inevitable mistakes of ignor- 
ance. In your law-maker's hands are en- 
trusted the great questions of not only your 
happiness, but of life and death itself. As 
new and strange as these propositions nia_v 
seem to many readers, they are not new to 
those who think best about the great problems 
of life. They are open secrets, and which 
are yet so open that they ought not to remain 



HISTORY OF BUEEAU COUNTY. 



17 



secrets to those who take upon themselves the 
awful responsibility of self-government, or of 
electing those who are to make and execute 
the laws, those men who undertake the vast 
and terrible responsibility of dealing with 
millions of human beings by measures which, 
if they do not conduce to their happiness, 
will increase their miseries and accelerate 
their deaths. 

Speaking on this subject, and especially 
in reference to the plainest requirements that 
should be possessed by every law-maker, 
Herbert Spencer says: "There is first of all 
the undeniable truth, conspicuous and yet 
absolutely ignored, that there are no pheno- 
mena which a society presents but what have 
their origins in the phenomena of individual 
human life, which again have their roots in 
vital phenomena at large. And there is the 
inevitable implication that unless these vital 
phenomena, bodily and mentally, are chaotic 
in their relations (a supposition excluded by 
the very maintenance of life) the resulting 
phenomena can not be wholly chaotic; there 
must be some kind of order in the phenom- 
ena which grow out of them when associ- 
ated human beings have to co-operate. Evi- 
dently, then, when one who has not studied 
such resulting phenomena of social order 
undertakes to regulate society he is pretty 
certain to work mischiefs. 

' 'In the second place, apart from a priori 
reasoning, this conclusion should be forced 
on the legislator by comparisons of societies. 
It ought to he saiSciently manifest that, be- 
fore meddling with the details of social or- 
ganization, inquiry should be made whether 
social organization has a natural history; 
and that, to answer this inquiry, it would be 
well, setting out with the simplest societies, 
to see in what respects social structures agree. 
Such comparative sociology, pui'sued to a 
very small extent, shows a substantial uni- 



formity of genesis. The habitual existence 
of chieftainship, and the establishment of 
chiefly authority by war; the rise everywhere 
of the medicine-man and priest; the pres- 
ence of a cult having in all places the 
fundamental traits; the traces of division of 
labor, early displayed, which gradually be- 
come more marked, and the various complica- 
tions — political, ecclesiastical, industrial, 
which arise as groups ai'e compounded and 
recompounded by war — quickly prove to 
anyone who compares them that, apart from 
all their special diiferences, societies have 
general resemblances in their modes of 
origin and development. They present traits 
of structure showing that social organization 
has laws which override individual wills, and 
laws the disregard of which must be fraught 
with disaster. 

"And then, in the third place, there is that 
mass of guiding information yielded by the 
records of law- making in our own country 
and in other countries, which still more ob- 
viously demands attention. Here and else- 
where attempts of multitudinous kinds made 
by kings and statesmen have failed to do the 
good intended and have worked unexpected 
evils. Century after centm-y now measures 
like the old ones, and other measures akin in 
principle, have again disappointed hopes and 
again brought disaster. And yet it is thought 
neither by electors nor by those they elect 
that there is any need for systematic study of 
that legislation which in by-gone ages went 
on working the ill-being of the people when 
it tried to achieve their well-being. Surely 
there can be no litness for legislative func- 
tions without wide knowledge of those legis- 
lative experiences which the past has be- 
queathed. ' ' 

These are the thoughts of a philosopher, 
not a politician nor statesman: The conclu- 
sions of a great man, a man who refused 



18 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY 



recently to accept a seat in the British Parlia- 
ment because he could not waste his time in 
trj'ing to benefit the people by giving them a 
government they were not jet ready to re- 
ceive or appreciate. 

YII. 

A history of a people must, therefore, care- 
fully C(jnsider the race, the epoch, and the 
climate and soil and their combined effects 
in elucidating the causes, after the facts have 
been collated. Where the period of time 
covered by the story is short — only a little 
more than a generation — as in the history of 
this county, the effects flowing out from these 
causes become shadowy and indistinct — more 
difficult to trace out and fix clearly to the 
view, in due ratio to the brevity of the 
period which comes within the purview of 
the writer. 

These conceptions of history were unknown 
to our forefathers. They wi'ote of all men, 
looking always from the same stand-point, 
and from their abstract conceptions, exactly 
as though all men, of all ages, climes and 
surroundings, were exactlj' the same. Their 
conceptions and conclusions were abstract, 
and, like their philosophy, were metaphysi- 
cal, and whence comes the fact that real his- 
tory is a modern discovery; not wholly, 
but mostly so. 

The fact is, the so-called lore of the classi- 
cal ages are the works of those abstruse me- 
taphysicians who fairly dazzled the world 
with their brilliant writings. The genius of 
these men was attractive and fascinating, 
and its power is evidenced well by the mas- 
tery it has wielded over men's minds for cen- 
turies; in fact, even to the present hour, we 
find its influence lingering about our oldest 
colleges, universities and schools. The wrong 
bent it gave the mind in many things has 
been one of the heavj- burdens upon the de- 



velopment and expansion of the human mind, 
and the diffusion and growth of knowledge. 
And the misfortune was that for centuries and 
centuries the schools of the world were or- 
ganized and run upon theoretical and not 
scientific and practical ideas. And the amaz- 
ing facts are now that we hear only of the 
classical and scientific schools, the former 
being generally regarded as the only proper 
standard of a high grade of education, and 
when we say a man is a classical scholar, all 
understand that to be the perfection of learn- 
ing. And the best ideas of science in the 
schools is but miserable empiricism gener- 
ally. 

The steps in the advance of civilization — 
that long and painful contest between truth 
and ignorance — are thus indicated plainly to 
us, and in time they, too, will bear their 
fruits, and men will come to know that there 
is nothing so practical as real learning. Our 
forefathers called all scientific knowledge 
" common sense," and unconscious as they 
were of the fact, they were truly defining a 
term that means all real knowledge; al- 
though they may have labored under the 
common delusion, that there was hid away in 
some of the institutions of the world a won- 
derful Arcana of wisdom and the true knowl- 
edge, under the name of classical or scientific 
lore, and that "common sense" was only for 
common people, while the better article was 
reserved for the select few. 

The eras of development of the human 
mind are, first, the age of brute force and 
cunning and the earliest formation of the fam- 
ily and tribal relations, for mutual protection 
from savage neighbors. And secondly there 
is the age of arts, that culminates in music, 
poetry, eloquence, painting and the elegant 
refinements of society, and the pleasures of 
wealth, luxuries, and the polished and court- 
ly manners that are so beautiful to behold in 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



19 



any people. The crown and culmination of 
the age of art, is in Jenny Lind, Raphael, 
Shakespeare and the orators and metaphysi- 
cians of Greece and Rome. And thirdly, the 
mind progressing still from this grand epoch, 
enters upon the age of inductive philosophy, 
the highest type of human perfection possi- 
ble to reach — the age of discoveries, inven- 
tions and of true knowledge; the knowledge 
which betters the conditions of all men, 
making them healthier, happier and longer 
lived; dispelling pain of body and suffering 
of mind; awakening men from the long 
nightmare of superstitious fears and ignor- 
ant beliefs, driving from the walks of life the 
once successful and adored mendicant quacks, 
shams and imposters, who, for the long ages, 
so floiu'ished fattened and battened upon the 
hard earnings of ignorance and folly, the 
curse of bigotry and the fatality of empiri- 
cism. 

VIII. 

The man who never had occasion in his life 
for the use of a thought above bread and 
bacon (and we would not deride such men, 
for with the great mass, these are the first 
and only real questions of their whole lives, 
and ,to answer them well is their noblest 
mission), we say, many such men are truly 
amazed when we have asked them for the 
story of their humble, but sincere and honest 
lives. And sometimes, like certain rich men 
who are vain of their ragged and dirty 
clothes, and who sneer at a clean man, they 
have gloried in telling us that we did not 
understand our own business nearly so well 
as they did, and they knew their own lives 
were too trifling to tell, and that it was a 
fraud to attempt to print them. Parading 
their own pride of ignorance, they give 
instantaneous judgments upon the philosophy 
of historical data, thus settling profound 
questions that have taxed for many years 



some of the greatest minds that ever lived. 
Another will tell us that he is a " new comer " 
and is not a part, nor has he any interest in 
the history of the people, either of the f)ast 
or present. Another will notify us that the 
history of a county can only be properly 
written by its living cotemporaries. 

There is no blame to attach to these mis- 
taken people, because history is more an 
account of men's errors than of their correct 
judgments — ignorance has largely predom- 
inated in the world, possibly it always will. 
We are not excessively concerned on this point, 
but content to contribute our humble mite to 
the story as it is, conscious of the fact that 
that history which fails to give an account of 
men's errors, as well as their sparse triumphs 
in behalf of truth, would be no history at 
all. The history of the insignificant, the 
ignorant, good and bad, the old and the 
young, in short, the majority, the mass, exact- 
ly as they were and are, is the real bulk and 
important part of the lesson. In the hands 
of the historian every grade and shade of 
human life and its conditions, from the idiot 
to Lord Bacon, are the materials from which 
he raises the structure, the imperishable 
records of a people. Do you suppose the 
birds that made their tracks in the plastic 
mud, which afterward hardened to stone and 
became locked in the bowels of the earth for 
centuries and for geological ages, were any 
more aware of the immense importance their 
rude records would be to us than the millions 
of men, who lived and died and whose chance 
fossil remains are being uneai'thed, and ai'e 
enabling us now to write something of the 
story of prehistoric man and animals'? The 
lowest and meanest worms have lived and 
made their imperishable records. Nothing 
escapes history. The name of Charles 
Augustus, or Nehemiah, or Praise-God-Bare- 
bones, will pass away and be soon forgotten; 



20 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



it is an impalpable nothing, but the life, the 
bones and flesh, the blood and tissue are a 
solid something, which, amid ceaseless 
changes, will exist for ever. And it need not 
humiliate the said Charles to learn that this 
physical fact is equally true of the toad and 
the mosquito. 

Hence, an accui-ate biography of every 
man, woman and child that now lives and 
has lived in the county would be the full and 
complete materials in the hands of the histo- 
rian, by which he could write a history of 
unsurpassed value. To obtain these now is 
impossible, and we can only do the next best 
thing, namely, to procure as nearly as possi- 
ble the life records of those from whom we 
may strike that average whose beautiful laws 
are certain and immutable, and which, when 
correctly interpreted, yield infallible truths. 

IX. 

A book to be read by the average man, in 
order to be appreciated or understood, must 
be addressed to his understanding, and it 
should steer successfully around his cherished 
prejudices of faith, and his distorted or total 
absence of all views on political economy. 
The successful book-makers, those who jump 
into sudden fame and reap the golden har- 
vests, are those who catch the popular breeze 
and sail with it. They criticise nothing, 
and with devout hearts they bend the knee 
and bow the head at the shrine inscribed, 
" The voice of the people is the voice of 
God; " or that other and worse maxim, " The 
people are always right; " " The divine right 
of Kings," and " The majority are always 
right and the minority are always wi'ong " — 
these are some of the arrant follies that have 
held their places in men's minds persistently 
and almost perpetually. From the hustings, 
the rostrum, the sacred desk, the bench and 
bar, these fulminations are poured out, and 



to question them is to have your own sanity 
suspected. " Might is right" is just as true 
as are any of the other time-worn maxims 
about the majorities — the people as a whole, 
or that other nonsense, that for all men to 
vote is the priceless boon of freedom — or 
" Universal suffrage assures the perfection of 
a good and free government — so long as you 
can vote you cannot be enslaved." 

These maxims are the droolings of imbe- 
cility, and it is he who pours out upon this 
wicked nonsense his fulsome panegyrics of 
praise, who reaches best the public heart and 
pulse and reaps the golden harvests. 

When the people act as a body upon any 
subject, there cannot be any action that is 
superior to the average man, and the chances 
are as one in a thousand that it will not be 
above this measure, but is nearly certain to 
be below it, for the reason that error is near- 
ly always more active than intelligence. It 
is more self-asserting, more confident, and 
infinitely more satisfied with itself. The 
whole is admirably stated in formulating the 
terms which describe the contest between 
knowledge and ignorance. Knowledge is a 
saint, ignorance is a criminal. Hence, a 
people is moral or immoral, good or bad, 
virtuous or vicious, as the collective body is 
wise or ignorant. A high or low standard 
of sobriety, integrity or morality in a people 
is the exact measure of the knowledge it pos- 
sesses. This, like the law of averages, may 
not be demonstrably true of the individual, 
but is unvai'ying of the people as a whole in 
its self-demonstrations. 

So far as we can know, everything in all 
nature — the whole mental and physical world 
— is a growth, not in a single instance a 
miraculous bui'sting into the full bloom of 
existence. And that growth is governed by 
omnipotent laws. To know these laws and 
apply them to man, to the family, to society, 



HISTORY OF BUREA.U COUNTY. 



21 



to the community, to the State, to the race, 
is the exalted work of the historian. 

In a historical point of view, then, " The 
present is completing the past, and the past 
is explaining the present." And this becomes 
plain and its value incalculable in so far as 
we may from the records and data that come 
to our hands, be enabled to point out the laws 
of growth that have led us to where we now 
are. 



CHAPTER II. 

Wht Histoby Interests Us — What is History ? — Laws of Devel- 
opment — The Soil and Its Wonders — Imi'ortance of Teach- 
ing IT TO All — Needs of Our People— The Coming Public 
Schools — Learned Ignorance Should Stop Now — Early 
Illiteracy and Modern Demoralization Compared — Who 
ARE the Real Immortals — True Philosophy and Kindly 
Thought — Teaching Error a Crime — How to Educate— An 
Agricultural People Should Have an Agricultural Edu- 
cation — Instances Given — Education the Most Practical 
Thing in the World— Geological History, Its Immensity 
AND Importance — The Rocks, Soil and Climate — Geology of 
Bureau County — CoAL-.AlEAsrRES — The Wiinderful Stories 
OP THE Prairies, etc., etc., etc. 

■' Where once slow creeping gl.aciers passed 
Resistless o'er a frozen waste. 
Deep rooted in the virgin mould 
The dower of centuries untold." 

— John H. Bryant. 

MAN'S nature is such that he is deeply 
concerned in the movements of those 
who have gone before him, and this interest 
intensifies the closer the strain of blood that 
binds him to the memories of those predeces- 
sors. If his earliest forefathers had their 
forerunners, even if they were of an unknown 
time and race, either savages or enlightened, 
who lived and struggled and died, passing 
away and leaving not a wrack behind, their 
term reaching beyond the gray dawn of 
earliest history, yet their dimmest marks and 
fossil remains are deeply interesting, and 
beckon us on in the eager hunt to unlock the 



mystery that has so swallowed them up. Who 
were they? How did they live; what did 
they do; what did they know? Where were 
they from ? How did they so completely pass 
away from the face of the earth? And when 
the inquiry comes down to the period of the 
immediate ancestors of the inquirer the inter- 
est intensities, and the minutest, dry details 
become profoundly interesting. Were they 
wise or foolish, strong or weak, happy or 
wretched? And we re-create in the mind as 
well as we can the picture of their daily and 
hourly life, customs, habits, temperaments, 
their wisdom and follies, successes and fail- 
ures. 

The proper study of mankind is man. 
Here is the great fountain of valuable knowl- 
edge; and the " man " that is best studied, at 
least is the easiest and best to understand, are 
our immediate forefathers or predecessors. 
To know all about them is all you can learn 
of the human race that it is essential to know. 
To solve the complex problem cannot be done 
by a surface knowledge of all the races, but 
by a thorough comprehension of those about 
whom youi' every nature and impulse leade 
you along in the investigation. 

Could the gi-aduates of the schools be 
turned out with their diplomas, when these 
would mean that they knew the history of 
their own race, to a degree even approaching 
perfection, then indeed might we rest content 
in the possession of that great boon, the best 
educated people in the world ; the word 
history being here used in that broad and 
true sense that means a mastery of the high- 
est type of knowledge, the understanding of 
the mental and physical laws, and in contra- 
distinction of those terms the annals, the 
chronology, the dates, the disconnected and 
often trifling incidents that were once con- 
sidered history, such as the births of kings 
and princes, their deaths and pompous 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



burials, battles, famines, epidemics, great 
conflagrations or political revolutions. A 
true history of a people is a mastery of the 
laws of race and the laws of heredity, climate 
and soil, epoch, momentum — the understand- 
ing of the laws of mind growth as well as 
those controlling the growth of the physical 
body, society, church, State and all the won- 
derful developments of a civilized people. 

Everything is a growth — a development — 
a j)assing from the simple to the complex. 
Thus it commences with the legends, then the 
traditions, the chronicles, the annals, and 
last, the history: the bud, the seed, the 
tender sf)rout, the sapling, and the tree, which 
in the long years is drawing its sap and food 
from the deep soil and giving off its luscious 
fruit in the distant and glorious summer. 
The greatest always is the slowest and last to 
perfect itself. Hence, we say, the true con- 
ception of history is modern, and so far we 
have yet no complete history of any race or 
people, but the materials for the coming his- 
torian have been being gathered since the 
days of Herodotus. When the world is ready 
for this great man he will come, and in a sin- 
gle book he will confer upon mankind some- 
thing incomparably superior to all that has 
ever yet come from the printing press. 

Some geological ages ago preparations 
commenced to make this the lit abode for 
man. The oscillations of the earth's surface 
commenced, it is said by geologists, about 
the Huron region on this continent, forming 
there the first dry land, and this process pro- 
ceeded slowly in a southwesterly direction 
until our hemisphere has grown and fash- 
ioned itself much as we have it now. The 
commencement of this continent-building 
was the yielding up by the waters of the first 
pages in geological history. And what can 
be more interesting and instructive than these 
wonderful and unfailing records, when 



brought under the trained eye of intelligence 
and made to reveal the startling story of their 
existence! 

The soil is the Alma Mater — the nourishing 
mother, indeed — of all animate life in this 
world. Without it nothing — from it all that 
we possess. The wealth and joys, the hopes 
and ambitions, the beai;ties of nature and of 
art, the new mown hay, the maiden's blush, 
the love lit eye, the floating Armada, the 
thundering train, the flaming forge and the 
flying spindle, the hand of friendship, the 
sweet rippling laughter of childhood, all that 
we can conceive of utility or beauty, men- 
tally or j)hysically, are from the cold, dull 
soil upon which we tread. From here alone 
comes life and all its belongings. 

The sun worshipers were not base in their 
adorable ideal — light and heat were the near 
approach to the soxu'ces of life, and yet it 
was only an aid to the soil; a laboratoiy dis- 
solving and combining the elements of the 
air and rocks and creating the soil, the great 
fountain of all. The works of these sun 
worshipers are scattered over the face of the 
earth, furnishing us some of man's earliest 
records. None ever worshiped the soil. 
For it they had no just appreciation; its all- 
commanding value is yet little understood, 
and in the world's slow progress the soil and 
the slavish drudge — the lowest menial and 
the ignorant lout were about the only things 
that were a part and portion of the "^oil or 
identified with it in men's minds; and for 
ages agriculture and unwashed ignorance 
were regarded as much one and the same 
thing. In that first nation whose air was too 
piu'e for a slave to breath, was inaugurated 
the long reign of a feudal system, where the 
laborer and the soil passed by the same title 
deed, and the allegiance and the lives of the 
serfs were b ought and sold as the meanest of 
merchandise. While the soil has found no 



HISTOEY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



23 



worshipers and but few who cared to under- 
stand its value, it has proceeded in its benefi- 
cent works, showering its benefits upon all 
until it has lifted us from dull and dirty 
savages into the joys of the splendid civiliza- 
tion that now smiles upon mankind. 

Why should we teach our children to un- 
derstand the stupid dirt beneath their feet ? 
Build schoolhouses and teach them metaphy- 
sics — the involved and abstruse speculations 
and problems that dazzle and bewilder the 
mind; make them classical scholars and take 
them far away from the dirt that flies as dust, 
sticks to your clothes as mud, and is only 
vile and nasty. And thus a vital error has 
gone on and on, and is still wielding its 
power for evil throughout the world. 

The soil comes of the rocks, and except 
in the instances of di-ift, its component parts 
may be instantly identified with the sub- 
jacent rocks, and in the drift sections, as is 
neai'ly all the surface of Illinois, the under- 
lying rocks are always the index to the sur- 
face qualities. To the intelligent eye that 
examines the stratified rocks of a country it 
is plain enough what elements of plant food 
it contains, and what pai'ticular vegetation 
it will best produce. 

Our people are agricultural in their pur- 
suits. The Mississippi Valley will be the 
storehouse and granaiT of the world. It can 
always say to hungry man, " In thy Father's 
house is enough and to spare.'' With its 
wholesome and generous products, it will 
freight the ships whose sails will fleck every 
sea. Teach the people to read the secrets of 
the soil, and give them cheap transportation 
and the unobstructed and free markets of the 
world, and then, indeed, will come that 
boundless wealth which nurtures those master 
spirits among men who shape and fix the 
proud destiny of civilization. 

It has never occurred, it seems, to the 



school men, that the public schools should be 
organized and operated in reference to local- 
ity or the peculiar controlling interests of the 
people; that certain portions of the world 
will produce different industries, and differ- 
ent occupations for the people; that one place 
is for mining, another for certain manufac- 
tories, and another for agricultiu-e, and of 
this last we have an endless variety of pro- 
ducts. One portion of our country produces 
mostly rice, another cranberries, another 
sugar, another tobacco, and often a single 
variety of the many kinds of this product, 
another cotton ; and then we have here, in the 
Upper Mississippi Valley, that wonderful 
garden for the production of that great vari- 
ety in abundance, including nearly every- 
thing except those articles named above. 
And to this is added the raising of stock, 
which nearly equals the immense values of 
the immediate soil products. 

The coming school teacher will see to it 
that the bent of the schools are directed to 
best preparing the rising generation for the 
successful struggle of life by educating them 
for their life surroundings. There is noth- 
ing so practical in life as knowledge, and the 
best knowledge is that which betters men's 
lives. A common affliction all over the world 
is "learned ignorance," and a people may 
suffer more from this evil than from those 
illiterates whose columns of per cents figure 
in our census reports. There can be no cen- 
sus taken of "learned ignorance," and hence 
its prevalence in a people may not be easily 
detected, and its inflictions difficult to meas- 
ure. The shrewd observer may pick them 
out by their loud advocacy of, and unfalter- 
ing faith in all the many errors that were 
instilled into them in their own school edu- 
cation. They believe wisdom is born as you 
first enter the school room, and is full grown 
and perfected when you leave its doors with 



24 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



a diploma; that knowledge is in the text 
books, and that the professor who knows all 
these must be the greatest man in the world. 
It is this ' ' learned ignorance " that measures 
the people of a community by the school- 
houses, the number of teachers and the grad- 
uates they turn out, and the absence of illit- 
erates among them. These are grievious 
errors, and they are most apt to pass from 
father to son, and thus become fixed as 
axiomatic truths. 

It is the home influence, the laws of hered- 
ity, the environment of life, the age, the 
momentum and public sentiment that are 
man's architect and controlling influences. 
And the artificial, unphilosophical, empirical 
contrivances of the world's reformers and 
Utopia builders, are as the feather in the bal- 
lance against the mountain in shaping men's 
destiny. 

The schools upon which the present sys- 
tem is based, were founded seventeen hun- 
dred years ago, for the sole purpose of edu- 
cating young men for the priesthood — to 
teach them how to teach morality — possibly 
how to proselyte. The study of the catechism 
and the Lives of the Saints were the whole 
of the curriculum. They were a mere aildenda 
to the Catholic Church, and committing to 
memory constituted the entire process of the 
school room. They were Catholic schools, 
and in the course of the world's revolutions 
came the Lutheran, the Methodist, the Bap- 
tist, and the innumerable other schools as 
the sects multiplied, all enlarging the scope 
of their work, until they came to be the 
teachers of all classes of men. They wran- 
gled and struggled and spread, keeping even 
pace with the growth and power of their re- 
spective sects, until sincere and good men 
were led to believe that knowledge and doxy 
were synonymous terms. Nothing has, per- 
haps, filled its mission better than the theo- 



logical schools — Jew or Gentile. Their ex- 
istence in the organization of society was 
probably an imperative necessity. But Jew- 
ish education to teach the child knowledge 
(understanding the mental and physical laws) 
is a companion piece to that startling cry that 
runs over the land about every time the tax- 
gatherer comes around, that the public schools 
are ' ' Godless schools. " Education, we are 
told, is furnishing the mind mental food, as 
we give the physical body bread and meat. 
If Knowledge is a hard-shell Baptist, then 
why do we not hear of the Godless saw-mills, 
fish ponds, pig pens or cattle ranches? 

The original idea of the school was to pro- 
pagate morality. And the way men in that 
age thought, they were justified in the belief 
that if you cultivated the moral, the intel- 
lectual would take care of itself. Many able 
and good men think so now; possibly a large 
majority of mankind. And the roaring dema- 
gogue will tell you that the majority, espec- 
ially the large majority, cannot be in 
error. 

Th(i truth is, a nation, people or race are 
good or bad, moral or immoral, honest or 
thievish, drunken or sober, pui-e or vile, no- 
ble or ignoble, exactly as they are removed 
from the thrall of ignorance. Give people 
knowledge, and y(ju give them, in exact pro- 
portion to the amount thereof, pure morality, 
virtue, health, and all that ennobles and makes 
them great and good. This alone is the great 
teacher and reformer. Ignorance is a thief, 
robber and mui-derer, and it is but idiocy that 
gabbles about the " bliss of ignorance." It 
is the monster criminal, and pity it all we 
may, its horrid possession of men, its grim 
and fatal clutch, can only be loosened by real 
knowledge, and not by " learned ignorance " 
nor sham reformers. Ignorance is the major- 
ity enthroned, levying blackmail and war, 
making laws and ruling empires, sowing 



historV of bureau county. 



25 



death and despair, and scattering its wrecks 
along the shores of the stream of time. 

The trend of the average mind of this age 
is to education, to better its thoughts, to 
gain knowledge, and to this achievement it 
puts forth its best efforts. If it is given 
' ' learned ignorance " for the genuine article, 
it cannot be blamed for taking the poison in 
the faith that it is healthful food. 

Again, no one triith is the whole truth 
about even the simplest act or thing in life. 
To make a fire in the cook-stove, feed a pig 
or raise a hill of corn requires, in order to 
do either properly, to understand many of 
the physical laws applicable to each case. To 
rush at the doing of either with the mastery 
of only a single truth that will come in play, 
is to open a Pandora's box of disappoint- 
ments, failures, evils. If this is true of the 
simplest acts of life, how much greater self- 
afflicted evils are going to come to us when 
we move in the great and complex affairs of 
life, our education, our political economy, 
our religion — in short, the individual and 
society life itself. Here come into play the 
innumeral)le and the great physical and men- 
tal laws — omnipotence itself — that must be 
at least partially understood and obeyed in 
order to live at all. It is this jumping at 
judgments that are founded upon one or two 
truths concerning little and great affairs that 
brings the shams and frauds, the bigots and 
fanatics, the general demoralization and the 
" learned ignorance " that so retards the 
spread of knowledge among men, and thus 
beats back the cause of progress, and kills 
the brightest hopes that send their sunshine 
across life's pathway. 

II. 

The very earliest settlers in Illinois had 
neither schools, churches, doctors, preachers 
nor lawyers. A good dog and a trustv rifle 



were then a greater necessity than any of 
these, and there was as little demand for the 
luxurious pleasiu'es of modern people as there 
was for the evils that accompany the increase 
of societies, and the denser population of 
these days. Being without schools, etc., 
they were also without penitentiaries or 
police officers. 

Gov. Reynolds came to Illinois in the year 
1800; born in the old commonwealth of Penn- 
sylvania. After he had lived here fifty-five 
years, he wrote down his recollections in his 
" Pioneer History of Illinois," of the people 
he found here when he came. He says, 
they were removed from the con-uption of 
large cities, and enjoyed an isolated position 
in the vast interior of North America. He 
thinks that a century before ISOO, they bad 
solved for themselves the problem that 
neither wealth nor splendid possessions, nor 
an extraordinary degree of ambition, nor 
energy, ever made a people happy. They 
resided more than 1,000 miles from the 
older colonies; they were strangers to wealth 
or pinching poverty, but they possessed con- 
tent and real Christian virtues of head and 
heart, and were consequently happy. Their 
ambition did not urge them to more than an 
humble and competent support, and their 
wants were few and simple. They did not 
strive to hoard wealth, they seldom drank to 
excess, and he pronounces them a " virtuous, 
contented and happy people." 

This is the testimony of a man who tells 
what he saw, and he knew well the people of 
whom he is speaking. There are none liviug 
now who were here when Reynolds came, to 
tell their recollections of the people, and 
excepting what he tells us about them, we 
are ignorant, save faint traditions, shadowy 
tales reciting the story of 

" Where nothing dwelt but beasts of prey, 
Or men as fierce and wild as they." 



HISTORY OF BUREAU CbUNTY. 



Accepting the "old Ranger's" account of 
the people as literally true, we find they had 
no schoolhouses, and they were illiterate as a 
rule, and he who confounds the terms illit- 
eracy and ignorance, would say they were, of 
course, very ignorant. Yet the truth is, 
among the early settlers of Illinois, history 
will forever preserve the fact that there were 
even then men here who, were they living 
now in the prime of their manhood, would 
take rank with the foremost men of the age. 
In the way of superstitious dreads and beliefs 
they were more ignorant than we are now — 
that is, than some of us. But remember, the 
whole world then believed in witches, and 
goblins, spooks and spells. Hideous appari- 
tions then confronted men in every turn of 
life, projecting their ghastly presence into 
every family circle, between husband and 
wife, parent and child, and often crushing 
all the highest and holiest human impulses 
and passions. 

The revolutions of the earth have, in the 
distant past, brought their long periods of 
the same faith and beliefs among the nations. 
Beliefs and moral codes that were enforced 
by eloquence, by pious frenzy, by the 
sword, the iiame and faggot, by the gibbet 
and the headsman's ax and by those great 
and cruel wars that converted this bright and 
beautiful world into a blackened and desolate 
waste, and sincere men became moral mon- 
sters, who converted the fireside into a penal 
colony, punishing the flesh until death was a 
welcome refuge, and torturing frightened 
imaginations with the pictures of a literal 
hell of tire and brimstone, until poor men and 
women and even children could only escape 
by suicide — that mad plunge into the incon- 
ceivable horrors of the damned. Time when, 
not only society, but all civilized nations, 
believed substantially the same beliefs, and 
hunted down heretics and killed them; when 



State and church were one and the same 
thing. The State was supreme over body 
and mind, and legislated for body and soul, 
and glutted itself with persecutions and 
slaughters. It enacted that the literature and 
philosophy of the world was contained in the 
"Lives of the Saints," of which the pious 
and good had gathered many great libraries 
of hundreds of thousands of volumes. 

Here then are the two extremes — the ear- 
liest pioneers without State or church — the 
old world with little or nothing else but 
church and State. The latter went daft and 
dried up the fountains of the human heart, 
and made the world desolate and sterile; the 
first wresting the desert wilderness from the 
savage and the wild beasts, and literally 
making the solitude bloom, and bear the im- 
mortal fruit of glorious deeds. These State- 
less, schooless, churchless, illiterate people 
blazed the way and prepared the ground for 
the coming of the school teacher and the 
church, the lawyer and the hospitals, the in- 
sane asylums and the penitentiaries, the les- 
sons of life and the hangman's rope, the 
saloons and the gambler, the broken-hearted 
wife and the bloated sot, the sob of innocence 
betrayed, and the leering human goats as 
they wag their scut and caper upon their 
mountain of offense, the millionaire and tbe 
tramp, and the other perhaps inevitable 
evils that mar and check the joys and bles- 
sings of larger and older societies. In the 
slow growth of our common pests, intertwin- 
ing their roots and branches with the beauti- 
ful and the good, most fortunately there can 
be found the gleams of sun- light from those 
who came and asked questions, who dared to 
investigate and ' ' drag up drowned truths by 
the locks." In the long '' night of storm and 
darkness'' these were the beacon lights shin- 
ing out upon the troubled waters. 

After the brave and illiterate pioneer 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



27 



awoke the i-esting echo, and bad fought out 
the long battle with the beasts and the sav- 
age, there came together here from the ends 
of the world the various degrees of life and 
social rank that now offer to the State his- 
torian the busiest, most extcmded and varied 
subjects for an enduring literary work — a 
story that of itself is an epic poem: their 
present struggles, their vast schemes of em- 
pire, their growing wealth, their grand suc- 
cesses, their short-comings and great failures 
— the swing of the pendulum in the vast 
clock of God, ticking off the centuries and 
geological ages. The sweeps onward and 
upward, the retreats and revulsions back- 
ward, the sublime march of the human 
race, the travail of the ages, the revolutions, 
wars, beliefs and bloody reforms and reviv- 
als — things that seem to retard, but really 
are the demonstration of the progress of man ; 
all is but the creation, molding and building 
up of that philosophy that reaches out to 
the great mass of mankind, and results in 
that culture and experience which deepens 
and strengthens the common-sense of the 
people, rectifies judgments, improves mor- 
als, encourages independence and dissipates 
superstitions. In this prolonged human trag- 
edy of the ages — this apparent chaos of 
ignorance and riot of bigotry and all shades 
of persecution — there have been born at cer- 
tain undeviating periods, the great thoughts of 
the world's few thinkers, giving us the truth, 
which grows and widens forever, for it alone 
is immortal, and in time it yields us a philo- 
sophy that worships the beautiful only in the 
useful, and the religious only in the true: 
a philosophy that is the opposite and contra- 
diction of sentiment as opposed to sense; 
that requires a rational personal indepen- 
dence of thought on all subjects, whether 
secular or sacred, and that equally rejects an 
error, whether it is fresh and novel, or glo- 



riously gilded by antiquity — a philosophy 
that yields no homage to a thing because it is 
a mystery, and accepts no ghostly authority ad- 
ministered by men, and the root of which lies 
in a florid mysticism. There is now a per- 
ceptible intellectual activity that marks the 
present age, and that is beginning to pervade 
all classes, asking questions, seeking causes. 
It is practical, not theoretical, and its chief 
aim is to improve the arts and industries, to 
explore and remedy evils, and to make life 
every way better worth living. Its types are 
the electric light, the telephone, better ships 
and railways, draining the lands and cleaner 
habits and better houses, healthier food and 
wiser institutions for the sick, destitute and 
insane. And scored upon its victorious ban- 
ners is that one supreme boon of lengthening 
the average life of a generation ten years. 
Let the mind dwell a moment upon this mag- 
nificent miracle, and then call these men, 
these practical philosophers, what you please, 
but tell us what coronet is fit to bind their 
brows, save that of the divine halo itself. 
They taught mankind the sublime truth that 
God intends us to mind things near us, and 
that because knowledge is obtainable, it 
is our duty to obtain it, and that the best 
morality or religion is that which abolishes 
suffering and makes men and women wiser, 
healthier and better; that the disputes of the 
schoolmen and the sectarians are to be re- 
garded as a jargon of the past, and to listen 
to them is time wasted; nothing is worth 
studying , but what can be understood, or 
at least sufficiently understood to be usefully 
applied. 

This is a kindly, tolerant, courageous 
thought, free from the distigurement of bigot- 
ry and prejudice. It alone, and only it, 
brings the perceptible advancement in the 
school, the press and the pulpit and every- 
where. It is irresistible, and its inflowiner 



28 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



tide is sun-lit with hope, like the blue Egean, 
when the poet spoke of "the multitudiaous 
laughter of the sea waves." 

The labors and sufferings of these men, 
who gave the average man the new lease of 
ten years of life, were long, patient and 
immeasurable, and their innocent and heroic 
blood has stained the stream of time from its 
source to the present hour. They worked out 
their inventions and discoveries, offered them 
to the world, and were led to the rack or 
became hiding fugitives from the inappeas- 
able wrath of mankind. The brutal mob tore 
assunder their quivering limbs, threw their 
flesh to the dogs often, and theu complacently 
erected those monumental piles to ignorance 
and baseness that pierced the heavens and 
disfigured the face of the earth. 

Such was the long and unequal tight 
between ignorance and knowledge, and that 
is now going on, not with the bloody ferocity 
that characterized the ancient type of ignor- 
ance, but with equal determination and more 
cunning in its attacks, and more stealth in 
its assassinations. It can be conquered only 
by its extermination. 

To look at the world in these travails — to 
reflect how pure and stainless is truth, how 
it seeks modest seclusion and eludes notoriety, 
how weak it seems when assailed by the 
countless majorities, by panoplied ignorance, 
brute force and the wild fanatic and the 
relentless bigots, is to despair and conclude 
the creation itself is but a hideous nightmare. 
Yet looking down the long centuries, averag- 
ing the conditions of the people of the sep- 
arated centuries, and then indeed do her 
white robed victories assume the prfiportions 
of the marvelous. In retui'n for the perse- 
cutions and frightful deaths and tortures that 
were lying in wait upon every foot of the 
pathway of these children of thought, they 
have given us the sunlight of the gilded civ- 



ilization we now enjoy. " Return good for 
evil," saiththe command of heaven; but here 
is more, for it is the freedom and joys, and 
noble hopes and pleasures that endure for- 
ever. It is the exaltation and purification of 
life itself far beyond the comprehension of 
the ignorant receivers of the heaven-sent 
boon. And above all, be it said in behalf of 
these great benefactors, no lash was ever 
raised, no law was ever enacted, no pain ever 
inflicted, no schoolhouse was ever built, no 
policeman ever starred, no judge was ever 
ermined, no sword was overdrawn, no diploma 
was ever granted, no tax was ever gathered, 
no contribution ever collected, and no mistake 
or crimes ever committed; but in pain and 
persecutions, in outlawry and poverty, in the 
cold garret and the hiding caves, they 
thought, invented and discovered, and their 
works are strong and great enough to lift up 
mankind, and bear aloft the freedom and glo- 
ries of this great age. 

Immortals! You lived and died in obscur- 
ity, but few of your names known to men, 
yet we say, great immortals! and bow the 
head in profound reverence and respect. 

III. 

If it is once conceded that all real educa- 
tion is wholly practical — the most practical 
thing in life — then is it not self-evident that 
the schools of every people should be upon a 
system adapted to their leading and special 
wants — the habitat of that people? Then, is 
not this further proposition true, namely, that 
the only way that real knowledge is diffused, 
placed in the hands of the average man in 
such a way that it may be of any intrinsic 
value to him, is to make it always experi- 
mental knowledge — through some of the five 
senses or all of them ? 

Is is not a mistake bordering upon a high 
crime to teach the child error of any kind? 





(yL^ J^, 




fl 



II 

II 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



31 



How few grown people there are in the world 
who have not by experience, often sad and 
bitter, had to unlearn the lessons instilled 
into them, the errors that they once accepted 
as truths, either in the nursery or school 
room ? The average graduate even from our 
best modern institutions can count off these 
experiences in life by the score. He came 
from hia Alma Mater stuffed with errors, and 
his future life was a success or failure just 
in proportion as he was successful in putting 
aside this costly ignorance. This is not say- 
ing that he got nothing at school of utility; 
but it is saying, that with the good, if any, 
he had to swallow the poison measured out 
by ignorance with the best intentions. He 
must learn to unlearn after he leaves school, 
and often this is the big end of his real edu- 
cation. At school he is set to delving among 
the classics, cullivating a taste for the abstruse 
and involved speculations of metaphysicians, 
and he sits in admiration at the feet of the 
inductive philosophers, contemplating the 
glories of their ethereal castles and the glit- 
tering splendors of their florid rhetoric. And 
weighted down with these tinkling cymbals, 
he enters the busy, practical world a ' ' very 
learned man," who is certain to be inglori- 
ously unhorsed every time he comes in con- 
flict with "horse sense," as the slang puts it, 
when it chooses to describe one of more knowl- 
edge than education. Because the "very 
learned " may be without much knowledge, 
and the man who never entered a i.aiversity 
or college may have a vast store-house of 
knowledge. Neither of these are always true 
by any means, but the first should never be 
true, and would not if the schools were 
founded upon Hie best system. 

How to best educate the rising generation, 
how to improve om- schools, is the prime sub- 
ject of importance to every one. And it is 
the duty of each who can to point out errors 



and to suggest improvements; not to take 
everything for gi-anted that is claimed by its 
friends, and not to rest satisfied that a thing 
cannot be mended simply because of its an- 
tiquity. The aged think everything was in- 
comparably better when they, were young than 
it is now, and old and young think in some 
indefinite way that the ancient in everything 
was the best. The Free Mason can pay no 
higher eulogy to his order than to add to its 
name "ancient." The lawyer believes that 
in the black-letter of the law alone is the gar- 
nered wisdom of the fathers; and poets sing 
the glories of the mythical golden age. And 
all are more or less influenced to strive con- 
tinuously to get things again back into the 
ancient, beaten paths, believing the follies 
they detect are the result of the unfortunate 
departure from the wisdom of the fathers. 
And so we may trace the influence and author- 
ity of the ancient throughout every institu- 
tion and all the phases of society. Reference 
is made to this general peculiarity of the pub- 
lic bias in order to somewhat prepare the 
reader for a brief consideration of what is 
to immediateiy follow, and which is the lead- 
ing idea to which the foregoing is all intended 
to point. 

IV. 

Illinois being peculiarly the home of an 
agricultural people, and this particular coun- 
ty being the veiy heart of the rich garden — 
possessing already a large population and 
rich and intelligent enough for as good and 
extensive public and private society and edu- 
cational institutions as any rich and cultured 
commonwealth, the people are ready for all 
practical improvements that may be properly 
presented to them. What is their chief edu- 
cational interest then? Clearly, it is the dif- 
fusion among the rising generations of a bet- 
ter and more general knowledge of the econ- 
omical geology of this section of country. 



32 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



To be taught the effects of their soil and cli- 
mate ; where so much wealth is created as [ 
there is every year in this county — there is no 
estimating the money value of this knowl- 
edge. Let us illustrate: There is a county 
in southern Illinois that is splendidly adapted 
for raising apples. About forty years ago a 
man located there and started this industry, 
putting out extensive orchards and supplying 
the people with trees, and soon the orchards 
became numerous. The man had learned the 
business in a different part of the country, 
and supposed the best growing varieties 
where he formerly lived were the best in the 
new locality. Just now the fruit growers 
have learned that he was wholly mistaken. 
The result here is a generation whose ener- 
gies were misdirected, and whose losses can 
hardly be estimated — a sovere penalty for 
the want of that knowledge of soil and cli- 
mate that the improved schools will some day 
impart. In the instance given, this knowledge 
by this single individual would have been 
worth more to the people than all they have 
paid for school purposes in fifty years. 

Another large section may be found where 
for fifty years the people have been building 
houses, and yet the intelligent traveler can- 
not find a house containing the architectural 
beauty and conveniences of even the average 
better houses of some other localities. Upon 
looking into this strange fact it will be found 
that from the first the leading so-called archi- 
tect and builder who did the first and for 
years the large part of house building knew 
little or nothing of modern improvements ; 
was an ignorant stickler for the ancient, and 
he clung to the obsolete. 

Another county may be found in the Mis- 
sissippi Valley where the tax books show 
more dogs than sheep. And the astounding 
part of the facts are that it is, or would be if 
it had the chance, the natural home of the 



sheep — where they can be raised to the best 
advantage and with the greatest profit. But 
the sovereigns in the exercise of their divine 
privileges run to dogs. One distinguished 
citizen's name on the tax books was charged 
with $8 dog tax. and 50 cents for all other 
property. The barbarous instinct that breeds 
these wretched cm- dogs aod revels in their 
possession, costs that particular county nearly 
a million dollars a year, and has for the past 
seventy-five years. 

The spot most celebrated for the produc- 
tion of fine horses, especially the fleet-footed 
coursers, is the Blue Grass region in Ken- 
tucky. The horse-breeders have made money 
and fame, and many years ago they com- 
menced an intelligent study of their locality 
and its especial adaptations. The constitu- 
ent elements of soil, water, grasses, and an 
understanding of the peculiar blue limestone 
rock that is found in all this region, was 
scientifically investigated. To get the par- 
ticular strain of horses adapted to their fav- 
ored locality they turned their scientific atten- 
tion to the study of the horse by long obser- 
vation and intelligent experiments. They 
hunted out effects, and then sought for the 
causes, and hwe, as everywhere in the world, 
practical knowledge of their surroundings 
has paid immensely. This part of their real 
1 education was with reference to their sur- 
roundings, to the immediate soiu'ces of their 
wealth, to their section of country, their 
home. Almost any work on the Kentucky 
j horse will explain the difference in texture 
of the bone of one of their thorough-bred 
horses, or how much finer it is in texture than 
the common horse of other localities; that 
the bone is much heavier to the square inch, 
and comparatively approaches in fineness, 
compactness and strength to ivory. In a simi 
lar way the entire animal has been studied, and 
the results are known throughout the world. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



33 



V. 

We have no hesitation in atSrming that 
the school children could be much more easily 
taught the elementary principles of the eco- 
nomical geology of this portion of the valley 
so as to comprehend them tolerably well, than 
they can be taught to grasp the understand- 
ing of the English grammar, or the majority 
of things now taught in the public schools. 
A competent teacher rambling about the hills 
and streams and highways with his pupils 
would at once see that he is in a practical way 
givinc; the young and naturally inquisitive 
mind the very food its hungry natui'e eagerly 
craved. If he was competent to really teach 
he would at once see before him a method of 
srivinsr to his school information and some 
real knowledge that never could come in the 
lesson tasks of the school room, that mental 
stupefying routine process of committing to 
memory. They would learn geology exactly 
as a boy learns to be a carpenter or black- 
smith, assisting in the work; and this educa- 
tion, in the free air and sunlight, would be 
holiday playing with the keen zest of inno- 
cent childhood. There is no recitation here, 
no task, no stupid committing to memory, to 
be forgotten next week or nest year, or at 
least very soon after leaving school. But 
there is gaining insight into some of the 
physical laws by the young mind, real knowl- 
edge, none of which will or can ever be for- 
gotten. This is the difference between infor- 
mation and knowledge. 

The geological history of a country deter- 
mines its agricultm'al capacity, as well as the 
amount and kind of population it will event- 
ually contain. It carries us back to a period 
when the material of which the earth is 
composed existed in a state of fusion, so in- 
tense that the solid elements we now see were 
in a gaseous state, and the process of cooling 



eventually formed the rocks, the base on 
which the thin earth's crust rests; rocks 
formed by the cooling of molten mineral 
matter as they are now formed by matter 
thrown out by existing volcanoes. These 
changes have been going on through count- 
less ages, or better, through geological peri- 
ods, immeasurable cycles, that tell us of the 
eternity of the past as well as the eternity of 
the future; the story of ceaseless changes, 
and that nothing is ever annihilated. A 
chemist may resolve a grain of sand into its 
original elements, but it still exists in another 
form. Life and death are bu' a part of the 
ceaseless changes in everything, a mere mode 
of motion, a great law of matter, working 
like the law of gravitation. All natural 
forces are manifested by motion. Each min- 
eral assumes its peculiar crystallization with 
perfect certainty. This may be regarded, so 
far as we can investigate, as nature's tirst 
beginnings of organic ci-eation, the first result 
of that great law that culminated in the high- 
est forms of life. 

Millions and billions of years have passed 
since the first organic life appeared in this 
world, and since the highest type of life — 
man — came, there are indubitable evidences 
that millions of years have again passed 
away. We are taught this by the incontest- 
able records of geological history. 

The system of rocks is, tirst, the igneous 
rocks or formations, then the stratified rocks, 
originally made of a sediment deposited in 
the bottom of the ocean. Sometimes the 
stratified rocks have been subjected to the ac- 
tion of heat and their condition thus changed 
into what are called metamorphic rocks. 
Thus sandstone is converted into quartz rock 
or quartzite, limestone into crystalline mar- 
ble, etc. This process usually obliterates all 
traces of the fossils that are to be found in 
stratified rocks, and makes it often impossi- 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



ble to determine the relative age of the meta- | 
morphic rocks. 

These are the three distinct classes of rocks 
which enter into the formation of the earth's 
surface; the simplest distinctions, which 
any child can learn as readily as its alpha- 
bet, and that contain the most interesting 
story in the universe, and are a great store- 
house of knowledge. 

The manner in which the stratified rocks 
are formed, the successive beds accumulating 
in recTular order, one above another, repre- 
sent distinct periods in the chronological his- 
tory of the earth, and in these enduring leaves | 
of history are found the fossils of the am- 
mals and plants that existed during the \ 
period of their formation. Thus the geologi- I 
cal chronology of the earth is not only its , 
correct history, but the only possible history | 
of the various creation of plants and animals. 1 
And from the earliest corals of the primeval 
ocean down through all succeeding periods to 
the present time, there is the evidence that 
cannot be questioned, that in all animate life, 
as in the mineral and its various crystalliza- 
tions, the same general plan or law m the 
formation of the four great sub-kingdoms of 
existing animals, played its resistless forces. 
Some of the stratified rocks, especially the 
limestone, are composed almost wholly of the 
calcareous habitations and bony skeletons 
of the marine animals that lived in the ocean 
dm-ing the time these were in process of for- 
mation, with barely enough mineral matter to 
hold the materials together in a cemented 
mass A similar process is going on now un- 
der the water, and thus making the imper- 
ishable records for those to read who may, 
many millions of years from now, come after 
us The links in this long chain of geologi- 
cal history are joined together by the unerr- 
ing characteristics of a common origin, that 
weaves them into a complete chain of organic 



existence— the astounding story from pro- 
tozoa to man-the complete result of creative 
energy, that has worked forever and will 

never stop. 

As is said elsewhere, nearly the entire sur- 
face of Illinois is drift, loess and alluvial de- 
posits; reddish-brown clay forming the 
subsoil through this county, except beds of 
clean gravel that are found in certain locali- 
ties ; loess being found along the streams, as 
it is a recent deposit of fresh water. A large 
I portion of the drift came from a distance by 
the waters and glaciers, those crystal ships 
1 that once moved over Illinois, bearing their 
! rich cargoes of food-plant and spreading 
' them about for our enrichment. No sailors 
i walked their glittering decks, no pilots direct- 
I ed their coiu-se or took their reckonings. It 
I was natm-e's free and untrammeled commerce, 
I ean-ying its boundless wealth to the oncom- 
' inc fenerations. 

Soils are composed mainly of mineral mat- 
ter in a finely comminuted condition, to which 
is added the vegetable and animal matter ac- 
cumulated on the surface. If there are no 
supei-ficial deposits then the soil is formed by 
the decomposition of the rocks. If the rock 
is sandstone it will form a light sandy soil ; 
if a clay, shale or argillaceous rock, a heavy 
clay soil will be the result, and if a limestone 
a calcareous soil. 

In the drift deposits will be found no 
valuable deposits of mineral wealth. It was 
icrnorance of this fact that so often allured 
some of the early settlers of the country into 
patient and expensive hunts for silver and 
lead mines. Their education on the subject 
of soils was so imperfect that they could not 
see that the lead-producing regions of north- 
western Illinois and portions of Wisconsin 
and Iowa, were in the drif tless region. 

The Government sm-veys pronounce this 
the most interesting portion of Illinois. Its 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



35 



present and prospective resources, salubrity of 
climate and beauty of location are not sur- 
passed in the world. 

The general contiguration of the face of 
the county, its groves, streams, soil and gen- 
eral characteristics, have been the delight 
and admiration of all beholders. The fertile, 
rolling prairies, the timber skirting the 
streams, and the magnificent natural groves, 
standing like islands over the rich expanse of 
prairie. The streams wind in long and grace- 
ful curves ; the soil is deep, rich, warm and 
light. The staple products of this rich re- 
gion, corn, grasses, fruits and potatoes, grow 
in boundless luxuriance. 

Green River enters the county about twelve 
miles from its northwest corner, flows south 
with crooked windings through Greenfield 
Township, and then turns westward through 
the north part of Gold to the west county 
line, cutting oif from the corner of the coun- 
ty Fairfield and parts of the two townships 
above named. In these two townships ai'e 
the Green River swamp lands. Big Bureau 
Creek comes in from Lee County, near the 
northeast corner of Bureau. It flows in a 
general southwest direction to a point a short 
distance west of the city of Princeton; from 
thence it takes a south course for ten miles, 
and turns nearly due east, and empties into 
the Illinois River, some five miles from where 
the south boundary line of the county strikes 
that river. The stream has very little allu- 
vial land along its course. The prairies rise 
in rather abrupt swells from the banks of the 
creek. About Tiskilwa and on the Illinois 
River there is considerable rich bottom lands, 
covered with fine heavy timber. Little Bu- 
reau Creek has a tributary west of it, which 
rises in the northern part of the county and 
forming a junction a few miles southwest of 
Princeton. Coal Creek and Brush Creek are 
also drainage outlets of the county. 



On the southeast corner of the county, the 
Illinois River forms the boundary line for a 
distance of sixteen miles. There is a broad 
alluvial bottom along the Bureau side. The 
lowest bottom is mostly a swampy, grassy 
plain, interspersed with sloughs, and ridges 
of river sand, and subject to inundations 
when the Illinois river sends out its floods 
over the low banks. One of these sloughs is 
Lake DePue, which communicates with the 
river at its southern terminus. The town of 
Trenton is built upon the west of this lake, 
half a mile from its outlet. At ordinary 
stages of water, boats pass through this out- 
let and land at Trenton. 

The heavy portion of the timber is along 
Big Bureau, south of Princeton. 

Big Bureau Grove, in the western part of 
the county, has quite a body of good timber. 

Crow Creek, in the town of Milo, and Pond 
Creek, west of Tiskilwa, have only scattering 
timber. 

Dad Joe's grove is in the northwestern part 
of the county, is on a very high elevation, 
and since the first discovery of the county has 
been a conspicuous landmark. 

The grand undulating sweep of the prairies, 
and the great abundance of orchards and 
beautiful shade trees and the numerous cul- 
tivated groves, and improvements that dot 
the county thickly over, present to the eye as 
tine landscape scenery as can be found in the 
world. 

But few counties in the State present 
so poor an opportunity for an examination of 
its geological formations. With the excep- 
tion of the Illinois River and a small ravine 
near Tiskilwa, there is hardly an outcrop of 
rocky formation in the county. The excava- 
tions along the line of the C, B. & Q. road, 
which runs through the county a distance of 
forty-five miles, present some of the clay and 
gravel-beds only. The Rock Island & Chi- 



36 



HISTOKY OF BUEEAU COUNTY. 



cago road traverses the roughest portion of 
the county, and the same is true here aa on 
the Bureaus and their tributaries and Green 
River; and yet all these streams and railroads 
traversing the county in every direction, 
show no natural section of rocks. Most of 
the first bottom on the Illinois is subject to 
overflow, and but little of it can be cultivated, 
but such as is dry enough, yields enormous 
crops of corn. From forty to fifty feet above 
the first bottom of the Illinois Eiver, and 
lying along its western bluff range, is the 
second bottom. This is from a few hun- 
dred yards to half a mile wide, and its sur- 
face is a sandy and marly clay, intermixed 
in places with marly-mixed gravels. It is a 
regular river terrace, and the traveler, from 
the ear window, obtains a fine view of the 
valley of the river, stretching away with its 
dark serpentine belt of timber, and glimpses 
of the slow- moving, shining water. In the 
diluvial epoch, when the water spread all 
over the bottom, the river, lake-like in its 
expanse and slowness of current, must have 
presented a body of water larger than the 
Mississippi River even in its high stages of 
water. 

The lower valley of the Big Bureau has also 
a narrow alluvial bottom, back a few miles 
from its confluence with the Illinois River. 
This bottom is narrow, crooked and covered 
with timber. The deposit is rich and marly, 
and when cultivated is very productive and 
inexhaustible. 

The swamp lands of Green River are allu- 
vial deposits, but are more or less of a peaty 
nature. It is black imid, muck and impure 
peat. 

The Illinois Eiver bluffs show the loess in 
the deposits. At places these })luffs rise to 
a height of nearly one hundred and fifty 
feet. The exposures show also a marly, 
partially stratified clay and sand. Between 



Bureau Junction and Peru there are several 
places where landslides have taken place, and 
the formation is more easily recognized. 
One of these is a marked feature in the 
landscape; at a distance it presents the ap- 
pearance of a heavy outcrop of white sand- 
stone. A closer view shows it to be a heavy 
bed of sliding, crawling sand. It is a white, 
yellow-banded sand, marly in its composition, 
and exhibits the most marked lines and 
bands of stratification. The outcrop is about 
thirty feet in thickness. It may be found in the 
bluff, near the railroad track, three miles 
east of Trenton. The caving sands have 
crawled down the hill almost to the railroad 
track. 

The yellow and blue clays are found nearly 
all over the county in a thick deposit. The 
digging of the artesian well in Princeton, 
shows these to be seventy-nine feet thick, be- 
fore the rock was reached. This first rock 
reached was only a thin bed, only three feet 
thick, and then was reached a hard-pan clay 
of a depth of 114 feet was passed through. 
The record of this well is very imperfect, and 
it is not at all certain that the thin rock 
passed was a regular stratified deposit. It 
may have been a detached mass sticking in 
the drift, and therefore the real depth of 
these clays may be nearer 200 feet than sev- 
enty-nine feet. 

In many of the high prairie ridges are de- 
posits of gravel, clean and finely assorted; 
the largest quantities so far found are be- 
tween Tiskilwa and Sheffield, and along the 
railroad track northeast of Princeton. De- 
tached boulders of red and black granite are 
found on the prairies. 

YI. 

Coal-Measures. — The northern boundary 
line of the Illinois coal-field passes through 
the north part of Bureau County. Accord- 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



37 



ing to the geological map, the line commeDces 
at a point on the east line of the county, ten 
miles south of the northeast corner of the 
county, nearly due west of Homer station on 
the Illinois Central road; thence west, but 
bellying a little south, until it crosses the 
track of the C, B. & Q. road a little south- 
west of the village of Maiden; thence it 
bears off a little north of west until it inter- 
sects Green River at the northeast corner of 
the township of Gold; thence down Green 
River to a point north of Geneseo. All of 
Bureau south of this line is underlaid by 
lower coal measure deposits. This is about 
two- thirds of the county. As the county lies 
on the northern limits of the coal-fields of 
the State, the deposits are somewhat irregular 
and detached. Sheffield mine is one of the 
oldest and most prosperous mining enterprises 
in the State. The mines at this place were 
opened more than thirty years ago, about the 
time of the construction of the Chicago & 
Rook Island Railroad, and have always been 
an important coaling point on this line. The 
seam is reached by an inclined plane, carried 
down to the level of the coal, about forty 
feet below the level of the surface. This is 
the No. 6 seam, and is geologically identified 
with that at Kewanee. It has an average 
thickness of four and a half feet, and no 
trouble occurs from water. This deposit has 
been considered local and limited, but has 
been very productive, and presents uniform- 
ity and persistence. The main entries are 
now advanced to a great distance from the 
original dump, and, aside from local ine- 
qualities, the seam is continuously good. 

A constant demand at this point for loco- 
motive coal has led to comparatively uniform 
output for many years, and has gradually de- 
veloped a permanent and prosperous com- 



munity of miners, many of whom possess 
comfortable homes and surroundings. The 
average price of mining is SI per ton, sub- 
ject to such variations as the seasons may 
cause, or as sometimes affected by contracts 
agreed upon. Disaffection among the men 
is unusual, and few efforts at strikes have 
occurred in years. 

The next mine of importance is in the 
southeast corner of the county, near Peru. 
The formation here corresponds with that at 
Peru and La Salle. The shaft is about 300 
feet deep. This vein is No. 2, and is about 
three feet thick, of superior quality. The 
HoUowayvil]^ Mine is 385 feet deep, to the 
same seam. In the southwest corner of the 
county, near Kewanee, is a shaft 186 feet 
deep, to the seam worked both at Kewanee 
and Sheffield. Outcrops of coal are also 
found in the ravines and along the bluffs of 
Bureau Creek, which have been the local 
source of supply to the village of Tiskilwa 
and the surrounding country for many years. 

The most noticeable, however, of the mines 
in the county removed from railway connec- 
tions, are those near Princeton ,from which 
this town secures its supply chiefly. In this 
mine are found two seams, No. 7 being about 
two and a half feet thick, but of inferior 
quality; while the lower one is a bright, hard 
coal, four and a half to live feet thick, and 
about 150 feet below the surface. This is 
No. 6, the same as the seam at Sheffield. The 
mines in this locality are free from water, 
and the deposit is of considerable local ex- 
tent, and the coal is sufficiently free from 
the sulphuret of iron to be used in the man- 
ufacture of gas at Princeton. 

Thomas Elliott, Inspector of Mines, reports 
the following for Bureau County mines for 
1882: 



38 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Name of owner or operator 
of mine. 



Postoffice address. 



- 








a 












w 








v 


V 


_^ 






rt 


•a 
■? 


3 
O 


i 


a> 


i 




O 


o 


.2 
p 


1 


o 


^ 


g 


a 


s 












a 


r, 


a 


E» 


1 


^ 


ce 


3 


■s 












o 


o 


s 


^ 


o 


^-^ 


J 


g= 


s 


— _^ 


B^ 


a 


.2 


o,* 












IZi 


'A 


C2 


H 


Q 



a- 

O 03 



1= 

t. o 
o o 



a a 



3 a 3 C.'3 " 

!a z z; 



S3 



af 



Sheffield . 



Sheffield . 
Mineral.. 



Sheffield Mining & Trans- 
portation Co 

Wietom & Fleming 

James .Sprague 

James ^I. Uood jBuda. 

A. Lyford 

Peter Duncan 

W. H. Forest 

John Vanvelzer 

A. B. Ashley, Supt 

Fletcher Bros 

Elizalieth Foster 

George H. Locey 

P. Weisenlterg 

A. W. Walton 

Joseph Vanes 

John Nichols 

Seaton Bros 



Totals.. 



80 

30 

KewaneeHenryCo' 300 

Princeton ^\ 40 

40 
LaSalle.LaSalleCo 
Peru, LaSalle Co... 
Princeton 



80 



HoUowville . 



60 
40 
80 
40 
20 
80 

1010 



40ISlope 
801 " 
4ol " 
47 Shaft 
28 
48 
60 
41 

160 

135 

150 

300 

13S 

1.50 

200 

151 

385 



Mules.. 



Horses 

1 horse gin 



Steam 

2 horse gin. 
Steam 



1 horse gin. 

2 " . 
2 " . 
2 " . 
Steam 



681.. 
8'.. 

k 

s .. 
9.. 
3.. 

S\ 1 
21 

5' 1 
48 

3 

12 1 

6 

4j 2 

8! 

225' 5! 



23,741 

1,000 

840 

1,200 

800 

868 

600 

1,000 

4,800 

3,000 

950 

16,500 

300 

2,431 

1,250 

1,089 

1,085 



$1 75 
2 25' 
2 25 
2 251 
2 25, 
2 25 
2 2S] 
2 00| 
1 75 
1 75; 

1 75' 

2 00 

1 75 

2 00 
2 00 
2 00 
2 00 



$30,000 
3,000 
1,500 

700 

500 
1,200 
1.000 

500 

15,000 

6,01 10 

8,000 

16,000 

CO<il 
5,000 
4,000| 
5,000l 
7,000, 



26,605 4 
35,000 2 

5,000| 2 
10,000 2 

7,112 4 



6,220 
1,200 

10,000! 

23,475' 

14,000i 

14,000 

23,475, 
1,200' 
8,000, - 
4,00ol 1 
7,000| 2 
1,800 1 



61,454, S2 03 898,0001 214,287 



From this mention of the dififerent coal- 
seams and their outcrops, it will be seen the 
county is possessed of important mineral 
resources, which materially augment its man- 
ifold advantages of soil and climate. The 
output of coal for 1881, Sil spite of very un- 
favorable season, was 61,454 tons, of an av- 
erage value of $2.03 per ton, at the mines, 
or a total value of §124,751. Of this amount 
about $75,000 were paid out in wages to about 
225 men. The extent of the coal -deposits 
and their value in the county can only be ap- 
proximated, owing to the irregularities pe- 
culiar to the strata on the outer edges of the 
coal-measures, but there is little doubt that 
coal will continue to be discovered, especially 
in the southwest part of the county, for years 
to come, at least as fast as the demands of 
the country require. 

VII. 

The Prairies. — Having dwelt at some 
length upon the subject of rocks, and the 



formations therefrom, and the soil, it is in 
the proper order that this chapter should 
conclude with that crowning work of the sur- 
face of our great and rich State — the prairies. 
Their history is now being, for the first time, 
investigated. Many years ago man looked 
upon their enchanting beauties, and specu- 
lated upon how they came to be. One of 
the earliest writers who referred to them at 
any length was Gov. Reynolds. The 
summing up of his conclusions was, they 
were increased and kept free from timber by 
the annual fires, and. he says, that the evi- 
dences of this are abundant in the fact that 
since the tires have been kept out and the tall 
prairie grasses have disappeared, the timber 
has encroached upon the prairie limits in each 
instance where it was not prevented by culti- 
vation or otherwise. But we incline to the 
belief the Governor was mistaken in his 
facts ; that the instances where hazel and 
brier thickets, when not visited by fires, have 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



eventually changed to timber growth, were 
in every case spots where the surroundings 
differed materially from the general prairie 
soil. More than thirty years ago Judge W. 
B. Scates wrote and delivered a lecture upon 
the subject. In 1856 Prof. Whitney, geolo- 
gist of Iowa, and soon after Prof. Winchell, 
in Silliman's Journal, created a wide interest 
and drew much attention to the subject, by 
their investigations. A clear understanding 
of tills subject is of vast importance to our 
large agricultural community, as indicating 
the best management and cultivation of the 
peculiar soil they present. The ablest 
thoughts, probably, on this subject, are well 
summarized by Prof. Leo Lesquereiix, whose 
observations were published in Silliman's 
Journal, in 1857. Before summarizing what 
he has to say, it is proper to state that none 
of the given deductions are accepted as con- 
clusive, and that some of them are ably dis- 
puted by eminent investigators. 

Prof. Lesqnereux believes that prairies are 
still in process of formation, going through 
the identical process that has formed sub- 
stantially all prairies. These may be seen 
on the shores of Lake Michigan, Lake Erie 
and along the Mississippi and its affluents, 
especially the Minnesota River. The forma- 
tions of those prairies differ from the prime- 
val only in extent, and each bears a strong 
analogy to the peat bogs. Where the lake 
waves or currents strike the shore on the low 
grounds, and there heap materials — sand, 
pebbles, mud, etc., — they build up more or 
less elevated dams or islands, which soon 
become covered with trees. These dams are 
not always built along the shores ; they do 
not even always follow their outline, but 
often enclose wide shallow basins, whose 
waters are thus sheltered against any move- 
ment. Here the aquatic plants, sages, 
rushes, grasses, etc., soon appear, these 



basins become swamps, and, as can be seen 
near the borders of Lake Michigan, the 
waters may surround them, even when the 
swamps became drained by some natural or 
artificial cause. Along the Mississippi and 
Minnesota Rivers the same phenomena is 
observable, with a difference only in the pro- 
cess of operation. In time of flood the 
heaviest pai'ticles of mud are deposited 
on both sides of the principal cui-rent along 
the line of slack water, and, by repeated 
deposits, dams are slowly formed and upraised 
above the general surface of the bottom land. 
Thus, after a time, of course, the water 
thrown on the bottoms by a flood is, at its 
subsidence, shut out from the river, and both 
sides of it are converted into swamps, some- 
times of great extent. Seen from the high 
bluff bordering its bottom land, the bed of 
the Minnesota River is in the spring marked 
for miles by two narrow strips of timbered 
land, bordering the true chanuel of the river, 
and emerging like fringes in the middle of a 
long, continuous narrow lake. In the summer 
and viewed from the same point, the same bot- 
toms are transformed into a green plain, whose 
undulating surface looks like a field of green 
wheat, but forms, in truth, imjjassible 
swamps, covered with rushes, sedges, etc. 
By successive inundations and their deposits 
of mud, and by the heaping of the detritus 
of their luxuriant herbaceous vegetation, they 
become, by and by, raised up above the level 
of the river. They then dry up in the sum- 
mer, mostly by infiltration and evaporation, 
and when out of reach of floods they become 
first wet and afterward dry prairies. The 
lowest part of these prairies is therefore 
along the bluffs. In that way were the high 
locations for river towns and farms built up 
along the shores. In that way were made 
the sites for Prairie du Chien, Prairie la 
Fourche, Prairie la Cross, etc. These 



40 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



patches of prairie, though of a far more 
recent origin than the immense plains above 
them, are, nevertheless, true prairies. Bor- 
dered on one side by the high, timbered 
banks of the bottoms, a fringe of ti'ees sepa- 
rates them still from the actual bed of the 
river; nevertheless the trees do not invade 
them. 

This peculiarity of formation explains, first, 
the peculiar nature of the soil of the prairies. 
It is neither peat nor humas, but a black, 
soft mold, impregnated with a large propor- 
tion of ulmic acid, produced by the slow de- 
composition, mostly under water, of aquatic 
plants, and thus partaking as much of the 
nature of the peat as that of the true humas. 
In all the depressions of the prairies, where 
water is permanent and unmixed with parti- 
cles of mineral matter, the ground is true 
peat. 

It is easy to understand why trees cannot 
grow on this kind of land. The germination 
of seeds of arborescent trees needs the free 
access of oxygen for their development, and 
the trees especially demand a solid poiat of 
attachment to fix themselves. Moreover, the 
acid of this kind of soil, by its particular an- 
tiseptic property, promotes the vegetation of 
a peculiar group of plants, mostly herbace- 
ous. Of all our trees, the tamarac is the only 
species which, in our northern climate, can 
grow on peaty ground, and this, even, 
happens only under rare and favorable cir- 
cumstances, that is, when stagnant water, 
remaining at a constant level, has been in- 
vaded by a kind of moss, the Sphagnum. 
By the power of ab.sorption, their continuous 
growth and the rapid accumulation of their 
remains, these mosses slowly raise the surface 
of the bogs above water, and it is there, in 
this loose gi'ound, constantly humid, but ac- 
cessible to atmospheric action, that the tam- 
arac appears. 



An examination of the prairies, according 
to this idea of their formation, shows that 
from the first trace of their origin to their 
perfect completeness, there is nothing in their 
local or general appearance that is not ex- 
plained by it, or does not agree with it. 

The Bay of Sandusky is now in process of 
transformation to prairies, and is already 
sheltered against the violent action of the 
lake by a chain of low islands and sand banks, 
most of til em covered for a long time with 
timber. All these islands are built up with 
the same kind of materials, shales, with la- 
custrine dej)Osits, either moulded into low 
ridges under water, or brought up and heaved 
by waves and currents. Around the bay, 
especially to the southwest, there are exten- 
sive plains, covered with shallow water. 

In Western Minnesota especially, the 
process of prairie formation is plainly to be 
seen at this day. Here are various sized 
lakes, some small and circular — true ponds — 
others thirty or forty miles in circumference, 
and in this case shaping the outlines of their 
shores according to the undulations of the 
prairie, dividing into innumerable shallow 
branches, mere swamps covered with water 
plants, and emptj'ing themselves from one to 
the other, passing thus by slow degrees 
toward the rivers, not by well marked chan- 
nels, but by a succession of extensive swamps. 
These are the sloughs which separate the 
knolls of the prairies, or so to say, the low 
grounds of the rolling prairies. They are 
nearly dry in summer, but covered in the 
springtime by one to three feet of water. 
Their vegetation is merely sedges and coarse 
grasses. Wherever the borders of the lakes 
are well shaped, not confounded with or pass- 
ing into swamps, they rise from five to six 
feet above the level of the water, and are 
timbered mostly with oak and hickory. This 
elevated margin is more generally marked on 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



41 



the eastern side of the lakes, a record of the 
action of the waves under the prevailing 
winds. 

From such facts the conclusion is drawn 
that all the prairies of the Mississippi Valley 
have been formed by the slow recess of 
sheets of water of various extent, lirst trans- 
formed into swamps, and eventually drained 
and dried. The high and rolling prairies, 
as well as those along the wide bottoms of the 
rivers, are all the result of the same course, 
and form an indivisible system. 

The surface of the prairies is rolling 
and not continuously level as are the bottoms 
of swamps, because of the action of water, in 
the process of its natural drainage, as the 
waters in the arms of the lakes passed from 
one to the other. The bend of all our prai- 
ries is toward the rivers that furnish the 
drainage. The bottoms of the great lakes and 
oceans are marked by swells and depressions. 

That the prairies have been originally cov- 
ered with water to their highest points, is a 
fact well known to geologists, and proved by 
traces of submergence and deposits left 
along the (jourse of our rivers to the highest 
point of their sources, in places at an alti- 
tude of 5,000 feet above the sea level. The 
Glacial ejjoch, followed by the oscillations 
of the earth's surface, — submergence and 
upheavals — the Champlain epoch, are still 
active, especially the latter, working in 
great activity upon our continent. The 
records of this movement are marked in de- 
nudations, deepening of channels, moulding 
of terraces along the lakes and rivers, and in 
the prairies formed — the prairies being the 
places covered by vast sheets of shallow 
water, during the process of slow emergence. 

The growth of certain mosses under shal- 
low, stagnant water in swamps and lagoons, 
forms in decomposition the peculiar clayey 
sub-soil of our prairies, a tine, impalpable 



substance when not mixed with sand or other 
substances. In the lakes of the high prai- 
ries the phenomenon presents sometimes a 
peculiar character. At the depth of from 
one to three feet the mosses, Conferrea and 
Charas, form a thick carpet, which hardens, 
becomes consistent, like a kind of felt, and 
floating about six inches above the bottom, 
is often nearly strong enough to bear the 
weight of a man. This carpet is pierced 
with holes, where fishes pass to and fro; and 
the bottom under it is that fine, impalpable 
clay, evidently a residue of the decomposi- 
tion of its plants. This never extends into 
deep water, and near the shore the carpet of 
mosses, etc., begin to be intermixed with 
some plants of sedges, which become more 
and more abundant in proportion as the 
depth decreases. As soon as the blades of 
these plants reach above the water, they ab- 
sorb and decompose carbonic acid, trans- 
form it into woody matter, under atmos- 
pheric influence, and then their detritus is, 
at first, clay mold, and then pure black mold, 
the upper soil of the prairies. 

These are the leading principles which ac- 
count for the presence of the prairies upon 
the American continent, around the lakes, 
and of the broad, flat bottoms of the south- 
ern rivers ; of the plattes of the Madeira 
Eiver; of those of the Paraguay; of the 
pampas of Brazil, or the desert jalains of 
the Salt Lake region; the low natural 
meadows of Holland, the heaths of Olden- 
burg, the plains on the shores of the North 
and the Baltic Seas and in Asia, and the 
steppes of the Caspian, are presented every- 
where the same evidences, the same results 
of a general action, modified only by local 
causes. 

The roots of trees absorb a certain amount 
of oxygen. This is essential to their life. 
Hence you must not plant a tree too deep. 



42 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Most of the roots of trees will perish when 
covered with clay impermeable to air, or un- 
derlaid by clay impermeable to water. Water 
standing constantly over the roots of trees 
kills them; even running water will kill trees 
when its movements are slow; and the bald 
cypress of the South or the tapelo will soon 
die if the water around them is protected 
from winds producing waves, or currents 
that carry always more or less air. De Can- 
dolle, in his Vegetable Physiology, holds 
that the constant irrigation necessary for the 
rice culture in Lombardy has a great incon- 
venience, because the water penetrates the 
ground of the neighboring properties, and 
kills the trees; that "water left stagnant 
for a time on the ground rots the trees at 
their column, prevents the access of oxygen 
to the roots, and kills the tree;" that "in 
the low grounds of Holland they dig, for 
planting trees, deep holes, and fill the bot- 
tom with bundles of bushes, as a kind of 
drainage for surplus water, as long as the 
tree is young enough to be killed by humid- 
ity;" that "the true swamps and marshes 
have no trees, and cannot have any, because 
stagnant water kills them." 

But trees will grow on the prairie when 
planted. Would they grow, though, if plant- 
ed without properly preparing the soil "? 
The clayey subsoil, when dug and mixed 
with the mold, forms a compound lighter 
than the clay, admitting air and giving the 
roots all nutritive elements. Did any in- 
stance ever occur of oaks growing in the 
prairies from acorns being scattered over the 
siu-face ? 

The prairie soil, or humas, is generally 
much deeper than the soil in the timber, and, 
as said before, more peaty. It contains ulmic 
acid, as is shown by the slow decomposition 
of the sod when turned. It is this acid that 
makes what vou will sometimes hear called a 



sour soil. Ulmic acid is a powerful pre- 
server, an antiseptic, and it holds, therefore, 
longer than any other soil, all fertilizing ele- 
ments mixed with it. Under the influence 
of stagnant water, and the remains of ani- 
mals which have inhabited it while the soil 
was in process of formation, silica especially, 
with alumina, ammonia and other elements, 
have entered it in sufficient proportion, and 
(laused its great and inexhaustible fertility, 
especially for grasses ; for by the impermea- 
bility of the under clay the fertilizing ele- 
ments have been left in the soil. As natural 
meadows our prairies fed for centuries great 
herds of buft'alo, deer, etc., which roamed 
over them, and now they will feed and fatten 
our herds of cattle for as long a time as we 
may want it, as well as indefinitely produce 
the wonderful crops of the cereals, etc., as 
gi'eat as the deep alluvial lands of the river 
bottoms. Even if by successive crops of the 
same kind, the upper soil should become 
somewhat deprived of its fertilizing elements, 
especially of the silica, lime and alumina, so 
necessary for the gi'owth of corn, the subsoil 
is a mine that deep plowing will reach that 
will return the primitive wealth to the soil 
and restore the ancient bounteoueness of the 
crops. 

For the culture of trees these explanations 
of the prairies are equally useful. They tell 
the horticultui'ist that to plant fruit trees — a 
tree that never likes humidity — dig deep 
holes, pass through the clay to the drift and 
thus establish a natural drainage. Fill, then, 
the bottom of the hole with loose materials, 
pebbles, bushes, sod or mold, and then you 
will have the best gi-ound that ca.n be pre- 
pared for the health and long life of trees. 

The prairies are sources of even greater 
wealth than are the immense coal-fields and 
their rich deposits, and like those sources of 
combustible materials, they point out the 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



43 



great future of the race of men -which is 
called to inhabit them and profit by their 
rich stores ; while one of these formations is 
destined to furnish an immense population 
the elements of industrial greatness, the other 
is ready to provide it with both the essentia! 
elements of life — bread and meat. Hence 
the prairies have their place marked in the 
future history of mankind. They foretell, 
not of idle luxury and indolent ease, laziness 
and dissipation of life, but hard work, abund- 
ance, and the development of freedom and 
true manhood. 



CHAPTER III. 

PREHISTORIC PEOPLES THAT WKRE HERE. 
Thf. Remains of Great Cities — The Mound Buildf.rs — The I.Nni- 

ANS— Wl.NKEBAQO WaB, CaPTUP.E AND I)EATU OF ReD BiUD — 

Black Hawk War — First Bi.oodi.f.ss Campaign in 1831 — 
Black Hawk Enters into a Treaty — Starved Rock, the 
First Settlement in Illinois — Joliet and Marquette — La 
Salle's Colony and Fort St. Louis— Two Hundred! h Anni- 
versary OF the Discovery and Possession of the Country — 
First White Settlement in the West, Made 1682, at 
Started Rock — Capts. Willis, Haws and Stewart's Compa- 
nies AND Men from Bureau County, in the Black Hawk 
War, etc., etc, etc. 

"He sleeps beneath the spreading shade, 
Where woods and wide savannahs meet. 
Where sloping hills around have made 
A quiet valley, green and sweet." 

— JoiLN H. Bryant. 



THE investigations of archseologists show 
that there have been several distinct 
races of people here prior to the coming of 
the present inhabitants. By this enumeration 
are placed the founders and builders of those 
great cities of Central America, whose exten- 
sive remains have been found, as one i-ace, 
the Mound Builders as another, and then the 
Indians, who were here when America was 
discovered. But many suppose from the va- 



riety and characteristic differences in what 
are known as the Mound Builders, that is, in 
the marked differences in the mounds found, 
that there were distinct races among these, 
which, for convenience, we now designate as 
one. 

The crumbled walls, fallen columns, the 
debris of great temples and pyramids, and 
perhaps palaces, that cumber the ground in 
profusion, in places, for a circumference of 
miles, give evidences which cannot be mis- 
taken, of great and splendid cities, " whose 
lights had fled, whose garlands dead " ages 
before were laid the foundation stones of 
Balbec or Troy. The mind is dazed with the 
idea of the remoteness of their antiquity. 
The slow crumbling of these colossal walls 
of hardest stone tell of a people whose civil- 
ization had reached far beyond any race of 
whom we can find any living evidences, and 
that ante-dates the coming of the Anglo- 
Saxon. In fact, so long has been the sweep 
or time since they lived, built their great 
cities and wholly passed away, that some 
eminent antiquarians believe they were here 
and had gone before the coming of the 
Mound Builders, and they do not hesitate in 
the expression of the judgment that this 
continent is truly the Old World, and that 
the crowning act in the creative energies that 
brought man first into existence, were mani- 
fested here ages and centuries before a sim- 
ilar development in the East. 

Probably the mounds are the oldest records 
obtainable of the works of man, and there- 
fore these remarkable antiquities are intensely 
interesting. Within the limits of the United 
States are the great majority of them, and so 
varied and widely scattered are they over the 
continent that they may well be considered 
of chief interest to the antiquarian and edi- 
fying tostudentsof history every where. The 
oldest records of the works of man in the 



44 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



world! How they extend the horizon of the 
past; how eloquent they are! Here the 
faintest tradition is at fault, and the oldest 
human bones yet discovered are modern com- 
pared to these mute monuments of man's 
thought and patient, combined labors. Sir 
Charles Lyell concedes that certain human 
bones found in California must have lain 
there 80,000 years. 

These mounds and other works of the 
Mound Builders consist of remains of what 
were apparently villages, altars, temples, 
idols, cemeteries, monuments, battle-fields, 
forts, camps and pleasure grounds, etc. And 
they enable us to tell something of the 
civilization and industries and habits of 
a people, every vestige of whose physical 
bodies has long since dissolved into its 
original elements. One system of mounds is 
traced from Lake Ontario in a southwestern 
direction by way of the Ohio and Mississippi 
Rivers, the Gulf, Texas, New Mexico and 
Yucatan, into South America. In New York 
is a chain of forts, not more than four or 
five miles apart, and extending more than 
fifty miles in a southerly direction. Further 
south they increase in magnitude and num- 
ber. In West Virginia, near the junction of 
Grove Creek and the Ohio, is one of the moat 
interesting monuments found in the whole 
country. It is 90 feet high, diameter at the 
base 100 feet, and at the summit 45 feet. 
Many thousands of partial human skeletons 
were found in it. At the mouth of the Mus- 
kingum, in Ohio, is a number of curious 
works, among others a rectangular fort con 
taining forty acres, encircled by a wall ten 
feet high, in which are openings resembling 
gateways. At Circleville on the Scioto, there 
are two forts in juxtaposition, the one an ex- 
act circle 60 rods in diameter, and the other 
a perfect square, 55 rods on each side. The 
circular one was surrounded by two walls, 



with an intervening ditch 20 feet in depth. 
The remains of a walled town were found 
near Chillicothe. This was built on a hill 
300 feet high, and surrounded by a wall ten 
feet high, the area inside containing 130 
acres. On the south side of it were found 
the remains of what appeared to have been a 
row of furnaces, about which cinders were 
found several feet in depth. In the bed of 
the creek which runs at the foot of the hill 
were found wells that had been cut through 
solid rock. These were three feet in diame- 
ter at the top. 

One of the most singular of these earth- 
works was found in the lead-mine region. It 
resembled some huge animal, the head, ears, 
nose, tail and legs and general outline being 
very perfect and easily traced. It was built 
upon a high ridge in the prairie, the eleva- 
tion being 300 yards wide and 100 feet in 
height, and rounded on the top by a heavy 
deposit of clay. Along the line of the sum- 
mit and thrown up three feet high, is the out- 
line of the quadruped, measuring 250 feet 
from the nose to the tip of the tail, and a 
width of body of eighteen feet ; the head is 
thirty-five feet in length, ears ten, legs sixty, 
and tail seventy-five. The curvature in the 
legs was natural to an animal lying on its 
side. The general appearance resembled the 
figui-e of the extinct megatherium. Why this 
singular work, involving so much labor, or 
for what purpose it was intended, cannot now 
be conjectured, nor by what people it was 
made. Many similar figui'es have been found 
in Wisconsin. Thousands of mounds are 
found along the Mississippi Kiver and all 
over northern Illinois. 

Mr. Breckinridge, who studied the antiqui- 
ties of the western coxintry in 1817, referring 
to the mounds in the American Bottom, says: 
' ' The great number and the extremely large 
size of some of them may be regarded as 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



45 



fnrnisliing, with other circumstances, evi- 
dences of their antiquity. I have sometimes 
been induced to think that at the period when 
they were constructed there was a population 
as numerous as that which once animated the 
borders of the Nile or the Euphrates, or of 
Mexico. The most numerous as well as con- 
siderable of these remains are found in pre- 
cisely those parts of the country where the 
traces of a numerous population might be 
looked for, namely, from the mouth of the 
Ohio, on the east side of the Mississippi, to 
the Illinois River, and to the west from the 
St. Francis to the Missoiu'i. I am perfectly 
satisfied that cities similar to those of an- 
cient Mexico, of several hundi-ed thousand 
souls, have existed in this country." Nearly 
opposite St. Louis are traces of two such 
cities, in a distance of five miles. 

The largest mound in the United States is 
in the American Bottom, six and a half miles 
northeast of St. Louis, known as Monk's 
Mound. It is over 100 feet high, and 800 
yards in circumference at the base. The top 
contains three and a half acres, and half way 
down is a terrace, extending the whole width 
of the mound. Excavations show human 
bones and white pottery. 

Generation after generation lives, moves 
and is no more; time has strewn the track of 
its ruthless march with the fi-agments of 
mighty empires; and at length not even their 
names or works have an existence in the spec- 
ulations of those who take their places. 

II. 

As many as thirty mounds have been found 
in Bureau County, none of them large 
either in height or circumference, and every- 
thing about them indicates they were not 
probably built by the same tribes or perhaps 
nations, that constructed the immense mounds 
in Southern Illinois or Ohio. A group of 



eight mounds is situated in the bottoms of 
the Illinois River and Bureau Creek, near 
Bureau Junction. The land on which they 
are located has been farmed for near half a 
century, and this cultivation has so changed 
and moved the surface soil that their true 
dimensions can only be approximately deter- 
mined. Three of the smallest of these 
mounds lie to the northeast at a right ancrle 
to the other five, which are somewhat larger 
and extend in a direct line toward the south- 
west. They range in distance apart from 
fifty to one hundi-ed feet, and are in height 
above the natm-al surface from two and a half 
to seven feet. 

Mr. A. S. Tiffany made openings in the 
extreme northeast mound. At a depth of 
fifteen inches was found a bed of ashes sev- 
eral inches in thickness, which extended in 
all directions beyond the opening. At a depth 
of five feet a few bones, much decomposed, 
were found. They were part.s of two indi- 
viduals. A small number of bone awls were 
lying near them. The opening was extended 
sixteen feet and the remains of two individu- 
als were found with their heads toward the 
north. Under the head of the individual 
lying upon the west side was discovered a 
porphyry crescent- shaped implement of rare 
beauty. It is polished on both sides and all 
its edges are nicely wrought. A flint knife 
was found in the same place, about where the 
right hand of the skeleton would rest. At 
the northeast corner of the excavation, with 
the decomposed bones of another person, a 
bone awl or needle was found, about four 
inches in length, but a portion had been bro- 
kenofi". It was gracefully tapering and finely 
pointed. 

A few pieces of pottery, all of the same 
character generally obtained from mounds, 
occurs or has been frequently found in this 
locality. The crania of the skeleton found 



46 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



were too fragile to be preserved. A few unio 
shells and water-worn pebbles had been de- 
posited^in different parts of the mound. 

In another one of the small mounds was 
found the much decayed bones of a youth. 
In the other mounds no remains of especial 
interest were found. 

Another group of twenty mounds are situ- 
ated on the bluffs near Bureau Junction. 
This group varies in height from eighteen 
inches to three feet. They are systematically 
arranged and are from eighteen to three huD- 
dj'ed feet apart. Explorations in this group 
revealed one skull, decayed wood and coal, 
and pebbles. On one is an oak stump, show- 
ing 450 annular rings; another similar stump 
shows 160 rings. On another stands a large 
white oak tree. 

The Indians have no traditions that give 
any reliable account of who built these 
mounds or who used them tor burial places. 

In Arizona are to be found many remarka- 
ble evidences of prehistoric peoples whose 
history has never been written. It is only 
told by the empty irrigating canals, the ruins 
of populous towns, vacant cliff dwellings, 
inscribed rocks, and broken pottery found in 
many parts of the Territory. Before the Euro- 
pean saw this continent two races had lived 
and died in Arizona. The earliest people 
built their houses in valleys that are now deep 
ravines, and the cliff dwellings that are seen 
to-day resting in the sides of deep arroyostwo 
hundred feet above the bottom of the gorge 
once stood upon solid ground, and yet so many 
years have elapsed since then that now the 
houses are high and dry and accessible only 
to hardy climbers. Time has dug away the 
foundations as well as scarred and chipped 
the inhabitations. Between the age of the 
cliff-dwellers and that of the white man come 
the race who built the canals and formed the 
valleys. Dry and parched and barren as a 



great part of Arazona is to-day, there was a 
time, of which abundant proof exists, when 
the valleys were rich and fertile, and when 
great cities were populated by an active, 
capable, and energetic people. Who were 
those industrious beings ? No one can tell. 
Toltec or Aztec, black or white; from Egypt 
or Peru, none can say. Time has nearly de- 
stroyed evidences of cheir existence. In the 
lapse of ages their history has grown almost 
a mythology. What a race they were, though ! 
No farming for them, if you please, on any 
small scale. They had ditches to bring 
water to their crops that would astonish the 
soil-tillers of to day, and their houses were 
castles. 

Perhaps the most extensive of their ruins 
now, are at the place called Casa Grande, in the 
Gila River Valley, six miles below Florence 
and live miles south of the river. When tu'st 
discovered by the Spaniards, in 1540, the 
largest building of the group was four 
stories high, and had walls six feet in thick- 
ness. A hundred years ago one house still 
remained which was 420x260 feet. To-day 
there is but a suggestion left of the former 
magnificence of the houses, but one may still 
see that the walls were made of mud and 
gravel, held together by a hard cement, and 
rooms are still coated with cement. Near 
Casa Grande are the remains of an irrigating 
canal which has been traced for forty miles, 
and which must have watered thousands of 
acres which to-day are dry, neglected wastes. 
Miles of these wide canals can be seen scat- 
tered over the Territory. Everywhere are the 
evidences of a prehistoric occupation of the 
land. In building the city of Prescott, 
workmen unearthed not only household and 
farming implements, but discovered old foun- 
dations as well, and as Arizona is settled and 
explored there may yet be found more traces 
of the people who lived and died here, leav 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



47 



ing suggestion as to who they were, where 

they came from, whither they went. What 

care we for Pompeii ? We have a vaster, richer 

field in which to search for treasures hid for 

untold ages. 

III. 

Indians. — Vast number of Indian tribes 
were all over the continent when it was dis- 
covered. Some were numerous, powerful and 
warlike, and others were feeble remnants of 
once great communities, and all were with- 
out cultivation or any refinement or the sem- 
blance of a literature, and were far behind in 
the early advance of civilization of the Mound 
Builders. Ethnologists are not agreed that 
they were an original race of men, indigen- 
ous to the Western Hemisphere. The hair 
of the red man is round ; in the black man 
flat, and the white man's is oval. These dis- 
tinctive traits are unvarying and are strong 
evidences of original different races of men. 
In the pile of the European's hair the color- 
ing matter is distributed by means of a cen- 
tral canal, but in the Indian and black it is 
incorporated in the fibrous structure of the 
hair. The differences, therefore, in the hair 
of the European, Indian and Negro, are rad- 
ical, and indicates three distinct races of men, 
or branches of the human family, and a tri- 
nary origin. A religious bent of mind char- 
acterized all the tribes, but it was of the 
rudest order of ignorant and childish su 
perstitions and horrid ceremonies. There 
was no progress in them from their low sav- 
agery, and they would, had they never been 
disturbed by the white man, have probably 
remained perpetually in their degrading 
savagery and ignorance. And their tradition 
says of the coming of the white man and 
civilization: "The Indians had long dis. 
cerned a black cloud in the heavens coming 
from the east, which threatened them with 
disaster and death. Slowly rising at first, it 



seemed a shadow, but soon changed to sub- 
stance. When it reached the summit of the 
Alleghanies it assumed a darker hue; deep 
murmurs, as of thunder were heard ; it was 
impelled westward by a strong wind and shot 
forth forked tongues of lightning." Pontiac 
saw this coming storm and said to the Saxon: 
" I stand in thy path." To his assembled 
chiefs he exclaimed: "Drive the dogs who 
wear red clothing into the sea." Fifty years 
after the defeat of Pontiac, his follower, 
Tecumseh, plotted the conspiracy of the Wa- 
bash. For years the forest haunts of his 
clansmen rang with his stirring appeals, and 
the valleys of the West ran with blood of the 
white invaders. In the south the Appalachian 
tribes waged cruel wars under Tuscaloosa. 

The Algonquins and Iroquois were the 
great tribes who figured in the history of Illi- 
nois. The former occupied most of the coun- 
try between the 35th and 65 th parallels of lat- 
itude. 

The Illinois Confederacy was the five tribes: 
the Tamaroas, Michigamies, Kaskaskias, 
Cahokias and Peorias. The Illinois, Miamas 
and Delawares, are of the same stock. Tra- 
dition says they came from the far "\\'est. In 
1670 their chief town was on the Illinois 
River, seven miles below Ottawa. It was 
then called Kaskaskia, and according to Mar- 
quette at that time contained seventy, four 
lodges, each of which domiciled several fam- 
ilies. It was visited in 1679, by La Salle; the 
town then counted 60 lodges and the tribes 
numbered 6,000 to 8,000 souls. Their chief 
towns were burned by the Iroquois, and their 
extensive patches of beans, pumpkins and 
corn destroyed, and the Iroquois pur.sued the 
fugitives down the Illinois River. They became 
involved in the Pontiac conspiracy,but through 
many defeats and contact with civilization, 
their war-like spirit was gone, and they did 
not yield to Pontiac's solicitations when he 



48 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



threatened to " consume their tribes as the 
tire doth the dry grass of the prairie." Fi- 
nally, when Pontiac lost his life at the hands 
of an Illinois, the tribes which had followed 
his fortunes descended from the north and 
the east to avenge his death and almost 
annihilated them. And tradition says, that 
a band of fugitives, to escape slaughter, took 
refuge on the high rock which had been the 
sight for Fort St Louis. They were besieged 
by a superior force of the Pottawattomies, 
which the great strength of this natural fort- 
ress enabled them easily to keep at bay. 
But starvation, however, soon was a more 
cruel foe than the savage, and accomplished 
what the enemy could not. Their provisions 
were soon gone and their 8u.pply of water was 
stopped by the enemy severing the cords 
attached to the vessels by which they elevated 
it from the river below. From their high point 
of view they could look for the last time upon 
their beautiful hunting-grounds and then 
chant their death-songs, and with Indian sto- 
icism lie down upon the rocks and die, where 
for many years their bones were seen whiten- 
ing on the summit of "Starved Rock," by 
which name it will in all future time be 
known. Thus perished the Kaskaskias and 
Peorias, of whom at one time Du Quoin was 
chief, and of the once powerful tribes but a 
score are now left in the world. The little 
remnant of them left are in the Indian Ter- 
ritory. 

The Sacs and Foxes dwelt in the northern 
portion of Illinois. The word " Sau-kee," 
now written " Sac," is derived from the com- 
pound word " A-saw-we-kee," of the Chip- 
ewa language, signifying yellow earth, and 
" Mus-qua-kee," the original name of the 
Foxes, means red earth. These two tribes by 
long residence contiguous to each other, had 
become substantially one people. They came 
originally from near Quebec and Montreal. 



The Foxes came first and established them- 
selves on the river that bears their name. 
They warred with the French on Green Bay 
and were signally defeated. 

The Sacs became involved in a long and 
bloody war with the Iroquois, and were driven 
west. Starting west they encountered the 
Wyandottes, by whom they were driven far- 
ther and farther along the lake shores until 
they reached their relatives and friends, the 
Foxes, on Green Bay. Here the two tribes 
united for self-protection against surround- 
ing tribes. The Jesuit, AUouez, visited them 
in the winter of 1672, and also extended his 
labors from the Sacs to the Foxes; the later 
remembering some cruel outrages at the hands 
of the French treated the gentle missionary 
with rude contempt, but by great patience, 
he eventually prociured a respectful hearing, 
and they were converted, after the fashion of 
ignorant barbarians, and it is said every one 
in the village could soon make the sign of 
the cross. And they painted this sign on 
their shields and started ujaon the war-path 
and gained signal victories and firmly believed 
the sign of the cross was a powerful talisman 
in battles of conquering power. 

From Green Bay they came to northern 
Illinois, and drove out the Sauteaus, a branch 
of the Chippewas. They eventually formed 
alliances with the Pottawattomies, and warred 
to extermination with different tribes of the 
Illinois south of them. They and the Win- 
nebagoes, Menomonees and other tibes at- 
tempted to destroy the village of St. Louis, 
and were only prevented by the timely arri- 
val of George Rogers Clark, with five hundred 
men, from carrying out their designs. Fi- 
nally their names became known to the 
world, and the history of these people culmi- 
nated in the events of the Black Hawk war, 
where the volunteer soldiery of the State of 
Illinois, in 1832, closed the last of the Indian 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



49 



wars in the West by the decisive battle of 
Broad Axe. 

IV. 

Black Hawk War. — As this condensed ac- 
count of the Indians brings lis to the time of 
this war, and as this was the last combined act 
of the Indians in the valley to beat back the 
white race, we deem it best to conclude what 
we may have to say of the Indians by a short 
account of the Black Hawk war. 

Edwards' History of Illinois says: "Dur- 
ing Gov. Edwards' administration, the In- 
dians on the Northwestern frontier became 
troublesome. The tribes were at war among 
themselves about their boundary lines, and 
soon hostilities were extended to the whites. 
Before serious war had occurred with the 
whites, a treaty of peace was signed at 
Prairie du Chien, on the 19th of August, 
1825, in which the whites acted more the part 
of mediators than otherwise between the Win- 
nebagoes and Sioux, Chippewas,Sauks, Poxes 
and other tribes, defining the boundaries of 
each. But this failed to keep them quiet. 
Their depredations and murders continued 
frequent, and in the summer of 1827 the acts 
of the Winnebagoes especially became very 
alarming. A combination was formed by the 
different tribes, under Red Bird, to kill or drive 
ofl'all the whites above Rock River. And oper- 
ations were commenced by the Winnebagoes 
and Pottawattomies making a foray and kill- 
ing two white men in the vicinity of Prairie 
du Chien, on the 24th day of July, 1827, 
and on the 30th of the same month they 
attacked two keel-boats which had, on their 
upward trip, conveyed military stores to Fort 
Snelling, killing two of the crew and wound- 
ing four others before they were repulsed. 
They threatened seriously the settlers at the 
lead mines, as they had always resented the 
act of the people in taking possession of 
these mines. Gov. Edwards, July 1-1, or- 



dered Gen. Hanson's brigade (then located 
on the east side of the Illinois River) to be 
in readiness for immediate service. On the 
same day he ordered Col. T. M. Neal's Twen- 
tieth Regiment (from Sangamon) to receive 
600 volunteers and rendezvous at Fort 
Clark, and march forthwith to Galena 
Under this call Col. Neale recruited one cav- 
alry company, Capt. Edward Mitchell; four 
companies of infantry, by Capts. Thomas 
Constant, Reuben Brown, Achilles Morris 
and Bawlin Green; Adjutant, James D. Hen- 
ry. The command marched to Peoria. Red 
Bird and sis of his principal chiefs had sur- 
rendered and the volunteers returned from 
Peoria to their homes 

The surrender of Red Bird had been se- 
cured before this force reached the grounds, 
largely by the action of the Galena miners, 
who had an order from Gov. Edwards to or- 
ganize and place themselves under the com- 
mand of Gen. Henry Dodge, and thus formed 
a valuable auxiliary force to Gen, Henry 
Atkinson's command of 600 regulars. These 
had marched into Winnebago country and 
captured Red Bird, by his voluntarily com- 
ing into camp and giving himself up. Red 
Bird and his companions were placed in con- 
finement, where he soon died, and some of 
his warriors were tried, convicted and hanged 
for complicity in the murder of white set- 
tlers, on the 20th of December, 1827. Black 
Hawk was one of the captured party; upon 
trial he was acquitted. The death of Red 
Bird ended the Winnebago war. The tribe 
was thoroughly humbled and showed only 
the most peaceable disposition for some time. 
Edwards says: "A talk was subsequently had 
with them in which they abandoned all the 
country south of the Wisconsin River. Af- 
ter this there was a general peace with the 
Indians throughout the Western frontier." 
But the Indians continued to occupy the 



50 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



lands they had ceded, and Gov. Edwards 
urged constantly their removal by the War 
Department, beyond the limits of the State, 
as their presence was a constant menace and 
retarded the immigrants from occupying the 
lands the Indians had ceded. The Govern- 
ment, impelled by the appeals of Edwards 
and the terrors of the settlers, brought the 
subject to the attention of the Indians, and 
urged them to go to their own lands beyond 
the Mississippi River. It was finally arranged 
they should be allowed to remain twelve 
months. 

In 1829 the President issued a proclama- 
tion, and in pursuance thereof, all the 
country above the mouth of Rock River (the 
ancient seat of the Sac nation) was sold to 
American families, and in 1830 it was taken 
possession of by many of them. To avoid 
further threatened troubles, another treaty 
was entered into with the Sacs and E'oxes, on 
the loth day of July, 1830, by the provisions 
of which they were to remove peacefully 
beyond the Mississippi. With those who 
remained at the Indian village at the mouth 
of Rock River, an arrangement was made by 
the settlers by which they were to live 
together peaceably, and as good neighbors; 
the Indians cultivating their old fields as 
formerly. Black Hawk, however, a restless 
and uneasy spirit, who had ceased to recog- 
nize Keokuk as Chief, and who was known 
to be still under pay of the British, emphati- 
cally refused either to remove from the 
lands or respect the rights of the settlers. 
He insisted that Keokuk had no authority to 
make such a treaty, and he proceeded to 
gather around him a large body of warriors 
and young men of the tribe who were eager 
to put on the war paint and to adorn their 
belts with the white men's scalps. He deter- 
mined to dispute the rights of the whites to 
their possessions in the heart of the ancient 



seat of the nation. He had conceived the 
gigantic scheme of uniting all the nations, 
from the Rock River to the Gulf of Mexico; 
and thus once more and for the last time 
was made the effort to combine all the Indians 
and " drive the white dogs into the sea." 

On the 9th day of December, 1830, Hon. 
John Reynolds became Governor of Illinois. 

April, 1831, Black Hawk at the head of 
from three to five hundred warriors, recrossed 
the river. He also had a large number of 
allies from theKickapoos and Pottawattomies. 
He formally notified the whites to leave, and 
upon their refusing to comply with his order, 
he commenced a general destruction of their 
property. Governor Reynolds declared war 
and called for volunteers. This call was 
made May 27, 1831. and all this north- 
western portion of Illinois at once was 
resounding with the clamors of war. The 
call was for 700 Daen, to report at 
Beardstown in fifteen days. So many re- 
sponded that the Governor had to accept the 
services of 1,600 men. They were moved to 
Rusbville and organized into two regiments 
and two battalions. The army arrived at 
Rushville June 25. Sis companies of regu- 
lar troops, under Gen. Gaines, from Jefferson 
Barracks, arrived at Fort Armstrong. Thus 
completed, the army encamped eight miles 
below the Sac village, on the Mississippi 
River, and Gens. Gaines and Duncan concerted 
measures of attack. But Black Hawk, realiz- 
ing the danger of his position, on the night 
of the 25th quietly recrossed the river, leav- 
ing his village deserted. The soldiers thus 
found it the nest day, and completely de- 
stroyed it. Governor Ford says: "Thus per 
ished this ancient village, which had been 
the delightful home of 6,000 to 7,000 Indians, 
where generation after generation had been 
born, had died and been buried." Gen. 
Gaines had to send the second peremptory 



J. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



51 



demand to Black Hawk requiring him and 
his band to return and enter into a treaty. 
On the 30th day of June, 1831, he, with 
about thirty Chiefs of the Sacs came, and in 
full council with Governor Reynolds and 
Gen. Gaines, signed an agreement, stipu- 
lating that " no one or more shall ever be 
permitted to recross said river to the usual 
place of residence, nor any part of their old 
hunting-grounds east of the Mississippi River, 
without permission of the President of the 
United States, or ihe Governor of the State 
of Illinois." The troops were disbanded 
and their surplus provisions given to the 
Indians, who had by their foolish invasion 
made it impossible to raise any crop for that 
season. Thus ended without bloodshed the 
first campaign of the Black Hawk war in 
1831. 

1832 — Second CiMPAioN. 

This treaty with Black Hawk brought but 
a short respite of peace to the country. The 
aext spring he again recrossed the river, 
and commenced his march up Rock River 
Valley, with 500 warriors mounted on their 
ponies, while the squaws and papooses went 
by way of the river in canoes. Gen. Atkin- 
son, stationed at Fort Armstrong, warned him 
to return, but the savages pushed on to the 
country of the Winnebagoes and Pottawatto- 
mies, and here engaged to make a crop of 
corn. The Chief 's purpose in this was to 
enlist these tribes in his aid in the war, but 
they would not yield to his entreaties. 

April 16, 1832, Gov. Reynolds called for 
1,000 Illinois volunteers, and they were to 
meet in Beardstown, on the 2-tth of that 
month. So threatening were the movements 
of the Indians, that Maj. Stillman with 200 
men was ordered to guard the frontier near 
the Mississippi, and Maj. Bailey the settle- 
ments along the Illinois River. Pursuant to 
the Governor's call, 1,800 men assembled at 



Beardstown, and were organized into a brigade 
of four regiments and an "odd" and a "spy" 
battalion. An election for held officers on 
the 28th was held. Col. John Thomas to 
command the First, Jacob Fry, the Second, 
Col. Abram B. De Witt, the Third, and Col. 
Samuel M. Thompson, the Fourth. Capt. 
Abraham Lincoln's company was in the 
Fourth Regiment. Gov. Reynolds placed 
Gen. Whiteside in command, and accompa- 
nied the expedition. 

April 29 the army started from Beards- 
town and proceeded to Oquawka, and here 
they received a boat-load of supplies from 
Gen. Atkinson, who was at Fort Armstrong; 
then to the mouth of Rock River, where they 
were received into the United States service 
by Gen. Atkinson; from this point the Com- 
manding General with 400 troops proceeded 
up Rock River, while the volunteers under 
Gen. Whiteside marched through the 
swamps in the vicinity of the stream. They 
arrived at Dixon on the 10th of May, where 
they found Majs. Stillman and Bailey with 
their forces, where they had been some time 
guarding the frontier. A scouting party of 
five men was sent out to confer with the 
chiefs of the Pottawattomies, and who getting 
lost, returned after three days. They 
reported having fallen in with some of 
Black Hawk's men, and that his army was 
encamped on Old Man's Creek, twelve miles 
above Dixon. Stillman and Bailey besought 
the Governor for permission to take their 
forces and reconnoiter the enemy's position, 
which was granted. On the 14th of May 
they started with 275 men, and soon reached 
Old Man's Creek, pursuing their course up 
that stream about fifteen miles and camped 
for the night. Three Indians, bearing white 
flags came into camp, and were taken in custo- 
dy ; these were soon followed by five more who 
came near the camp, it was judged, for the 



53 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



purpose of inviting an attack. In this they 
succeeded, as a party of Stillman's men 
started in pursuit; soon three- fourths of the 
command were joined in the irregular scram- 
ble and chase across the prairie, overtaking 
and killing two Indians, and pursuing the 
others to the edge of the timber. Here 
Black Hawk, with about forty of his men, 
arose from their ambush naked and yelling 
like devils, charged the assailants, who 
were a mere scattered mob by this time, 
and who at once turned in a more eager 
retreat than had been their mad pursuit; flee- 
ing in terror before the infuriated savages. 
Stillman and his officers had ordered and 
entreated the men not to go in this foolish 
chase, but they rushed heedlessly and reck- 
lessly on, and as foolishly fled upon the first 
flush of danger, only increasing their own 
danger and confusion. Maj. Stillman, Gov. 
Zadock Casey and other officers tried in vain 
to prevent the panic and inglorious flight. 
Maj. Perkins and Capt. Adams with 
about fifteen men made a brave stand, and 
checked the savages and saved a general 
slaughter. The brave Adams lost his life in 
this heroic stand, his body being found the 
next day near the bodies of two dead Indians 
who had fallen by his hand before he was 
overpowered and slain. As a result of this 
shameful conduct of the soldiers, eleven 
whites were killed and seven Indians bit the 
dust before the fifteen gallant defenders of 
the panic-stricken army or rabble. Had half 
the wild mob kept their heads and joined 
them the enemy would not only have been 
defeated but probably captui-ed. They fled 
back to their camp and there told the remain 
der of the army such horrid stories of Black 
Hawk and his solid legions, that these broke 
camp and joined the stampede, the larger por 
tion (Toinc to Dixon, but many were so scat- 
tered and had become so wild with fright 



that they continued to flee south, and for 
weeks lone stragglers arrived at Peoria and 
at other points south as far as Beardstown and 
Springfield. The valor of these men was 
not at fault as was afterward tested. They 
were merely raw recruits who had not learned 
that in battle the safest place is in prompt 
obedience to their officer, and facing the 
enemy, regardless of the odds in the enemy's 
favor. 

This battle-field has gone into history as 
Stillman's Run. His defeat spread conster- 
nation over the State. Gen. Scott with 1,000 
troops was at once sent out to the seat of 
war. Gov." Eeynolds called for new levies, 
the call being dated June 3d, and appointing 
them to meet at Beardstown and Hennepin, 
June 10. 

The men in the service asked to be dis- 
charged, but in the great emergency they 
heeded the appeal of the Governor and 
acreed to remain twelve or fifteen days 
longer. 

When the news of Stillman's defeat had 
reached the army at Dixon, a Council of 
War was called, and the whole army marched 
to the battle-field. The dead were recovered, 
in most instances frightfully mutilated, and 
were buried. 
1 Black Hawk retreated into "Wisconsin, and 
on the 6th of June made an attack on Ap- 
ple Eiver Fort, near the present town of 
Elizabeth, twelve miles from Galena. Three 
messengers on their way from Dixon to Ga- 
lena were fired upon within half a mile of 
1 the fort, but they escaped. The inhabitants 
had fled to the forts. Twenty-five armed 
men were in the fort, and they made a de- 
j termined resistance and drove ofi" the sav- 
ages. 

The savages having attacked and killed 

! two men about five miles from Galena, Gen. 

Dodge, of Wisconsin, followed them, and 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUXTY, 



53 



overtaking them at Pecatonica, killed the 
entire number with the loss of three men. 

The new levies assembled at Beardstown 
and Hennepin, and the two forces were soon 
ordered to Fort Wilbourne, a small fortifica- 
tion on the south bank of the Illinois River, 
about a mile above Peru, which had been 
erected by Lieut. Wilbourne for the protec- 
tion of the stores entrusted to his care by Gol. 
March. 

Several thousand volunteers had assembled, 
at first a promiscuous multitude. The Gov- 
ernor appealed to the old forces who had been 
discharged, and among others who re-enlisted 
was Abraham Lincoln, who had been a Cap- 
tain in Col. Thompson's regiment, and now 
entered Capt. Isle's Company as a private. 
On the 16th day of June the brigades were 
organized. Gen. Posey commanding the First, 
Melton K. Alexander, the Second, and James 
D. Henry, Third; Gen. Atkinson in general 
command. Four additional battalions were 
organized for special purposes, commanded 
severally by Bogart, Bailey, Buckmaster and 
Dement. 

The brigades were composed of three regi- 
ments each. The Governor ordered a chain 
of forts to be erected from the Mississippi to 
Chicago. 

• On the 17th Col. Dement was ordered to 
report to Col. Zachary Taylor at Dixon, 
the main army soon to follow. On his arri- 
val at Dixon, he was ordered to take his 
position at Kellogg' s Grove. After the first 
night there a detachment was sent to examine 
a reported fresh Indian trail. They started 
at daylight, and within 300 yards of the 
Fort discovered several Indian spies, and 
despite the cries and commands of Col. De- 
ment and Lieut. -Gov. Casey, these raw 
soldiers gave chase and recklessly followed 
them into Black Hawk's ambush of 300 
naked, howling savages, whose sudden ap- 



pearance and fierce onslaught started a pell- 
mell stampede of the whites for the fort. 

In the confused retreat which followed, 
five whites who were without horses were 
killed, and the others reached the fort only 
in time to close the gates upon the enemy, 
who attacked the inmates furiously, the fight 
lasting several hours, and they only retired 
when they had to leave nine of their braves 
dead on the field. No one in the fort was 
killed; but several were wounded. Col. De- 
ment having three shots through his clothing. 
At 8 o'clock nest morning messengers were 
sent fifty miles to Gen. Posey for assistance, 
and toward sundown they appeared at the 
rescue. Gen. Posey started in pursuit of the 
enemy the next day. The enemy had used 
his usual tactics of scattering his retreating 
forces, and discovering this the pursuit was 
abandoned. The army marched up Rock 
River, expecting to find the enemy near its 
source. On the 2l8t of July the enemy was 
overtaken on the bluffs of the Wisconsin and 
a decisive battle was fought, lasting till the 
sun went down, and di-iving and scattering 
the savages, killing 1(58 that were found on 
the field, and twenty-five were found on the 
trail the next day, dead. Gen. Henry lost 
only one killed and seven wounded. Gens. 
Henry and Atkinson's forces, 1,'200 in all, 
met them at the Blue Mounds. 

On the 25th the whole army started in pur- 
suit of Black Hawk, whose trail could be 
easily followed by the abandoned articles and 
dead bodies, that told plainly the story of 
the deplorable condition of his army. The 
fugitives were fleeing the State, and had 
reached the Mississippi River, and were mak- 
ing hasty preparations to cross, when they 
were overtaken and the final and decisive bat- 
tle of Bad Axe was fought on the 2d day of 
August. It was a merciless slaughter, in 
which warriors, women and children were 



54 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



slain. Seventeen Americans were killed and 
over 150 Indians. Black Hawk had escaped 
up the river. He was pursued by a band of 
Winnebagoes. They were gone twenty days 
and returned with Black Hawk. 

V. 

Such was the bloody and sad scene that 
closed the last great attempt at regular war 
upon the whites by the combined forces of 
the red men. Black Hawk was the true suc- 
cessor of Pontiac and Tecumseh. He wore 
their fallen mantles well and worthily, but 
able as he was, after his daring efforts to 
make a stand against the oncoming invaders 
of his happy hunting grounds in northern 
Illinois, the best effort he could make was a 
feeble one compared to those of his prede- 
cessors, and indicated the decay of his peo- 
ple — swiftly dying of the contact of the white 
man and civilization. Since the Black Hawk 
war we have had nothing more terrible than 
local forages, and the occasional scalping of 
an isolated settler or traveler, or horse-steal- 
ing expeditions, in which murder was only an 
incident. The Indian has gone. Here we 
have nothing left of him but a meniory. In 
the struggle for existence he has paid the 
great penalty of ignorance and slowly but 
surely passed away from the earth. In the 
long and unknown ages he was here he did 
nothing — accomplished nothing — and this 
would have doubtless continued had he been 
left unmolested by the white man millions 
of years, save only what he had always been 
doing — breeding wretchedness and the vilest 
ignorance and savagery. He loved his wild 
freedom — he would not have our civilization. 
Ever ready to sing his death song and die, 
he would not be enslaved. Liberty or death 
was all he knew, and he stared fate in the 
face with a stoicism truly sublime. His ex- 
istence here is but a memory, much like the 



shadowy and unsubstantial legends of his 
own tribes. In the long centuries of his pos- 
session of the greatest and richest portion of 
the world, he did nothing, was nothing; and 
saving the corrupted Indian names given to 
certain places, there is nothing to prevent all 
memories of him from passing into annihila- 
tion and oblivion with his own valueless per- 
son and life. He lived only to hunt and 
tight — "born in the wild wood, rocked on 
the wave," he despised the refinements, the 
enervating pleasures, the trammels of civili- 
zation. The captured warrior and the de- 
coyed dupe of the cunning merchantmen, he 
was stupefied with whisky and sold into 
slavery, yet this failed as completely to 
make an humble slave of him always as 
would an effort to make cringing menials of 
the eagles of the crags. In this respect his 
nature was the opposite of the negro; and no 
white race has excelled, if any has ever 
equaled him, in his determination to be ab- 
solutely free — to be his own liberator and defy 
all the powers that might assail him here. 
This heroic trait saved his exit from the world 
from the reproach of contempt. 

The treatment of the Indians, from the 
time of the first coming of the whites on the 
Atlantic shores to the present time, has been 
often wrong and sometimes criminal; just 
and sensible but rarely. Their fate was voiced 
well when Pontiac said, "White man, I stand 
in thy path." It was barbarous ignorance 
standing in the way of intelligence and indus- 
try; one or the other must perish. The sur- 
vival of the fittest lays its inexorable hand 
here, as everywhere, cold and passionless and 
omnipotent, and the weaker take their places 
in the ranks of the innumerable multitudes 
and pass away from the face of the earth. 

VI. 
The spot of oldest and greatest historical 



HISTOEY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



55 



interest in Illinois is Stai'ved Rock, on the 
south bank of the Illinois River, seven miles 
below Ottawa. The beetling-rock cliffs rise 
from the waters one hundred and thirty-six 
feet. Three bides rise thus perpendicularly 
like a giant watch-tower piercing the clouds. 
The fourth side recedes gradually inward from 
the river, in one place vei-y steep, and this 
rapid descent can be mounted only by narrow 
steps, and along deep crevices in the rocks 
that bear no signs of vegetation save sparsely 
scattered stunted cedars and mountain ivy. 
The walls are of gray sand-stone. The gen- 
eral shape of this impregnable, eternal castle 
is circular, and from any point of view the 
effect is most inspiring and majestic. In 
many places are overhanging crags and deep 
crevices where once the wild beast fixed his 
lair, or the deadly reptiles retreated for safety. 
A part of the summit is smooth sand stone, 
and the whole contains nearly an acre in area. 
From the midst of the flowing waters rises 
this wonderful rock pyramid, looking far up 
and down the river and away over the wind- 
ing belts of timber and the gi-and sweej) of rich 
meadow lands — the eternal, silent sentinel — 
and in the aeons of its watches the coming 
and going of nations, dynasties, races and 
generations of men are but as the snow-flake 
on the river, " a moment white then gone 
forever. " It is now a noted resort for excur- 
sion and picnic parties, fascinating the vis- 
itor with its romantic scenery, and enchant- 
ing all with the wide-spread panoramic views 
from its summit. Of itself it will always 
possess a deep interest to all beholders, and 
it is but natural it should arrest the interest 
and attention of the adventurous white men 
who discovered what is now the State of Illi- 
nois. Two hundred and eleven years ago — 
1673 — Joliet and Marquette, in their voyage 
of discovery for the great river (Mississippi), 
which was supposed to run to the Pacific 



Ocean, after finding the river and passing 
down it far enough to learn that the river 
emptied into the Southern Ocean, were return- 
ing to the St. Lawrence to report their great 
success, when they discovered the Illinois 
River and passed up it on their way to Lake 
Michigan. When they reached Starved 
Rock the party of nine persons landed their 
canoes and ascended to the top of the tower 
and erected a cross and in the name of the 
king and the church took possession of the 
country. Salutes were fired in honor of the 
king and prayers and invocations addressed 
to the Virgin. 

In 1682 La Salle, the earliest follower of 
Joliet, founded a colony here, under a 
charter from the court of France, built a rude 
fort on the summit of the rock, called it Fort 
St. Louis, and named the country New France. 
This was the first white settlement made in 
the West. Near the base of Starved Rock 
are found the works of the Mound Build- 
ers, the flint instruments, the mounds, 
the pathways worn and cut in the rocks 
in going and returning from the top of 
this natural fort, plainly telling that 
every different race of men that ever 
occupied this country had found here the 
same land mark and refuge that attracted 
Joliet and La Salle and brought the first set- 
tlement in the Mississippi Valley. 

The two hundredth anniversary of the dis- 
covery of Starved Rock by Joliet and Mar- 
quette was celebrated in 1873. The meeting 
was held on top of the rock, and a large 
crowd was present and many speeches were 
made. A high pole was erected on the high- 
est point and the stars and stripes floated out 
on the breeze where two hundred years ago 
the tri- colors of France had waved as em- 
blems of French authority and power. 
These revelers looked out over the same 
winding river which in the distant curves of 



56 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



the stream became mere silver threads in the 
forest fringe; the same flower-bedecked prai- 
ries, the same sweeping modulations of hill 
and valley; but once they were covered with 
great herds of buffalo, deer and elk, and the 
red man, with his many villages and wigwams, 
especially in the view westward into this 
county — all indicating that here were gath- 
ered in countless numbers — like a great 
trysting place — the wild beasts and the wild 
men. Now the same enchanting view is over 
civilized life, equally numerous, and instead 
of the silent solitude of the waste places, all 
is vocal with the glad song of civilization and 
the joys and blessings of a rich, active and 
prosperous people. 

Bureau County in the Black Hawk. — At 
the time of this war the county was all Put- 
nam, and it is only by selecting out of the lists 
furnished by Putnam County, we are enabled 
to give the names of nearly all who went from 
what was afterward Bureau County. Captain 
George B. Willis, of Hennepin, raised a 
company for the Fourth Brigade, Fortieth 
Regiment, commanded by Col. John Strawn. 
This was mustered out of service at Henne- 
pin, June 18, .1832, George B. Willis, Cap- 
tain; Timothy Perkins, First Lieutenant; 
Samuel D. Laughlin, Second Lieutenant. 
Among the privates who were afterward citi- 
zens of this countj were John Cole, William- 
son Durley, JoelDoolittle, James G. Foristal, 
Aaron Gunn (now living in La Salle); John 
Hall, William Hoskins, Michael Kitterman; 
Robert A. Leeper, Charles Leeper, these 
were brothers of H. B. Leeper, now residing 
in Princeton; Roland B. Moseley, John Moore; 
Elijah Phillips, who was killed by the Indi- 
ans, June 18; Daniel Prunk, whose son is 
now living in Tiskilwa; Joseph W. Rexford; 
Solomon and Leonard Roth, brothers, one of 
whom is still living; Nelson Shepherd, still 
living; George P. Wilmouth, John Williams, 
Cm-tis Williams and Hoskin K. Zenor. 



Capt. William M. Stewart also had a com- 
pany from Putnam County, in the same 
brigade and regiment of Willis' company. 
We note in this company Private Madison 
Studyvin. 

Another company in the same command 
was Capt. William Haws' company. Capt. 
Haws died only a few months ago, aged 
eighty-four years, at his home near Magnolia; 
he dropped dead on retiring from the dinner 
table. Although very old, his sudden and 
most unexpected death was a great shock to 
his wide circle of friends and acquaintances, 
among whom he had lived a long and useful 
life. 

Capt. Haws' First Lieutenant was James 
Garvin, now living near Princeton (died a 
few days after this was written). Among 
the privates in this regiment we note Elias 
Isaac as a Bureau County man. His son, 
AVilliam L. Isaac, is now one of the influen- 
tial citizens of the county, and a Supervisor. 

The Indians commenced their forays and 
massacres of the scattered settlements in 
Illinois as early as 1810. That is, they then 
began to sow the seeds of bloody war against 
the Americans or English, as much of their 
previovis intercourse had been with the 
French in this part of the West. The first 
massacre of note was on Cache River, not far 
above Cairo, where they murdered two 
families. Seven persons — three women and 
two children — were of the victims. Then a 
murderous foray was made by them on Wood 
River, now in Madison County, and soon the 
burning cabins and the fleeing fugitives from 
all the outlying settlements told the story of 
the progress of the awful visitation through- 
out southern Illinois. Those who escaped 
fled to the forts, and for four years the peo- 
ple thus existed, suffered, were massacred, 
and many good people were driven penniless 
from the county. The war of 1812-15 was 
finally brought to a close, and treaties of 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



57 



peace were made, and people again resumed 
the work of building homes and laying the 
foundations for the great State of Illinois. 
The Indians of southern Illinois had been 
driven mostly away, or they were pretty 
thoroughly subjugated. But in northern 
Illinois it was different. The white man was 
only at Fort Dearborn, and in 1827 he was 
in the northwest corner of the State in the 
hunt for fortunes in the lead mines, and his 
presence here was regarded with an evil eye 
by the Indian. His jealous nature and his 
treacherous disposition were soon aroused, 
and he wanted to fill himself with patriotic 
whisky and commence his congenial work of 
massacring the weak and defenseless, espe- 
cially the women and children, or where a 
hundred of them could find an unarmed 
white man to torture and kill. This con- 
tinued until it culminated in the battle of Bad 
Axe in 1832, and the overthrow of Black 
Hawk and his co-conspirators. 

Nicholas Smith, only surviving son of 
" Dad Joe " Smith, informs us that his fath- 
er's family was, in 1829, on a claim where 
Eock Island now is, and that near them was 
an Indian encampment, and, especially 
when they could get whisky, they were 
often very threatening and annoying. One 
day his father had gone to Galena after some 
of their remaining goods, and he, only eight- 
een years old, was mowing about a mile from 
home, when his younger brother came as fast 
as he could with word that the Indians were 
about to miurder the family. He dropped his 
scythe and hurried to the house and found 
two bucks trying to kill a man, a neighbor 
who happened to be there, and his mother 
with the two little girls had taken refuge in 
the weeds near the house. He relieved his 
neighbor and then rushed into the house 
and got his gun. An Indian followed him 
and struck at him with his tomahawk, and 



when he got his gun the Indian ran. He 
heard an outcry from his mother and looking 
saw an Indian holding her by the hair and 
trying to tomahawk her. His little brother 
had fortunately arrived on the horse and see- 
ing the Indian trying to kill his mother, had 
spurred the horse upon him, and the boy and 
mother were in the life struggle when he 
started to their rescue with his gun, which 
unfortunately was not loaded, and the Indian 
fled. He had inflicted an ugly wound in his 
mother's face. On another occasion he was 
hewing logs for their future house, and sev- 
eral Indians came up and were loafing 
around. He was working away and pay- 
ing no attention to them, when one of them 
slipped up and told him an Indian was 
following Smith's little sister, and was go- 
ing to kill her. He dropped his ax and 
saw the savage following the child with his 
butcher-knife concealed by his side in his 
hand. He fled when Smith noticed and 
started toward him. We only give these as 
evidences of the disposition of the savages 
when they had whisky, and as historical facts 
in the inception of those Indian depredations 
that finally led to the Black Hawk war. 

Another incident related to us by Mr. 
Smith was connected with the outbreak of 
1832. It is not only of interest as one of 
the first scenes in the actual war, but it is 
strongly illustrative of some of the incidents 
of frontier life. He had gone to Ottawa to 
mill. The trip was a very serious and tire- 
some one, as he had to hire a skiff and ferry 
his grain over the river, and then go to the 
mill and bon-ow a wagon to haul it from the 
skiff to the mill — about two miles. He was 
gone nearly a week and got home, and the 
first thing he noticed was his father walking 
up and down the road, gun in hand, and 
gi-eatly excited. He soon learned the whole 
country was threatened with an Indian out- 



58 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



break; people were fleeing for their lives. 
The Smiths locked up their smoke-house and 
loaded a team and started for Galena, and 
here they stayed for several months. The 
Galena stage was stopped, and every house 
on the way to Galena was deserted, and they 
were about the last family that passed along 
the road. 



CHAPTER IV. 

The Genealogy of the County — New France — Canaiia, Louisi- 
ana — Northwestern Territory — Indiana — Illinois — St. 
Clair County — Madison, Clark, Bond, Crawford, Pike, 
Fulton, Peoria, Putnam, and Finally, Bureau — The Sev- 
eral and Final Treaties that Passed— Title to the Land 
— etc., etc. 

"Moss-bank and rock, brown trunk and ancient 

tree, 
Woodbirds and wild flowers are thy company." 
— John H. Bryant. 

THE genealogy of the county, that is, the 
civil divisions, changes and transfers 
of allegiance from one government to another, 
and then to the United States, and from one 
State to another, and finally a chain of title 
from county to county, ending in the present 
civil community of Bureau, is a material part 
of the county's history; and yet, how many 
are there who can tell its chronological 
story? In even a Teachers' Institute, com- 
posed of the educators of the county, and 
where the subject of history is often treated 
at great length, could any of them, after 
much reflection and reading on the subject, 
tell anything about it? Nearly all know that 
Bureau County was carved out of the terri- 
tory of Putnam County, and there, as a rule, 
their information stops. 

Suppose aboard of examination in the best 
of our high schools should ask the class, by 
the aid of their teachers, to give an abstract 
of the title to any quarter section of land, 



tracing it back to the original tribe of 
Indians, who were the owners in possession 
when the country was discovered. A legal 
abstract of the title of a piece of land is by 
law complete when the title is traced from 
the General Government, and in this transfer 
there are no notes of the different counties of 
which the particular tract may have formed a 
part, because the title to the lands does not 
vest in the State or county, only as it passes 
to them 'from the Government. Yet the 
descriptive part of the title is incomplete 
without naming both the State and county. 
Hence in a chain of title, where any special 
day or time might be called for, it is of the 
first importance to tell exactly the name and 
territorial title at each change that has 
occurred in its history. 

What school-child or teacher could readily 
tell how a letter should have been directed to 
have reached a person, supposing one had 
been here, and there had been mails deliv- 
ered, during all the time of the known his- 
tory of this part of Illinois? Suppose, 
reader, you had been here the past two hun- 
di'ed years, and without ever removing from 
one spot, in what emjaires, nations, and gov- 
ernments, Territories, States and counties 
would you have lived ? 

Going back to the time of the Indians, you 
would have been of the tribe of the Potawatto- 
mies, then a citizen of New France, and a sub- 
ject of the French Empire. This was a province 
of France for about one hundred years. We 
have seen elsewhere in a preceding chapter 
that La Salle and Tonti made the first white 
settlement in Illinois, before the close of the 
seventeenth century, on the borders of Bureau 
County. The nest white settlement was 
made in Kaskaskia by the French, in 1707. * 

* William H. Browo, of Chicago, was in Kaskaskia in 1818, and 
gives it as a fad, that he then learned from old settlers, and ho 
fuunJ other evidences, that this date (17u7j was correct. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



59 



The nest move the " old settler ' ' would 
have found made for him by the changes in 
government, while he was stationary, was that 
he was a Canadian. 

Then, in 1673, by the treaty of Paris, the 
title of all this part of the world passed to 
the British Empire. Thomas Gage was the 
ruler by virtue of being Commander-in-chief 
of the British troops in North America. In 
1764 he issued a proclamation, in which he 
most graciously authorized the Roman Cath- 
olics of this part of the world to exercise 
the worship of their religion in the same 
manner here as they did in Canada, and 
granting them the further permission '' to go 
about and look at the country, even to New 
Orleans." 

During all this century of changes and 
transfers there was no civil government 
established here. The only government was 
military, and the title to the country a mere 
claim of discovery and possession to the time 
of the treaty of Paris.* 

October, 1778, the House of Burgesses of 
Virginia created the county of Illinois, and 
appointed Lieut. John Tod, l ivil Commander, 
and this appointment authorized all the civil 
officers to whom the inhabitants had been 
accustomed, to be chosen by a majority of 
the citizens of their respective districts. 
This was the establishment of the first En- 
glish civil government in what is now Illinois. 
The act of the House of Burgesses above re- 
ferred to, defined the Northwestern Territory, 
with the seat of government at Marietta, 
Ohio. The whole territory was divided into 
three counties, namely: Hamilton, now Ohio; 
Knox, now Indiana, and St. Clair, now sub- 
stantially Illinois. If our imaginary Bu- 

* November 2, 1762, Frauce made a secret treaty with Spain, by 
which the Louisiaua Ctmutry was ceded to Spain ; ihia treaty was 
not made known until 17G4. M this time, and just before the 
treaty was made known, ihe villages of St. Louis and 8te. Genevieve 
were founded. 



reauite had then wanted to marry a dusky 
maiden he would have had to go to Marietta 
for his license. 

Gov. Tod was commissioned by Gov. 
Patrick Henry, who wrote his commission and 
instructions within hearing of the guns of 
the American Revolution. The book con- 
taining Tod's commission and an account of 
his official acts while at Kaskaskia was 
recently picked up by accident in a wood- 
box in Chester, 111., by one who thus rescued 
this valuable document from the flames, and 
thus supplied a missing link in the history 
of the State, the complete loss of which would 
have been very great indeed. 

All the upper Mississippi Valley was con- 
quered from Great Britain by Gen. George 
Rogers Clark, who has been often styled 
"The Hannibal of the Northwest." In the 
American Revolution he certainly was the 
hero standing second only to George Wash- 
ington. He conceived the plans, and wilh an 
army of less than 200 poorly armed, half fed 
and worse clothed soldiers, wrested all this 
rich empire from England and the Indian, 
and by able diplomacy, the most daring 
enterprise and heroic bravery and endurance, 
and a tact and strategy never surpassed, kept 
and pre.-^erved a conqueror's title and trans- 
mitted it to us. No romance compares with 
the wonderful achievements of Gen. Clark. 
In 1795, a mere youth, he penetrated the 
wilds of what is now Kentucky. In connec- 
tion with Gabriel Jones he founded and 
erected the county of Kentucky in 1796, 
and fought out the wars with the Indians 
that gave that fair land the name of 
"The Dark and Bloody Ground." In war 
and in founding and erecting Government 
and Commonwealths he was the leading and 
mastermind everywhere. Without men, with- 
out money, without support from any source 
he conquered, held and handed over to his 



60 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Government empires that in their extent and 
magnificence dwarf the proudest achievements 
of the Haunting eagles of Napoleon; and 
we have no hesitation in claiming that con- 
ceiving of the plan and the remarkable man- 
ner in which he executed his designs, find no 
parallel in American history. When the 
Revolution had been fought out and Gen. 
George Rogers Clai'k's great work was done 
in that wonderful play on the chessboard of 
nations, he retired to private life, to obscuri- 
ty and poverty that was only equaled by that 
the humblest soldier in his ragged squad. 

If the deeds of our great men are ever to 
be measured by the greatness of the results 
that come of their acts, rather than by the 
pomp, the ceremony, the loud blasts of fame 
and the pageantry of great numbers, then the 
future historian of the United States may 
burn his brightest fires in illuminating the 
greatest chapter in his book, where he tells 
the story of George Rogers Clark and the 
Northwest. It is no part of our purpose here 
to attempt to tell the interesting story. We 
merely point it out, and hope the young who 
may peruse this page may be induced to take 
up the subject and follow it through. 

From 1732 to 1759 we were under the 
control or rather belonged to the Company of 
the Indies. M. Penier was Governor-Gener- 
al, and M. D'Artaguette was Local Governor 
of Illinois. This brave and chivalrous man 
was killed in the Chickasaw war, where he 
had been called to assist the people of 
Louisiana. Illinois at this time was a part 
of Louisiana and a province of Canada. The 
Company of the Indies failing, the French 
Government again assumed the control and 
title to the country. 

The treaty of Greenville (this point is now 
in Darke County, in the southwest part of 
Ohio) was made in 1795. This was a treaty 
with the Indians, and at the time was not con- 



sidered of any value in defining the future 
boundaries of the country, but in the end it 
became a very important matter in the settle- 
ment of our boundary lines with Great Brit- 
ain. When the treaty of Ghent was being 
negotiated in 1814, and the American Com- 
missioners met the English, the former were 
much surprised at the demand of the British 
for recognition of that treaty as the basis of 
negotiations for the western boundary of the 
United States. At first the English refused 
to negotiate except on that basis and insisted 
upon the entire sovereignty and independence 
of the Indian confederacy. They claimed 
the Indians as allies, and even subjects they 
were bound to protect in all their defined 
rights. It was a fact the Indians had received 
annuities, first from the French, and that af- 
terward the English had continued these after 
the treaty of cession in 1763, and also after 
the acknowledgment of our independence. 
The Indians had annually sent delegations to 
Canada to receive these annuities. During 
the negotiation of this treaty it was brought 
to light, a fact that had been denied by the 
parties to it, that there had existed an alli- 
ance offensive and defensive between Tecum- 
seh and the British. The American Commis- 
sioners peremptorily refused to recognize the 
sovereignty of the Indians, or that they had 
any right to dispose of their ten-itory to a 
foreign power. The British Commissioners 
then proposed that the English and American 
powers arrange matters so that they might 
jointly exercise protectorate powers over the 
Indians, and consider all the territory not ac- 
knowledged to belong, by the treaty of Green- 
ville, to the United States, as embraced with- 
in that proposed joint protectorate. This 
would have left six miles square of the heart 
of the city of Chicago permanently Indian 
territory, and would have placed the upper 
Mississippi Valley exactly as was left the 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



61 



western slope which now inchides Oregon and 
Washington Territory. These were long un- 
der this joint protectorate or joint occupation 
by the United States and Great Britain. And 
the final result of the joint protectorate would 
have been a division of the territory, as was 
the case in Oregon, when perhaps all this 
portion of Illinois would have fallen to the 
portion of Canada, and in that event we 
would to-day have been Canadians instead of 
Illinpisians. 

In 1787 we were a part of Virginia, as be- 
fore stated, and were by that State erected at 
that time into the Northwest Territory, and 
became Illinois County. No one civil act in 
the country's history has exceeded in import- 
ance the celebrated ordinance of 1787 (July 
7). By it the whole country northwest of 
the Ohio was constituted one district. A 
governor and secretary was provided for ; a 
court consisting of three judges was also 
provided for, and this eoui't with the gover- 
nor enacted laws for the government of the 
country; with many other provisos "the ter- 
ritory was not to be divided into less than 
three States, and at its option Congress might 
form one or two [more] States in that part 
which lies north of an east and west line 
drawn through the southerly bend or extreme 
of Lake Michigan.'^ If the reader will keep 
in mind the words italicized, he will find it a 
convenient explanation of certain otherwise 
puzzling points that arose in fixing the north 
boundary line of this State ; but more espe- 
cially when Wisconsin, when applying to be 
admitted as a State, put forth the claim to all 
that portion of northern Illinois to a line 
running due west from the extreme south bend 
of Lake Michigan. 

The ordinance of 1787 also specially pro- 
vided "that there shall be neither slavery nor 
involuntary servitude in the said territory." 

In the summer of 1778 this new territorial 



government met at Marietta, the seat of gov- 
ernment. 

October 5, 1787, Maj.-Gen. Arthur St. Clair 
was by Congress elected Governor of the 
Northwestern Territory. 

October 6, 1789, President Washington 
wrote to Gov. St. Clair: "You will also pro- 
ceed, as soon as you can with safety, to exe- 
cute the orders of the late Congress respect- 
ing the inhabitants at Post Vincennes and at 
the Kaskaskias, and the other villages on the 
Mississippi." He says: "It is a subject of 
some importance, that the said inhabitants 
should, as soon as possible, possess the lands 
which they are entitled to, by some known 
and fixed principle." Accordingly in Feb- 
ruary, Gov. St. Clair and the Secretary, Win- 
throp Sargeant, arrived at Kaskaskia. The 
country within the bounds of our present 
State, extending northward to the mouth of 
the Little Mackinaw Creek on the Illinois 
River, was organized into a county and called 
after His Excellency, St. Clair, and this is 
therefore the mother county in Illinois. It 
was divided into three judicial districts, and 
three judges appointed; Cahokia was the 
county seat. Had ^ our imaginary Bureauite 
been here then he could have gone to Caho- 
kia if he wanted a marriage or liquor license, 
or to administer on his mother-in-law's estate. 

Cincinnati had become the seat of govern- 
ment for the North western Territory. 

By the ordinance of 1787 the country was 
entitled to the second grade territorial gov- 
ernment as soon as it contained 5,000 inhab- 
itants. 

By act of Congress, May 7, 1800, the Ter- 
ritory of the Northwest was divided, and all C\ 
that part of it lying westward of a line be- ( 
ginning on the Ohio River opposite the mouth \ 
of the Kentucky River, running thence north 
via Fort Recovery to the British Possessions, 
was consti tuted a separate territory and called 



63 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Indiana. This comprised the present States of 
Indiana (except a small strip on the eastern 
side of the State), Illinois, Wisconsin and 
Michigan. The white population at that time 
in all this vast region wasestimated at 4,875, 
about the population of the city of Pri nceton. 
Had they been evenly scattered over the 
country it vyould have been, in Yankee par- 
lance, " a right smart step " between neigh- 
bors. 

In 1S03 Louisiana was purchased from 
France and annexed to the Indiana Territory, 
and thus again we became a part of Louisi- 
ana. But this was of very short duration, 
as in 1805 Louisiana was detached and erected 
into a separate Territory. At this time Aaron 
Burr entered upon his treasonable effort to 
wrest from the United States this territory 
of the Mississippi Valley. He visited Vin- 
cennes and Kaskaskia and by his smooth and 
artful tongue induced in each place a few to 
consent to become his followera. But the 
scheme was soon exposed and he was arrested 
in Mississippi in 1807. 

We were a part of Indiana for nine years. 
By act of Congress, February 3, 1809, Illi- 
nois was created and set apart from Indiana. 
This included not only the l)oundariesof the 
present State but all of Wisconsin, the 
whole containing an estimated population of 
9,000. Still, had the people been evenly 
distributed over the country the neighbors' 
chickens would have been kept separated 
without very high picket fences between them. 
Ninian Edwards became Governor of the Ter- 
ritory of Illinois. 

April 28, 1809, Illinois was divided into two 
counties, St. Clair and Randolph. Then the 
imaginary Bureauite would have received his 
mail " Shakerag, St. Clair County, Territory 
of Illinois," and if he had wanted a squaw, 
by marriage, unless he had done as the offi- 
cers of the army often did in those days, buy 



one, he would have had to go to Cahokia for 
his license. In September, 1812, Madison 
County was created and that then included 
all this part of Illinois, and we could all then 
attend court at Edwardsville. 

In March, 1819, we would, had we all been 
here then, have become citizens of Clark 
County, with our county seat at Palestine, on 
the Wabash River. 

There were only fifteen counties in the 
State when it was admitted into the Union. 

In January, 1821, we would, without any 
act of our own, have all become citizens of 
Pike County, and could have jo-.ned in the 
refrain of ''Joe Bowers, all the way from 
Pike.'' In January, 1823, never leaving 
home, we would all have been in Fulton 
County. Then in 1825 in Peoria Count}', 
and the same year we were placed in Putnam 
County, provided it had enough people to 
organize, and it seems it did not have, as the 
steps to really form Putnam County were not 
taken until 1831, and we remained in happy 
content until 1837, when poor Putnam 
County was divided, as the clown cut oflf 
the dog's tail, "just behind the ears," and 
Bureau County came into existence. 

As a part of the history of the abstract to 
all our land titles in this portion of Illinois, 
it may not be amiss to here note the fact that 
the French had for a century lived with the 
Indians, and there had been no serious dis- 
putes as to the titles to the lands. At the 
conclusion of the Revolution and when Wash- 
ington was President, and the present race of 
men were commencing that flow of immigra- 
tion that has never ceased, the Indians con- 
federated together and determined to con- 
test the right of these " white dogs" to come 
among them. They took the position that 
the Ohio River was the extreme northwestern 
boundary line, and thus, commencing at Pitts 
bui-gh, all the Northwest should be left to 




H C C.p.r Jr t U. 




Cl^^:L .^y CjZ 




^^ 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUXTY. 



65 



them ' ' as long as grass gi-ows and water 
runs." Pontiac,and then Tecumseh and finally 
Black Hawk, were the respective Indian lead- 
ers in warring upon the white invasion. Ev- 
ery defeat of the Indians was followed by 
new treaties, in which the red man moved 
west and the Saxon extended his dominion 
across the upper Mississippi Valley, and it 
was the final treaty with Black Hawk, in 
1832, after his defeat and capture, that for- 
ever settled the title to the lands in Bureau, 
or in fact, to all territory east of the Missis- 
sippi River. 



CHAPTER V. 

The Grand March of Empire — The Marvkls in the Sweep of 
Population— The March of One Hundred Years — The Act 
OF THE General Assembly Creating Bureau County — etc., 

ETC. 

" Thus came the restless Saxon tide, 

Resistless, broad and deep and strong ; 
That on its bright, free, crested wave. 
New life and learning bore along." 

— JOHK H. Bryant. 

IN the preceding chapter is traced the 
genealogj' of the county down to the 
period of its formation and the commence- 
ment of its municipal existence under its 
present designation of Bureau County. The 
geological history, involving to some slight 
extent, the play of nature's great forces, and 
aeons of time in continent-btiilding were first 
referred to ; the strata which are the base 
upon which rests the crust of the earth's sur- 
face, and the surf ace. itself, and the long and 
slow process of forming our prairies, and the 
preparations i.hat were made for the coming 
of animate life, and eventually of man, were 
briefly touched upon; and then following cur- 
sorily the evidences that for millions of years 
dififerent races of men were here and had 



passed away before the coming of the red 
men and their congeners; and from such hasty 
glimpses, we catch enough to tell us some- 
thing of the weird and wonderful story that 
is contained in the little world, even that is 
bounded by the bending horizon of each living 
inhabitant of this particular portion of the 
globe. The mind staggers under the astound- 
ing revelations of the historian, and at the 
same time, if the picture has been at all drawn 
to the facts, they have enlarged the views of the 
student, and, it is hoped, will broaden the av- 
erage ideas of men and materially aid them 
in grasping those larger and more generous 
plans of human life that will ennoble and bet- 
ter the condition of ah. The plan of this 
work compelled only the briefest allusion to 
the past, so slight indeed, that it is feared 
the majority of readers will fail to feel the 
impress of the important hints it gives, and 
thereby lose much of value and deep interest. 
With this expression of perhaps a groundless 
regret, we ttirn from the Then to the Now, 
and what do we find ? A story that grows, if 
that is possible, in interest as we approach 
our own age and time. 

Nothing in the history of the globe is so 
extraordinary in its topographical and moral 
results as the vast western march of the 
American people within a htindred years. 
Let us look, for instance, at the excellent 
French map of what constituted the northern 
part of the United States in 1798. The 
western boundary of the visible settlement is 
the Genesee River of New York. The names 
on the Hudson are like the names of to-day; 
all beyond is strange. No railroad, no canal ; 
only a turnpike running to the Genesee, and 
with no further track to mark the way through 
the forest to " Buifalooe" on the far-off lake. 
Along this turnpike are settlements — " Schen- 
ectady," "Canajobary," " Schuyler or Utica," 
"Ft. Stenwich or Rome," " Oneida Cassle," 



66 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



" Onondaga Cassle," " Geneva" and " Can- 
andargue," where the road turns north to 
Lake Ontario. Forests cover all western 
New York, all northwestern Pennsylvania. 
Far off in Ohio is a detached region indicated 
as ' ' the Connecticut Eeserve, conceded to the 
families who had been ruined during the war 
of independence," whence cm- modern phrase 
" Western Reserve. " The summary of the 
whole map is that the United States still 
consisted of the region east of the Alleghan- 
ies, with a few outlying settlements, and 
nothing more. 

Now pass over twenty years. In the map 
prefixed to William Dai'by's tour from New 
York to Detroit in 1818 — this Darby being 
the author of an emigrant's guide and a mem- 
ber of the New York Historical Society — we 
find no State west of the Mississippi except 
Missouri, and scarcely any towns in Indiana 
or Illinois. Michigan Territoi'y is desig- 
nated, but across the whole western half of 
it is the inscription: "This part very imper- 
fectly known." All beyond Lake Michigan 
and all west of the Mississippi is a nameless 
waste, except for a few names of rivers and 
of Indian villages. This mai-ks the progress 
— and a very considerable progress — of twen- 
ty years. "Writing from Buffalo (now spelled 
correctly), Darby says: "The beautiful and 
highly-cultivated lands of the strait of Erie 
are now a specimen of what in forty years 
will be the landscape from Erie to Chicaga 
[sic]. It is a very gratifying anticipation to 
behold in fancy the epoch to come, when this 
augmenting mass of the population will enjoy 
in the interior of this vast continent a choice 
collection of immense marts, where the pro- 
duce of the banks of innumerable rivers and 
lakes can be exchanged." 

Already, it seems, travelers and map-mak- 
ers had got from misspelling " Bnffalooe " to 
misspelling " Chicaga." It was a great deal. 



The Edinburgh Revieiv for that same year 
(June, ISIS), in reviewing Birkbeck's once 
celebrated " Travels in America," said: 

" Where is this prodigious increase of 
numbers, this vast extension of dominion to 
end? What bounds has nature set to the 
progi'ess of this mighty nation? Let our 
jealousy burn as it may, let our intolerance 
of America be as unreasonably violent as we 
please, still it is plain that she is a power in 
spite of us. rapidly rising to the supremacy; 
or, at least, that each year so mightily aug- 
ments her strength as to overtake, by a most 
sensible distance, even the most formidable of 
her competitors." 

This was written, it must be remembered, 
when the whole population of the United 
States was but little more than 9,000,000, or 
about the present population of New York 
and Pennsylvania taken together. 

What were the first channels for this great 
transfer of population? The great turnpike 
road up the Mohawk Valley in New York; 
and farther south, the "National road," 
which ended at Wheeling, Va. Old men, 
now or recently living, as, for instance, 
Sewall Newhouse, the trapper and trap maker 
of Oneida, can recall the long lines of broad- 
wheeled wagons drawn by ten horses, forty 
of these teams sometimes coming in close suc- 
cession; the stages, six of which were some- 
times in sight at once; the casualties, the 
breakdowns, the sloughs of despond, the pas- 
sengers at work with fence rails to pry out 
the vehicle from a mudhole. These sights, 
now disappearing on the shores of the Pacific, 
were then familiar in the heart of what is 
now the East. This was the tide flowing 
westward; while eastward, on the other hand, 
there soon begins a counter-current of flocks 
and herds sent from the new settlements to 
supply the older States. As early as 1824 
Timothy Flint records meeting a drove of 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



67 



more than a thousand cattle and swine, rough 
and shaggy as wolves, guided toward the 
Philadelphia market by a herdsman looking 
as untamed as themselves, and coming from 
Ohio, "a name which still sounded in our 
ears," Flint says, " like the land of savages." 

The group so well known in oui- literature, 
the emigrant family, the way-side tire, the 
high-peaked wagon, the exhausted osen, this 
picture recedes steadily in space as we come 
nearer to our own time. In 1788 it set off 
with the Urst settlers from Massachusetts to 
seek Ohio; in 1798 it was just leaving the 
Hudson to ascend the Mohawk River; in 1815 
the hero of Lawrie Todd saw it at Rochester, 
N. Y. ; in 1819 Darby met it near Detroit, 
Mich.; in 1824; Flint saw it in Missouri; in 
1831 Alexander depicted it in Tennessee; in 
18-13 Margaret Fuller Ossoli sketched it be- 
yond Chicago, III. ; in 1856 in Nebraska and 
Kansas; in 1864 Clarence King described it 
in his admirable sketch, "Way-side Pikes," 
in California; in 1882 Mrs. Leighton in her 
charming letters pictures it at Puget Sound, 
beyond which, as it has reached the Pacific, 
it cannot advance. From this continent the 
emigrant group in its original form has 
almost vanished; the process of spreading 
emigration by steam is less picturesque but 
more rapid. 

The newly published vokmies of the 
United States census for 1880 give, with an 
accuracy of detail such as the world never 
before saw, the panorama of this vast west- 
ward march. It is a matter of national pride 
to see how its ever- changing phases have 
been caught and photographed in these vol- 
umes, in ways such as the countries of the 
older world have never equaled, though it 
would seem much easier to depict their more 
fixed conditions. The Au.strian newspapers 
complain that no one in that nation knows 
at this moment, for instance, the center of 



Austrian population; while the successive 
centers for the United -States are here exhib- 
ited on a chart with a precision as great, 
and an impressiveness to the imagination aa 
vast, as when astronomers represent for us 
the successive positions of a planet. Like 
the shadow thrown by the hand of some 
great clock, this inevitable point advances 
year by year across the continent, sometimes 
four miles a year, sometimes eight miles, 
but always advancing. And with this strik- 
ing summary, the census report gives us a 
series of successive rejiresentations and 
colored charts, at ten-year intervals, of the 
gradual expansion and filling-in of popula- 
tion over the whole territory of the United 
States. No romance is so fascinating as the 
thoughts suggested by these silent sheets, 
each line and tint representing the unspoken 
sacrifices and fatigues of thousands of name- 
less men and women. Let us consider for a 
moment these successive indications. 

In the map for 1790 the whole population 
is on the eastern slope of the Appalachian 
range, except a slight spur of emigration 
reaching westward from Pennsylvania and 
Virginia, and a detached settlement in Ken- 
tucky. The average depth of the strip of 
civilization, measuring back from the Atlan- 
tic westward, is but 335 miles. In 1800 there 
is some densening of population within the 
old lines, and a western movement along the 
Mohawk in New York State, while the Ken- 
tucky basis of population has spread down 
into Tennessee. In 1810 all New York, 
Pennsylvania, and Kentucky are well sprink- 
led with population, which begins to invade 
southern Ohio also, while the Territory of 
Orleans has a share; and Michigan, Indiana, 
Illinois, Missouri, the Mississippi Territory 
— including Mississippi and Alabama — are 
still almost or quite untouched. In 1820 
Ohio, or two-thirds of it, shows signs of 



68 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



civilized occupation; and the settlements 
around Detroit, which so impressed Darby, 
have joined those in Ohio; Tennessee is well 
occupied, as is southern Indiana: while Illi- 
nois, Wisconsin and Alabama have rills of 
population adjoining the Indian tribes, not 
yet removed, still retarding southern settle- 
ments. In 1830 — Adams' administration now 
being closed — Indiana is nearly covered with 
papulation, Illinois more than half; there is 
hardly any unsettled land in Ohio, while 
Michigan is beginning to be occupied. Popu- 
lation has spread up the Missouri to the 
north of Kansas River; and, fm-ther south, 
Louisiana, Alabama, and Arkansas begin to 
show for something. But even in 1830 the 
center of population is in Mooretieid, West- 
ern Virginia, not yet moving westward at 
the rate of more than five miles a year. 

This is but a short scene in this wonderful 
drama of state building — pof)ulating a belt 
across a hemisphere, within certain lines of 
latitude indicated by the soil and climate, as 
the working grounds of what will some day 
be the most historic people that have ever 
lived. 

Hon. John Wentworth says that the Black 
Hawk war, 1832, was what led to the real 
discovery and settlement of the Upper Mis- 
sissippi Valley. Evidently it was the march- 
ing of these soldiers through what is now 
this county, that first made known to the 
real pioneer people, those hardy and heroic 
advance couriers of civilization who eventu- 
ally came here with a fixed determination of 
staying, the wonderful country that awaited 
their coming. 

As noticed in the preceding chapter, this 
county was carved out of Putnam County, 
and the Illinois River was mainly the dividing 
line. It was the topography of the country 
that not only fixed the boundary of the new 
county, but that compelled the people to 



seek the aid of the legislature in bringing 
about the division that would enable those 
west of the river to have their own county 
seat and trading point of access without com- 
pelling them to cross the river and the often 
impassable roads across the river bottom in 
the approach to Hennepin. 

Hence, as early as 1833 interested parties, 
living on this side of the river, began to at- 
tend the sessions of the Legislature at Van- 
dalia, praying the assembly for relief, and 
that a new county be created. 

On the 28th of February, 1837, the follow- 
ing law was passed by the General Assembly 
of Illinois: 

Section 1. Be it enacted, etc.. That all that tract 
of country lying within the following boundaries, 
to-wit: Beginning at the northeast of Putnam 
County, running theuce south on the east boundarj' 
line of said county to the center of the main chan- 
nel of the Illinois River; thence down the main chan- 
nel of said river to the place where the line divid- 
ing Townships fourteen and fifteen nortli intersects 
said river; thence west on said line to the west line 
of said county; thence north on the western line of 
said county to the northern boundary thereof; and 
thence east with said county line to the place of 
beginning, shall be created into a new county, to 
be called the county of Bureau, Provided, however, 
That the legal voters of the old county of Putnam, 
including .also, the voters of the contemplated 
county of Bureau, shall be given for the creation of 
said county as hereinafter provided. 

Sec. 2. That on the first Mondaj'in April next, 
there shall be an election held at the several pre- 
cincts in the present county of Putnam, and the 
polls shall be open to receive votes for and against 
the creation of the aforesaid county of Bureau. 
Said election shall be opened and conducted in all 
respects in the same manner, and by the same 
judges as other elections in this State are; and if 
a majority of the votes given shall be given in favor 
of the formation of such new county, then the said 
county of Bureau shall be considered and taken 
as permanently and legally established with the 
aforesaid boundaries. 

Sec. 3. That William Stadden, Peter Butler 
and Benjamin Mitchell are hereby appointed com- 
missioners to locate the seat of Justice for said new 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



69 



count3'. Said commissioners or a majority of them 
shall meet at the town of Princeton on the lirst 
.Monday of Jlay next or as soon thereafter as may 
be, and be tirst duly sworn before some justice of 
the peace faithfully to take into consideration the 
convenience of the people, the situation of the set- 
tlements, with an eye to future population and eli- 
gibility of the place, shall proceed to locate the 
county seat of said county. If said commissioners 
shall select any town already laid oS they shall 
require the proprietors or owners of said town to 
donate to said new county for the purpose of erect- 
ing public buildings, a quantity of lots of an aver- 
age value with the remaining ones, which together 
shall amount to twenty acres of land, or shall 
donate and give in lieu thereof not less than .^5,- 
000. And if said commissioners shall locate said 
county seat on land not having been laid off into 
town lots, they shall secure the title to not less than 
twenty acres to and for the use of said new county, 
and the court house shall be located on the same. 

Sec. 4. That the legal voters of said county shall 
meet at the several places of holding elections on 
the first Monday in June next, and proceed to elect 
county ofHcers, and returns of said election shall be 
made by the judges and clerks to the justices of 
the peace of said county; said justices shall meet 
at the town of Princeton, within seven days after 
said election, and proceed to open said returns, and 
in all things perform the duties required by law of 
the clerks of the county commissioners courts, and 
justices of the peace in like cases. 

Sec. 5. That the count}' commissioners court 
shall meet at Princeton within ten days after their 
election, and being first duly qualified shall proceed 
to appoint a clerk, and lay off the county into 
justices' districts and order an election to be held 
for the purpose of electing additional justices of 
the peace and constables for said county, and all 
officers elected agreeably to the provisions of this 
act shall be commissioned and qualified as required 
by law; all officers shall hold their office until the 
next general election and until their successors are 
elected and qualified. Provided. That nothing in 
this section shall be so construed as to repeal out of 
office any justice of the peace or constable elected 
for the county of Putnam aud living within the 
limits of said new count}'. 

Sec. 6. Provides for the holding of courts at 
some suitable place, designated by the commission- 
ers, until a court house and county building can be 
provided. The Circuit Court to be holden twice a 
year. 



Sec. 7. Provides for the new county to vote in 
all elections, except county elections, with the 
districts to which the county belongs. 

Sec. 8. Provides for the payment of $3 a day 
each to the commissioners selected above to locate 
the county seat. 

Approved February 28. 1837. 



CHAPTER VI. 

FiRBT THE Explorer, THEN the Trafficker, then the Trap- 
per AND Hu.vTER— Their Cirioi-s Habits and Cdstoms— 
Children- of the Solitudes— What they Encodntehed— 
Hog and Hominy— The Shirt-Tail Aoe— Houses and Fur- 
niture — Suffering for Bread — Anecdotes — Some of the 
Experiences of Pioneer Children — To Your Guns !!— Expe- 
rience of a Boy at First Hotel— He Hears a Gong— Sup- 
poses THE House Busted— Two Dollars and a Half a Dai 
AND Eats Bread and Water— Witches, Wizzards and the 
Horrors of Superstitution— How People Ported- Weddings 
—Dancing and one-Eyed Fiddlers— Bottle Race— How Peo- 
ple Dressed— Salute Your Bride— Going to Housekeep- 
ing — ETC., etc. 

" He knew each pathway through the wood, 
Each dell unwarmed by .sunshine's gleam, 
Where the brown pheasant led her brood. 
Or wild deer came to drink the stream." 

— John H. Bryant. 

THERE is much of romance in the story of 
the first white men who came to the 
West, who saw what is now this county, when 
only the savage and wild beast held possession 
of this rich and beautiful spot of our continent. 
The spirit of adventure allured these pioneers 
into this vast wilderness. The first was the 
lonely adventurer who cared only for the 
chase and the eternal solitudes, and some- 
times the white men who had, from crime, 
but more often from an instinctive love of 
wild life, abandoned civilized homes and had 
hid themselves away from light, and become 
Indians to all practical purposes, preferring 
their barbarous freedom to the trammels of 
civilization. Prom the tirst landing of emi- 
grants on the Atlantic shores, there was 



il 



70 



HISTORY OF BUEEAU COUNTY. 



always a portion of the whites who looked 
upon the wild man of the country they found 
here, and at once they were ready and eager 
to abandon civilized life and become savages, 
and of these men often were the most danger- 
ous and cruel enemies of the white race. 
They would cast their fortunes among the 
Indians, become bad savages, marry a squaw 
and they and iheir half-breed posterity would 
wage the most cruel and vindictive warfare 
and murder, against the pioneers. When 
this class of first white savages was ever here 
will never be known, as one peculiarity of 
them was, thej' cut off all communication or 
love for their own race when once they aban- 
doned it, and they never returned. They 
would, as far as possible, hide every trace of 
white blood about them, and they never were 
visible except when sometimes their bodies 
were found among the dead, in skirmishes 
and fights with the settlers, as when a ma 
rauding expedition after loot and scalps had 
been overtaken by the just avengers and 
slain. These white savages generally attached 
themselves to a particular tribe, and remained 
with them and would seek the position of 
chiefs and rulers. Yet some of them, mur- 
derers and fugitives from justice in their 
native homes, would pass from tribe to tribe, 
the vilest of criminals and cowardly assassins, 
and thus like the wandering Jew, they found 
no place of rest. In this way there were 
white men possibly here 100 years before 
the discovery of the country by Joliet. They 
never returned to tell their white brethren of 
the countries they had seen. Hence the 
whites along the Lawrence only learned 
through the occasional Indians that visited 
their trading jjosts, that there was a great 
river in this part of the world, and that if 
emptied into the Pacific Ocean. 

Iq a preceding chapter we have given an 
account of the discoveries of this country and 



of the first attempts at settlement and the 
permanent possession of it. For more than 
100 years their lodgement was temporary 
and sporadic, caused often by the change of 
empire and the national contentions of the 
French, English and the Spaniards. It was 
finally the Anglo-Saxon pioneers who came 
and " planted their feet, never to take them 
up." It was to traffic with the Indians, 
exchange those engines of civilization, trink- 
ets, whisky and eventually powder, with the 
untutored savage for his pelts and furs. 
They were bncked by the pious missionaries 
of the Catholic Church, bearing the cross and 
the pictures of Calvary, that were the first 
genial rays of the sweetness of civilization, 
in the noisome wilderness. The footsteps of 
the hardy trapper and hunter accompanied 
these traders and churchmen, and the latter 
were finally the little nucleus around which 
gathered the oncoming hosts that have truly 
made the wilderness to bloom as the rose. 

These men came in the hunt of homes 
for themselves and their childi-en. The ad- 
venturous spirit started them, hut when they 
looked upon the country they had dreams 
of its great future, and were content to fix 
their lot where there was so much to gladden 
and encourage them. The beauties and nat- 
ural wealth of the country pleased the eye, 
and the abundance of wild game gratified 
their passion for hunting and solved the 
problem, in one respect, in the struggle for 
life. They were surrounded by enemies, 
fierce and formidable. The luxuriant vege- 
table growths rotting in the autumn sun was 
the breeding place, especially in the lagoons, 
marshes and wet prairies, and in the river 
bottoms, of malaria that poisoned the air. 
and carried sickness and death on its wings. 
The cunning and treacherous Indian with his 
horrid scalping-knife was everywhere in am- 
bush or in bold war paint to assassinate and 



HISTUKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



71 



torture the old or the young, the innocent 
and defenceless. But these bold borderers 
flinched not from the perils that beset them 
on every side; even the women and children 
at times were called upon and did perform 
deeds of cool valor and heroism from which 
the strong iron nerves of men might well 
have quaked. These dauntless couriers blaz- 
ing the way to the heart of the wilderness 
for civilization, who slept with one hand al- 
ways on their trusty rifles, whose minds were 
ever keenly alive to the dangerous surround- 
ings, encompassed on every side with the 
limitless solitudes, like the lost mariner, 
" alone, alone, all, all alone, alone on a wide, 
wide sea, " must have had brave souls to thus 
endure and suffer and struggle through the 
great problem of mankind as they did, and 
lay the foundations for that grand structure 
for the millions of happy and prosperous 
people, who now are reaping where they 
sowed. 

They had no opportunity for the cultiva- 
tion of the arts and elegancies of refined life. 
In their trying ordeal, in their oppressive 
solitude, there arose a peculiar condition of 
society, elsewhere unknown. The little 
allowance of corn meal, often, that they 
brought with them, was too soon expended, 
and sometimes for weeks and months they 
lived literally without bread. The lean ven- 
ison, and the breast of the wild turkey they 
would then call bread, and the fat portions 
<jf the bear was meat. This was a wi-etched 
artifice, and resulted in disease and sickness, 
when circumstances compelled them to in- 
dulge in it too long. They would become 
gradually weaker and weaker, oppressed with a 
constant feeling of an empty stomach, and the 
poor women and children would pass the dull 
hours in watching the potato tops, pumjjkin 
and squash vines, hoping from day to day to 
get something to answer the place of bread. 



The writer has been told by those who had 
witnessed these things, that they had eaten 
the young pumpkins as soon as the blossoms 
would drop off the end. What a delight and 
joy, then, were the first young potatoes ! What 
a jubilee, the first young corn, with its 
grains half grown, eaten raw or cooked! A.nd 
how all this pleasui'e was intensified when 
the corn had become hard enough for the tin 
grater, and the glorious johnny-cake was 
turned piping hot off of the baking board. 
These were as the harbingers from heaven, 
bringing health, vigor and content to all. 

The first houses, if they can be so called, 
were merely brush sheds, that were but the 
slightest protection against the elements, and 
none at all against the thieving Indians and 
prowling wild beasts, and at times the little 
family would be compelled to take their 
turns of standing sentinel during the night, 
while the others snatched the short sleep 
that exhausted nature made compulsory. 

The furniture for the table for some years 
consisted of a few pewter dishes, plates and 
sometimes a spoon, wooden bowl, trencher 
and noggin, gourds from the hard-shelled 
squashes, and the cooking utensil was an iron 
skillet. These, with some salt, had been 
brought often on horse-back, and on this 
single horse of ten were the household goods, 
and the wife and child, while the husband 
led the way on foot with his rifle on his 
shoulder. Corn-bread for breakfast and 
dinner, and mush and milk for supper. 
Meat was always abundant; the wild hogs 
were nearly as abundant as the many varie- 
ties of game and fish that were easily ob- 
tained. 

At first game abounded; deer and bear 
were in on-eat abundance. Soon after the 
Indians had gone, and the country was occu- 
pied by the sparse settlements of the whites, 
the woods were filled with wild hogs. In the 



73 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



winter, when they flocked, the prairie chickens 
were so abundant that at times the fences and 
trees were literally lined with them, and the 
beating of the air by their multitudinous 
wings as they arose from their perches or 
from feeding places would sound like distant 
thunder. Wild turkeys, quail, and the trees 
apparently full of squirrels, were all rather 
too contemptible for these hunters to waste 
their ammunition upon. When the bear had 
gone, the prize game was the graceful and 
bounding deer that sometimes grazed and 
frolicked upon the rich prairie grasses, the 
graceful and toothsome successors to their 
more noble congeners — the buffalo; as in the 
woods the wild hog had come in the place of 
the panther and bear. In the spring and fall 
the migrating geese, swans and ducks and 
other fowls at times tilled the river and lakes, 
feeding upon the wild rice, from which in 
countless thousands they would rise and fly 
along in front of the lone canoe or the bat- 
teau as it came and went with the Indian or 
pioneer. Meat was always abundant and of 
easy access, until immigration came so plen- 
tifully that the domestic animals usurped 
the places of the wild game. It probably 
was the second crop of pioneers who depended 
mainly upon the wild hogs in the woods for 
their standard article of meat. Hominy- 
mills and the old fashioned lye hominy (the 
only kind that was ever fit to eat) were the 
chief reliance for bread, and the phrase ' 'hog 
and hominy" was not a meaningless one. 
And for the information of posterity it is not 
amiss to tell, that there was once a period 
of time in the West that is fitly designated 
as the "hog and hominy'' age. 

In fact, men who were here as boys, and 
from whose memories we gather these facts, 
will tell you with a sly twinkle of the eye 
that in their own case they associate another 
national characteristic of that age of "hog 



and hominy,'' and that was the "shirt tail 
age." Some boys were, with the full knowl- 
edge of the old folks, ready to go "sparking" 
when the first pair of pants was ready to 
don. There certainly was not as much style 
among young people as we find now. There 
were more children then to the family than 
now, and much less for them to badger their 
brains about wearing. 

An anecdote is told — of course it is not true, 
but it serves to illustrate some of the econo- 
my of the times — of a man who had too many 
children to array them in silks and fine 
linens. So, in the warm months of the year, 
he had prepared a gum for each and set them 
conveniently about the cabin. At the ap- 
proach of a visitor he would yell, "Gums !" 
when each would take to his retreat, and no 
other part of their person would ever appear 
above the top of the gttm except the child's 
eyes. 

Dr. Doddridge, in his diary, tells something 
of his recollections as a pioneer child; how 
he saw the first teacup and saucer, and for 
the first time tasted coffee. W^hen six years 
old he had lost his mother, and was sent to 
Bedford, Md. Here he saw his first tavern. 
What a new world was this to him. It was 
made of stone, and more astounding still, it 
was all plastered inside, both the walls and 
ceiling. On going into the dining-room he 
was still more amazed and stupefied with 
wonder. He had never before supposed there 
was a house in the world but that was made 
of logs and had only one room; but here was 
a house and he could see no logs, and strang- 
er still, on looking up he could see no joists. 
Had all this been made by the hand of man 
or had it so grown itself, he could not con- 
jecture. He was afraid to ask questions 
about it. When at the table he watched at- 
tentively to see what the " big folks " would 
do with their little cups and spoons; he imi- 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



73 



tated them and found the taste of the coffee 
exceedingly nauseous, but he continued to 
drink it as did the rest until the tears were 
streaming from his ej^es, and when the tor- 
ture was ever to end, he could not guess, as 
each little cup would be again filled as soon 
as it was emptied. His distress grew to agony, 
and he dared not say he had enough. Watch- 
ing closely, he finally saw one turn his cup 
bottom upward and put his spoon across it, 
and then his cup was not tilled any more, and 
this hint being acted upon stopped the pro- 
longed agony of the young pioneer. 

The writer will never forget his first expe- 
rience in a big, fine hotel. He was sixteen 
years old, and had seen only the big prairies 
of Southern Illinois; had once been to St. 
Louis, distant twenty miles from the farm 
on which he spent his boyhood, but had helped 
drive some hogs to market, and they all 
camped during the trip and though be- 
wildered at the long row of big houses, he 
saw nothing of the inside of any of them. 
He had been dressed up in resplendent suit 
of "ready made," of the SIO pattern (cer- 
tainly the finest dressed lad in the world) 
and with $105 in silver, had been started to 
find his way alone and enter Jefferson Col- 
lege in Washington County, Penn. His first 
steamboat ride was from St. Louis to Pitts- 
bui-gh. He had been warned against all 
strangers, and with the weight of the silver in 
bis pocket, sleeping with it clutched, and in 
dread of fell robbers all the time, his expe- 
riences in that twenty days from starting 
point to destination, would of themselves 
make a book of romance. He landed at 
Pittsburgh tibout midnight and the boat's 
porter shouldered his hair trunk, and for 
half a dollar landed boy and trunk in the 
Monongahela House. What a world! What 
an overpowering vastness and strangeness was 
here for him. He was at once taken to his 



room and the experienced colored porter 
kindly showed him how to turn off the gas. 
When alone in his room, the door securely 
locked, he drew a long breath of relief and 
began a survey of his surroundings. His 
eyes saw a printed card on the door that was 
full of interest, as well as conveying some 
information that was stunning in its effects, 
the most distinct item of which he can now 
recall was that each guest would be charged 
S2.5() a day. Mercifal heavens! what new 
planet was this, where money flowed in a 
golden stream that enabled people to pay 
12.50 a day for board which in Illinois could 
be had for 50 cents a week! and he went to 
bed and eventually was overcome by sleep, 
to dream of traveling from new worlds to 
other worlds, where the humblest house would 
pierce the clouds, and its immensity fill all 
visible space; the men as large as the mam- 
moths of old, each with pockets as large as 
the boot of a Jersey coach, and all stuffed 
with gold. He was up and dressed, as was 
his habit on the farm, the next morning at 
early daylight, and hunted his way down 
stairs in some trepidation lest he was too 
late for breakfast. Upon reaching the hotel 
office, he saw the clerk, that marvellous de- 
velopment of the century, and the first look 
was like annihilation; there sat the " fronts" 
on a long bench, and the splendors 
of the marble tesselated floors and the 
awful grandeur of the general surround- 
ings were only equaled by the clerk and 
waiters, who were too immense to be ordinary 
mortals. The overwhelmed lad wondered 
if these gi'eat people knew or suspected 
he was fresh from an Illinois farm, and an 
expert at "splitting middles" in the corn 
rows. Was ever a boy in the hunt of an 
education so abashed? He finally found his 
way into the reading-room, where some of 
the earliest risers had soon gathered, and 



74 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



■were busy looking over the morning papers, 
and in a hurry for an early breakfast. A mir- 
ror in one end of the room gave it the appear- 
ance of being miles and miles in length, and 
this illusion was fearfully real to the strange 
boy. Another thing he noticed was, that 
below were steam works, and this added to 
the bewildering immensity of the place. A 
gong suddenly started its deafening noise — 
the first the boy had ever heard — and 
instantly he supposed the steam works had 
exploded. The people started up, and the 
frightened lad bolted out into the ofifice; 
there were the clerk and the bell boys, happy 
and serene. The sudden shock of the sup- 
posed explosion — the real could not have been 
more real or the horror more sudden and 
appalling — then the counter shock — instantly 
in looking at that calm and majestic face of 
the clerk, was the realization that the world 
was not a wreck, in fact, that there was no 
explosion at all, but only a hideous and hor- 
rid din, calling the boarders to breakfast. 
Did that terrible clerk know why the lad had 
rushed so headlong out of the reading-room 
and into the office? No, he was too immense 
to see any thing short of a paste diamond, and, 
thank heaven, he thereby missed the funniest 
sight a traveling innocent ever presented. 

In a moment the traveler rallied his scat- 
tered senses and demurely followed the 
crowd to the breakfast-room. A long table 
ran the length of the room, and the youth 
found a seat finally, after all else had been 
accommodated. Before him was a plate 
turned, a knife and fork, a glass turned, and 
on it a slim piece of stale bread, and he fiu'- 
tively looked up and down the long table, 
and this was all it contained. $2. 50 a day ! 
and in all his life he had never seen hungry 
people set down to quite as slim fare as that ! 
A waiter, whose style was frightfully magni- 
ficent, poured out a tumbler of water and the 



lad fell to work, just as he had been accus- 
tomed all his life, to eating what was before 
him, bread and water though it was. And 
when he had finished his glass of water the 
colored waiter again filled it, and in less than 
five minutes he had devoured all in sight and 
he could see no further usefulness for him 
there and he got up and walked out, feeling 
as though he would not begrudge the $2.50 
for a home breakfast of honest fry and fatty 
biscuit. To this day he remembers a most 
peculiar look in the faces of the waiters as he 
passed out. What did it mean, anyhow ? 

Among all the earliest settlers the men 
wore hunting-shirts. This was a loose frock, 
reaching half way down the thighs, with 
large sleeves, and open before, and so wide as 
to lap over when belted. It generally had a 
large cape and was made of cloth or buckskin. 
The bosom served as a wallet, to hold bread, 
jerk, tow for wiping the gun, or any other 
necessary article for the warrior or hunter. 
The belt, which was tied behind, answered 
several purposes besides that of holding the 
dress together. Moccasins for the feet and 
generally a coon-skin cap, completed the 
dress. In wet weather the moccasins were 
only a " decent way of going barefooted," 
and caused much rheumatism among the peo- 
ple. The Hnsey petticoat and bed-gown 
were the dress of the women in early times, 
and a Sunday dress was completed by a 
pair of home-made shoes and a handker- 
chief. 

The people "forted" when the Indians 
threatened them. The stockades, bastions, 
and cabins were furnished with port-holes. 
The settlers would occupy their cabins and 
reluctantly move into the block-house when 
the alarm was given. Coui'iers would pass 
around in the dead hours of the night to 
warn the people of danger, and in the silence 
of death and darkness the family would 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



75 



hastily dress and gather what few things 
they could carry or x>ut their hands on in 
the darkness and hurry to the fort. 

The settlers, as a rule, married young. 
Here were no distinctions in rank, and but 
little in fortune, and nearly the only source of 
amusement that was enjoyed by all was the 
wedding; this was anticipated from the time 
announced until the gay frolic was over, 
with the keenest anticipations by the whole 
people of the country for miles around. Any 
other general gathering of the people was 
either a lojrrolling or a house-raising, where 
the men had to precede the night's roystering 
with a day of hard work. But at the wed- 
ding alone, it was different. All the world, 
at least every one who heard of the affair in 
time to get there, was invited. This would 
be the only invitation issued to even the 
closest friends, and the welcome was as cor- 
dial as the implied invitation had been uni- 
versal. At the cabin of the bride the people 
would begin to assemble at an early hour — 
the whole family, from the cradle to the 
white-haired sire and matron with weak and 
trembling voices and the bent forms of great 
age, tottering to the seats of honor by the 
favorite side at the tire-place, or, if the 
weather was warm, at the side of the door; 
and these dear old "grandsirs " would catch 
the infection of the occasion, grow gleesome 
and garrulous about the long ago, kindling 
the fires of nearly extinct memories, until 
their blood would once more course through 
their veins in a rush and tlow that would 
lighten up their eyes with the erstwhile flames 
of their lusty youth. During all the fore- 
noon the people would continue to come, till 
about the hour of high noon. Cooking, 
chatting, joking and welcoming guests, with- 
out the slightest show of formality anywhere, 
gave all something to do or say. The young 
girls in some secluded spot — perhaps, if only 



one room in the house, a sheet hung across 
the corner of the room — busy arranging the 
bride, and in the greatest glee, joking and 
talking, tittering and laughing ; the married 
people nursing their children, assisting in 
the cooking and preparing the long table 
(generally a couple of bare planks on wooden 
trussels), or exchanging sweet gossip with 
their neighbors ; the young men standing 
about the premises in quiet groups, trying to 
talk about the weather, crops, or a coon hunt, 
and all the time distracting their attention 
from each other's words by furtive glances 
toward the girls. If there was a low rail 
fence in front of the house they perched upon 
this, or standing with one foot on the third 
rail, busily whittling their riding switch; 
and further away down the line of fences 
were the young men's saddle horses and the 
family wagons standing hitched. 

In the meantime there is at the home of 
the groom an assembling of the young men 
on horseback. They are to be his gay escort 
to the wedding, and one is selected before 
they leave the house to run the " race for the 
bottle." At the house of the bride are out- 
looks for this groom's cavalcade, and when 
discovei-ed in the distance, the young folks, 
boys and girls, mount their horses and start 
to meet them, having first made their selec- 
tion to contend in the race on behalf of the 
bride and against the groom's man. They 
meet at some point where there is a long 
stretch of straight road and the riders prepare 
and the race is run. "What fun alive! 
Whether old plow horses or burr-tailed colts, 
under whip and spur, they do their best, 
and the winner takes the bottle (generally 
an old black bottle gaily-rigged out in nar- 
row pink ribbons) and this, marching at the 
head of the crowd, he holds aloft — the proud 
and envied hero of the day. When this 
joyful procession reaches the house, the 



76 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



groom is conducted to the bride, the preacher 
takes up,his position in front of the door, the 
people press around, and all is hushed; the 
happy pair emerge, and just stepping out- 
side the door, stop in the close presence of 
the preacher and slowly and solemnly he 
asks "John, wilt thou?" and " Mary Jane, 
wilt thou?'' and then by the authority of 
heaven and the power of the law, he impress- 
ively pronounces them man and wife. "Whom 
God hath joined together let no man put 
asunder. Salute your bride!" 

Then follows dinner, and immediately 
after that dancing. The afternoon, the eve- 
ning, all the night long until breakfast next 
morning, a single iiddle, the fiddler generally 
one-eyed and beating time with his foot, and 
away the high- stepping, fleet-footed dancing 
racers go; pirouetting, bounding like India 
rubber, whirling, double- shuffle, pigeon's- 
wing, the reel, the jig, the hoe-down, the 
walk - talk - ginger-blue, terpsichore ! what 
dancing, what life, what endurance! filling 
their innocent hearts with gladness and their 
legs with soreness and pain. 

The "infair," the day after the wedding, 
at the house of the groom's parents, would 
be simply a coutinuatiou of this feasting 
and dancing for another twenty-four hours. 
Then, in a few days, the men all assemble and 
by night the cabin for the new couple is com- 
pleted and they move in, and commence the 
serious work of married life — and the wed- 
ding is over. 

The tin grater, the hominy block, the hand- 
mill and the sweep, and the ox-mill and fin- 
ally the water mill were the order of the 
coming of the mechanic arts in bread mak- 
ing. Nearly every family was its own tanner, 
weaver, shoemaker, tailor, carpenter, black- 
smith and miller. The first water-mill, or 
even horse-mill, was a grand advance in the 
solid comforts of civilization. 
I 



Amusements often are imitations of the 
business of life, or at least of some of its 
particular objects of pursuit. Many of the 
sports of the early settlers were imitative of 
the exercises and strategems of hunting and 
war. Boys were taught the use of the bow 
and arrow at an early age, and acquired con- 
siderable expertness in their use. One im- 
portant pastime was learning to imitate the 
noise or call of every bird or beast in the 
forest. This faculty was a very necessary 
part of education, on account of its utility 
in certain circumstances. The imitation of 
gobbling and other calls of the turkey often 
brought these keen-eyed denizens of the 
woods within easy range of the hunter's rifle. 
The bleating of the fawn brought its dam to 
her death in the same way. The hunter 
often would collect a company of mopish 
owls to the trees about 'him and amuse him- 
self with their hoarse screaming. His howl 
would raise and obtain a response from a 
pack of wolves, so as to inform him of their 
neighborhood, and thus guard him against 
their prowling depredations. This imitative 
talent was often used as a protection or a 
deception of the enemy in the strategy of 
war. The Indians would often when scattered 
about in a neighborhood, call themselves to- 
gether, by the turkey calls by day and the 
howling like wolves by night. And some- 
times a whole people would be thrown into 
the greatest consternation by the screeching 
of an owl. 

Throwing the tomahawk was another 
amusement in which often great skill was 
acquired. This instrument, with a handle a 
certain length, will make a certain number 
of revolutions in a given distance. At one 
distance, thrown at a tree, it will stick with 
the handle down, and at another distance 
with the handle np. Practice would soon 
enable the boy to throw it, and with his eye 



HISTOEY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



77 



so accurately aieasiire the distance as to stick 
it any way he might choose. Wrestling, 
running and jumping were the athleticsports 
of the young men. A boy at twelve or thir- 
teen years of age, when possible to do so, 
was furnished with a rifle, and in killing 
game he would soon become an expert. Then 
he was a good fort soldier, and would be as- 
signed his port-hole in case of an attack. 

Among the early settlers of the Missis- 
sippi Valley was a wide-spread belief in 
witchcraft. This -was true at that time over 
nearly all the Old World. To the witch 
was ascribed the power of inflicting new and 
strange diseases, particularly incurable dis- 
eases on children; of secretly destroying cat- 
tle by shooting them with hair balls propelled 
from noiseless witch guns; and a great variety 
of other modes of destruction. Hunters, 
even to a recent date, had no doubt but that 
witches could put " spells " on their guns, or 
that men were changed into horses, whom 
the witches would bridle and saddle, and 
ride at full speed over hill, dale and moun- 
tain, and through the air to all parts of the 
world, to attend the witches' pow-wows at 
their distant places of rendezvous. They 
would return the poor human horse to his 
bed and sleep just before daylight; but, es- 
pecially in children's hair, would be found 
the witches' stirrups, that the child would 
fully and painfully realize when these tan- 
gles were being combed out by the mother. 
The horrid and fatal powers of ihe witches 
were ample, their works abundant, their 
wrecks everywhere, calling up men's dread 
and fears, and appalling and weakening in 
their forces men's reason and intellect. 
States and Government invoked the laws to 
stamp out this ten-ible evil, and witches were 
hunted out, drowned, burned and executed 
in various ways. Accusers were encouraged, 
and it soon came to be a fact that to be ac- 



cused was to be condemned. The victims 
would be thrown into the water, if they sank 
and drowned this proved they were innocent, 
if they swam ashore this proved their guilt, 
and according to law they were at once exe- 
cuted. A community which could make such 
laws were terribly in earnest, and certainly 
sincere and honest in their beliefs. They 
s aw their own and their neighbors' cattle df- 
ing of the murrain; and was not this plainly 
the work of the witches? Cases of epilepsy, 
fits, insanity, strange fevers, in fact, the mul- 
titudes of diseases which they could not un- 
derstand, and if not witches' work, what 
could it be? The first victims were always 
old, ugly women, especially if they lived 
alone; then, when these did not furnish vic- 
tims enough, others were selected and exe- 
cuted. The ablest men then living had no 
doubt but that there were plenty of witches, 
and the most learned divines denounced 
them as satraps of the devil ; learned judges 
from the bench sent them to the rack and the 
gibbet. No one doubted, and many of the 
accused confessed, and told wonderful stories 
of their crimes and orgies, and would some- 
times even beg to be executed. People 
throughout the (Jhristian world were thus 
murdered by the hundred thousand, and mat- 
ters had reached that climax that when one 
neighbor desired to be rid of another, all he 
had to do was to lodge a complaint against 
him of being a witch, until fathers deserted 
and denounced their own children, children 
accused their parents, neighbors suspected 
each other and horrid suspicions began to 
reach all, and the dark wings of death and 
universal gloom hovered over the world like 
a hideous pall, and by its growing intensity 
the public craze burned itself out and men 
began to sober up from the mad frenzy of 
the hour. 

The first step toward a cure probably was 



78 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



the appearance of the "wizards." These 
were men, witch doctors, who were supposed 
to possess all the evil power of the witches, 
but instead of generally exercising them for 
bad purposes they would cure those afflicted 
by witches, and in many occult ways thwart 
the spirits in their fell works. These witch 
doctors boldly stood in the way of the ma- 
levolent influences of the bad spirits. Hence 
they were called witch-mastera, and from 
patient to patient they practiced their pro- 
fession as regular physicians. They would 
make "silver tea" (boil a silver coin in 
water) and give it to the sick cattle. They 
would carry to the bed-side their witch balls 
(made of deer and cow's hair) and in a 
strange manner, and muttering a wild jar- 
gon, pass them over the sufl'erers, and exor- 
cise the evil ones. One mode of cure was to 
make a picture of the supposed witch on a 
stump, and shoot at it a bullet in which was 
a small portion of silver. This bullet, it was 
supposed, transferred to the real witch a pain- 
ful, sometimes a mortal spell, on that por- 
tion of the witches' body corresponding to 
the part of the pictiu'e struck by the bullet. 
Other and many disgusting practices were 
employed as remedies, and the witch had but 
one way of relieving itself of any spell thus 
inflicted, and that was to borrow something, 
no matter what, of the family to which the 
witches' victim belonged. Thus often would 
an old woman only discover that she was a 
"suspect" when she had applied to borrow 
of a neighbor, and had been peremptorily 
refused. Cattle were sometimes burned in 
the forehead with a branding-iron, or when 
dead, burned to ashes. This, it was held, 
inflicted a spell on the witch, which could 
only be removed by borrowing as above re- 
cited. Witches would constantly milk their 
neighbors' cows. This, it was believed, they 
could do by fixing a new pin in a new towel, 



one for each cow milked, and hanging the 
towel over the door and then by incantations 
the milk would be extracted from the fringes 
of the towel, after the manner of milking a 
cow. Singularly enough, the cows were 
never milked by the witches, except when 
they had about gone dry for the want of 
proper feed. It is stated as a historical fact 
that the Grerman glass-blowers once drove 
the witches out of their furnaces by throw- 
ing living puppies into them. 

The Voudoo was brought to this country 
with the captured slaves from the jungles of 
Africa, and it is here yet, and in some form 
believed in by a majority of the negroes in 
the country. It is but another form of 
witchcraft. It is the negroes' horrid incanta- 
tion and magic, and in the cauldron where is 
boiled the voudoo, instead of "tongue of 
viper and leg of newt " ai'e human remains, 
robbed of graves opened at midnight. Noth- 
ing, save the imagination of Edgar A. Poe, 
can equal in repulsive horrors the genuine 
voudoo. lu the year 1790 a black slave was 
hung at Cahokia, who acknowledged that by his 
power of devilish incantations, he had "poi- 
soned and killed his master; but that his 
mistress had proved too powerful for his 
neci'omaucy. " In the same village another 
slave was shot down in the street for his 
diabolism. One of the first acts of the first 
civil Governor of Illinois, John Tod, was 
an order to the Sheriff to take from the jail a 
convict negro slave, to the water's edge, 
burn him and scatter his ashes to the four 
winds of heaven for voudooism. 

The red children of the forest were as 
superstitious as the whites or blacks in 
regard to witches. The One-eyed Prophet, a 
brother of Tecumseh, who commanded at the 
battle of Tippecanoe, in obedience, he said, 
to the commands of the great Manitou, ful- 
minated the penalty of death against those 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



79 



who practiced the black art of witchcraft or 
magic. A number of Indians were tried, 
convicted, condemned, tomahawked and con- 
sumed on a pyre. The chiefs wife, his ne- 
phew, Billy Patterson, and one named Joshua, 
were accused of witchcraft. The two latter 
were convicted and burned; but a brother of 
the chief's wife boldly stepped forward, 
seized his sister and led her from the Coun- 
cil house, and then returned and harangued 
the savages, exclaiming: "Manitou, the evil 
spirit has come in our midst, and we are 
murdering one another! " 

It is a sad confession that no civilized 
white man had the sense or courage thus to 
rebuke the murderers among his own people. 
Pity that this one-eyed savage could not have 
been employed and empowered as a mission- 
ary, to go among civilized people and save 
them from their own murderous superstitions. 
In the history of the world, the most revolt- 
ing cruelties have been the inflictions of 
superstitious ignorance, and were it not yet 
a matter of daily demonstration, one could 
not easily believe how long these prejudices 
held fast in people's minds, and how when 
they are crushed in one shape, they will duly 
appear in some other form. The fell mon- 
ster that has ever laid waste and made des- 
olate the earth, is the earnest bigot, full of 
error and superstition, holding toward heaven 
in supplication, hands dripping with the 
blood of innocent mothers and prattling 
babes. 



CHAPTER VII. 

The Name of Bureau County— How it Came— The First Five 
FAMiLiEg— Who They Were — Bulbona, John Dixon, Charles 
S.Boyd, Henry Thomas — Some Lively Sketches and Anec- 
dotes — Death and Burial of John Dixon — Gurdon S. Hub- 
b\rd— The Ancients— First Postmaster— Oldest Living Set- 
tler — Abram Stratton— His Remarkable Trip in 1S29— 
Sketch of Him— The Brigiiams— Total First Tax Bureau 
County— Rem.^ekable Career of John H. Boyd— Thrbb 
Brothers-in-Law— Daniel Smith's Death, the First in the 
County — His Widow— etc., etc. 

"To each are compensations given 
That make conditions nearly even." 

'Jr yj^ TF ?fr 9p 9Jc 

"And tales were told 
Of Indians, bears and panthers bold, 
Till on each urchin's frowsy head 
The bristling hair stood up with dread." 

— John H. Bryant. 

IN the year 1S28 there were live families 
in Bureau County, coming here in the 
order named: Bulbona, John Dixon, Henry 
Thomas, Reason B. Hall and John and 
Justus Ament. As it is now ascertained 
that the first white man to settle in Chicago 
was a black man named Baptiste, so the 
first white settler in Bureau County was 
the swarthy half-breed, "Old Bulbona" 
(Boiirbonnais). Gurdon S. Hubbard had lived 
hereabouts in the service of the American 
Fur Company as early as 1818. 

In June, 1827, John Dixon and Charles 
S. Boyd passed through what is now Bitreau 
County, on their way from Springfield to 
Galena, with a small drove of cattle for 
market at the lead mines. It was then an 
unoccupied wilderness from Peoria to 
Galena, and the only guide on the journey 
was a wagon track, made a few days before 
by a party who had gone from Galena to 
Peoria — probably the first wagon that had 
ever left its mark in all this vast region of 
northern Illinois. There was not a white 
settlement passed in all the country from 



80 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Peoria to Galena, and to all appearances 
there was not a white man in the great 
Northwest. The wigwams, the teppees 
and the Indian villages at long distances 
apart were the only human signs on a route 
of one hundred and fifty miles. 

Alex. Boyd, the oldest son of Charles S. 
Boyd, born on the 3d day of July, 1817, 
and who recollects coming with his father's 
family to settle in the county in 1S30, and 
who is now a citizen of Princeton, gives 
many interesting incidents, as he has heard 
his father relate them, of Mr. Boyd's trip 
with beef cattle to Galena. He lived in 
Springfield, the nearest neighbor of Mr. 
Todd, Abraham Lincoln's father-in-law. 
Alex, says he can well remember seeing 
Lincoln sneaking over to Todd's to see 
Miss Mai-y Todd, whom he afterward 
married. Mr. Todd had a negro servant, 
named Josiah Hinkle, who wanted to accom- 
pany Boyd on bis trip to Galena, and Mr. 
Todd finally consenting, he did so. Another 
man, whose name Alex cannot remember, 
was hired to go, and this constituted the 
force. It was a long and tedious trip; the 
streams were crossed by swimming the 
cattle and horses, and the men would grab 
the tails of some of the last brutes to enter 
the water, and holding on, would thus be 
ferried over, the great trouble being to 
protect their scant supply of provisions. 
Boyd disposed of his cattle at Galena, receiv- 
ing the most of his money in silver. This 
was carried on a pony that he led on his 
return. When the party reached Dixon 
they found much difficulty in making a 
bargain with the Indians to ferry them 
across that the Indians would keep or try to 
carry out. They could easily agree upon 
the terms, but the contracting Indians 
would sneak off, and thus end the bargain. 
Boyd could not get any supply of provis- 



ions, and once, when he was not observing, 
a buck jumped on his pack horse (the one 
carrying the money) and started otf down 
the river, whooping and yelling and under 
full whip. Of course he thought his money 
all gone, but in the course of half an hour 
the buck returned and delivered up the 
horse, and the money had not been dis- 
turbed. They finally got the Indians to 
cany them over in canoes, and swim the 
horses. But the trip was wearing out the 
horses, and the provisions were gone, and 
the men began to suffer for water. A small 
dog had followed them in all the long trip, 
and one night, when they had gone into 
camp, and to bed supperless, they talked the 
situation over and concluded to kill the dog 
the next morning and have something to 
eat. And they slept with sweet dreams of 
roasted dog for breakfast. In the morning 
they found the dog dead. He had died of 
starvation. As already remarked, they were 
now sufi'ering greatly for water; and Alex, 
tells us of his father's device to supply 
their thirsty throats. Getting up early in 
the morning (the drier the weather the 
heavier the dew) he stripped off his shirt, 
and holding it spread before him, ran at full 
speed through the tall grass, and thus gath- 
ering the dew from the grass, he wrung the 
garment, and had a drink of water. The 
others, seeing this original device, followed 
the example, and thus a general supply was 
secured. 

Charles S. Boyd's brothorin-law, John 
Dixon, was then living in Peoria. He was 
the general county official — County Judge, 
County and Circuit Clerk, and pretty much 
every thing else officially, and with all these 
offices and faithful work on the tailor's 
bench combined, he eked out a slim subsis- 
tence for his family. John Dixon had mar- 
ried Boyd's sister, Elizabeth, and when Boyd 





-VESTE'i'J BANK NOTE I 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



81 



stopped to see them in Peoria, be told them 
what a splendid country he had traveled 
through, and where the finest land he had 
ever seen was to be found. Dixon must have 
been deeply interested in the story, as he at 
once turned over all of his offices and came 
to Boyd's Grove and made an improvement. 
This was in the fall of 1827 it is supposed, and 
except that of Bourbonnais (Bulbona) was the 
first real settlement in what is now Bureau 
County. Dixon lived at the Grove until 1830, 
when he sold his improvement to Charles S. 
Boyd and removed to Dixon, where he pur- 
chased tbe ferry of Ogee, and it became 
known all over the country as Dixon's Ferry, 
and finally he founded the present town of 
Dixon, and the beautiful city is a fitting 
monument to .John Dixon's memory. He 
lived here until he was a very old man, sur- 
viving all his family. He accumulated much 
wealth at one time and was known far and 
wide as one of the warm-hearted and bene- 
volent pioneers, whose enterprise, public spirit 
and warm generosity were like sweet sunshine 
to all about him. In his old age and help- 
lessness he aided unworthy friends and trust- 
ed and endorsed for those who betrayed his 
trusts and he lost his property, and yet he 
was so retiring in his nature, so uncomplain- 
ing, that he shut himself away from the 
world and his friends, so that his distressing 
poverty was only known to those who were 
eager to aid him and smooth the good old 
man's short road to the grave, when he was 
very near, indeed, the end of his life's goal. 
He thanked his friends for their great kind- 
ness, but refused all offers of assistance. He 
died in 1876, when the people of Dixon and 
the surrounding country gathered about the 
good old man's open grave, and expressed 
in deepe.st sorrow their love and respect for 
the name and memory of John Dixon. John 
Dixon, Charles S. Boyd and — Kellogg were 



three brothers-in-law, and Boyd's Grove, the 
city of Dixon and Kellogg's Grove will 
remain forever important historical points in 
the settlement and growth of northern Illi- 
nois. Behold the fruits of their heroic works 
about us everywhere. Can the imagination 
conceive a nobler or greater monument?* 

Charles S. Boyd was a native of New York, 
born September 19, 1794, came to Spring- 
field, III., in 1825, and in 1830 to Boyd's 
Grove, in this county, and was one of the 
original parties who established the stage 
route from Peoria to Galena He died in 
Princeton, November 12, 1881. His wife, 
Eliza (Dixon) Boyd, a native of Westchester, 
N. Y., died at their home iu Princeton, Octo- 
ber 12, 1875. Five childi'en are still living: 
Alexander Boyd, of Princeton, born July 3, 
1817; Nathaniel, living at Sheffield, and -John 
H., of the Isle of Tahiti, in the group of the 
Society Islands, in the South Sea. 

In illustration of that roving spirit of 

* On Sunday, July 9, 1876, P'ather John Dixon was buried at 
Dixon, 111. One of the most imposing funeral services ever 
witnessed in this part of the State was held at his grave. 

Tie was born in November, 17S4, in Xew Vorli, and settled at 
Dixon in 1.S30. A cotemporary paper the next day ai'ter the 
funeral says : " P.y the treacliery of a friend in whom he reposed 
the fullest confidence, he was several years since robbed of his 
all." We regret we have not the rascal's name, it would artbrd 
us much pleasure to impale him in immortal infamy, for the 
contempt and execration of all mankind, and thus make his 
vile name and character do some service to the world Iiy con- 
trasting it side by side with that of one of the best men of all the 
glorious, early pioneers, his victim, into whose contidence lie 
had wormed himself, and then, evading the law, stole all the good 
old man had and for which he had braved and labored and strug- 
gled so manfully and so heroically. The law of the land cannot, it 
seems, be made to reach such thieves as the robber of Father 
John I'ixon. But the living, those who are heirs to the mem- 
ory as well as the life-work of John Dixon, can. and it our duty 
to see that final Justice is meted out to this the meanest, vilest 
and cowardly of all thieves. If the thief is dead let his mem- 
ory and crime be made immortal, and let it pursue his blood 
and name until they are driven out of the world as the moral 
lepers whose poisoned blood is tit only for the deepest burial. 

The account ]jroceeds : " The remains were escorted from his 
late residence to the court house, where they lay in state, under 
a guard of Knights Templar until 1 o'clock, at which time the 
Mayor, Common Council and citizens in carriages met at the 
residence of the deceased, and accompanied by the family and 
relatives, were received by military and civic societies in opeu 
order, through whose ranks they proceeded to the court house. 

"The services were solemn and very impressive. The sermon 
of Dr. Luke Hitchcock, of Chicago, a'jiioneer of the Kock River 
Valley, and an intimate friend of the deceased ; and a memorial 
prepared by Judge Eustace, of Dixon. 

"The cou'rt house and houses along »ll the streets were draped 
in mourning. The procession was over a mile long, and the 
funeral was attended by over 8,0110 people, special trains coming 
from Amboy. Ashton and Chicago. 

"Father Dixoti buried his wife thirty years ago and has out- 
lived ten children; was nearly ninety-two years old." 



82 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



adventure that must have existed in the 
breasts of most of the early pioneers to the 
West, and some of which was transmitted 
sometimes to their sons, we give the brief- 
est sketch of John H. Boyd's career, when 
he quitted his home in Bureau County, in 
1849, in the rash of adventurers to the gold 
mines of California. Landing there, like 
the most of "Argonauts of '49," with an 
empty pocket, but a heart for every fate, he 
dug and delved for gold, and making enough 
to keep well alive, he wandered over the 
country, finally landing in San Francisco. 
He soon exhausted interest in the California 
gold mines, and his spirit of adventure had 
only been whettetl, not satisfied, and he 
shipped on board a vessel and coasted down 
the shore of Mexico and finally to Cuba. 
Here he went to work to replenish his now 
depleted fortune and as soon as he had 
money enough he shipped to Sidney, Austra- 
lia, the mines at that place just then at- 
tracting wide attention. Here for some time 
he worked with varying success, some times 
striking a pocket that helped his pocket, but 
generally skirmishing in much uncertainty 
as to where the next dinner was to be found. 
But undaunted he continued to delve and 
dig, and finally prudish fortune smiled upon 
the brave-hearted boy, and he became the 
possessor of a small fortune. He turned all 
he had into cash and left Australia, and start- 
ed out to look at the balance of the world. 
With no laid-out route before him, simply 
walking aboard the fii'st vessel to sail out of 
port, regardless of where it was bound, he 
took passage. In time he reached the Island 
of Tahiti, and the tropical beauties and lux- 
uriance of the place was attractive to him 
and he stopped to enjoy it for awhile. He 
found here five trading-houses, conducted by 
English-speaking people. It seems the ex- 
porting and importing of the entire group of 



Society Islands is by law required to be all 
done on this island of Tahiti. These mer- 
chants and traders were much pleased with 
Boyd's acquaintance and they began to urge 
him to go into trade on the island, and be- 
come one of them. So earnest were they, 
(he had not informed them whether he had 
money or not) that they offered to advance 
him all he might want. He eventually 
yielded to their solicitations, and returned to 
Sidney and to Honolulu and purchased goods 
and commenced business in Tahiti, where he 
is yet. He built vessels to carry the mails 
and the commerce between Tahiti and Hono- 
lulu and San Francisco, and is still the sole 
owner of this line. 

The first tax ever collected here, this was 
then Bureau Township, Putnam County, was 
paid entirely by Charles S. Boyd, and the 
total sum was 70 cents. 

Charles S. Boyd's two surviving daughters 
are Mrs. Elizabeth Chamberlin, living in 
Missouri, and Mrs. A. H. Paddock, widow of 
Dr. Paddock, of Princeton. 

The fur-traders, belonging generally to the 
Great American Fur Company, were the first 
comers of the race of people now here, and 
the earliest of these who were temporary citi- 
zens of what is now Bureau County, was 
about 1821, at least seven years before the 
real pioneer, the permanent settler, came. 
Gurdon S. Hubbard, now a very old man of 
Chicago, was an employe of the Fur Com- 
pany and came here in 1821. He was then 
only a boy, and his recollection is that Buero, 
a half-breed Frenchman, was here some time 
before he came. There were three substan- 
tial log-houses at this trading post, which 
was on the river a short distance above the 
mouth of Bureau Creek. Here is where Bu- 
reau Creek gets its name, as well as the 
source of the county's peculiar name. In 
the first place it is of course a corruption, 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



S3 



the spelling representing nearly the sound — in 
some old documents the name was found as 
we have spelled it above — and the first trav- 
eler who was pleased with the county told his 
friends about it and vei\v naturally all went 
at once to spelling it Bureau, and in this 
way it has continued and will remain. 

The nest in time and probably the first 
real permanent settler, was Bourbonnais, also 
a French half-breed, who settled at Bul- 
bona (Bourbonnais) Grove in the soul h west 
corner of Center Township about 1820. He 
had married a squaw and to all intents and 
purposes was an Indian, thoagh a civilized 
one. His family were always much esteemed 
and respected. They had many of the In- 
dian customs and habits, although Bour- 
bonnais himself (called Bulbona altogether 
by the white people) was ever ready to drop 
as fast as possible the wild life of the Indian 
and adopt that of the white man. He was, 
considering his early life, industrious and 
thrifty. He made permanent improvements, 
and was not at all sorry to remain and be 
wholly a white man, when he saw the In- 
dians collecting together, to pay their parting 
visits to the burying-grounds of their an- 
cestors, as 

" Hand in hand they went together. 
Through the woodland and the meadow," 

toward the setting sun to their new home be- 
yond the Father of Waters. 

Those of the old and early settlers remem- 
ber the large, rough old man very well. He 
kept whisky to sell to travelers, and when 
asked the price of a drink or a gallon of 
whisky, or anything else he had to sell, his 
invariable reply was, " Two dolla." Those 
who knew him would put down the reasona- 
ble pay and walk off, and he woiild say noth- 
ing; but some times strangers would be so 
astounded when he would inform them the 
price of a drink of his wretched whisky, that 



they would look into his serious, stolid face, 
express great disgust, and as no unbending ex- 
pression of countenance would appear, they 
would pay " two dolla " and walk off, to the 
quiet delight of the old fellow. The neigh- 
bors of the rough old man say that he was 
quiet and inoffensive toward his neighbors. 
AVhen an old man, he died and his family 
scattered, going, we believe, to some of the 
wild Western Territories. 

Two brothers, John and Jtistus Anient, 
came in 1829, in Maj^. They settled on 
the south side of Red Oak Grove. In 
May, 1828, came Henry Thomas. The last 
named had, the year before ho came here, been 
engaged in selecting the most eligible stage 
route between Peoria and Galena. He had 
followed nearly the entire way the route that 
the two wagons and Boyd's party had taken 
from Galena to Peoria, crossing at Dixon 
and passing along down the timber of Bu- 
reau Creek to the timber of the Illinois River, 
and then turning southwest down the river. 
He had been so favorably impressed with the 
country here that he returned and located as 
above mentioned with his family as soon as 
he could arrange and bring them. 

The Aments were Kentuckians, and they 
had first heard of the wonders of northern 
Illinois from the soldiers of Gen. George 
Rogers Clark, whose expedition had come 
from Kaskaskia to Starved Rock in 1789. 
They were true and brave pioneers. After 
the Black Hawk war Justus Ament moved 
away, probably into Wisconsin, and John 
Ament in a little while sold out his claim 
near Dover and moved down to near where 
Princeton now stands, where he died, and was 
buried in the rear of his humble cabin. He 
left a widow and qitite a family of children. 

Henry Thomas had made a claim on West 
Biu-eau on the efi'eat stage route, and Thomas' 
house and Boyd's Grove and Kellogg's Grove 



84 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



were soon widely known as "stage stands," 
and here man and ' ' beast" were entertained 
with the best the country could then afford. 
In 1831 Thomas became the first Postmaster 
in what is now Bui-eau County. We have 
not the Blue Book at hand to see what 
Thomas' yearly salary was, but we are safe 
in the prediction it did not exceed 25 cents 
a year. Thomas was a j)lain, unpretentious 
man, although the first Postmaster in all 
this section of country; he never was a sub- 
ject or proprietor of the "contumely of 
oiBce." If, with the assistance of the eight or 
ten people who lived west of the river, he was 
enabled to decipher the name and address on 
the single letter that was about the average 
quarterly return for a few hundred miles 
square around his office, he would then carry 
the same with its "I have sot myself down, 
and these tew lines come hopping, and crops 
is good and my ink is 2>ale and my poke berry 
juice is blue and my love will fade never for 
you, and the connexions is all well, and Bill 
and Betsey are just married, and rite, rite, 
rite, rite away," etc., etc. And thus by a 
long and a strong pull altogether and the 
assistance of a Postmaster, the deeply inter- 
esting letter would be triumphantly read and 
passed around and re-read and then read 
again and the whole region of countrj' could 
repeat the thing "by heart. If for the next 
quarter a letter was sent from the new world 
it would faithfully follow copy, and " sot 
down," and have the regular "hopping" and 
the "blue pen" and fading poke berry juice 
for ink, and the price of "crops," etc., etc., 
etc. The postage in these days was 25 cents 
a letter, and was not prepaid at that. All 
officials carried their offices in their hats, 
weighted down by a bandanna handkerchief. 
Thus Henry Thomas tilled his great mission 
in life. The complete simplicity of the man 
is fully exemplified bj' a story of Alexander 



Boyd, who called at the early settler's house 
to electioneer for a certain man for Sheriff. 
He finally told Thomas his business, when 
Thomas said: ' ' No, I'll not vote for him for 
Sheriff, because the last 'lection I voted for 

for Sheriff, and the veiy next day 

after he was elected he came out and served 
me with a hatful of papers. No, indeed, I 
don't need a Sheriff." The cream of this 
joke is, Thomas was a man who was honest, 
peaceable, quiet, and was never in debt or 
had lawsuits, and the fact was he was prob- 
ably as little troubled by officers serving 
papers, unless summonses to act as juryman 
or something of that kind, as any man ever in 
the county. But he stuck to his joke and 
would not go near the election. 

Elizabeth Bago's came in 1828, with Henrv 
Thomas' family — a niece of Thomas. She 
was a fine, plump girl, and being then, be- 
yond question, the belle — at least the white 
belle of the county; because, like Alexander 
Selkirk, she was " monarchess of all she sur- 
veyed; " her title there was none to dispute. 
Her sister Sally is now the widow Stratton. 

John Baggs, father of Sally and Elizabeth, 
was a brother-in-law of Ezekiel Thomas. 
His wife's maiden name was Rebecca 
Thomas. 

Heman Downing came in 1834, a carpen- 
ter; lived here three years; built many 
houses. In 1836 married Rachel Holbrook. 
Downing died here April 29, 1882, leaving 
eight children, two of whom, Edwin O. and 
Mary Eliza, and his widow, are now liv- 
ing in the county. Enos and Jonathan Hol- 
brook came in 1834 with two sisters, from 
New Hampshire. In 1835 David Holbrook 
came. In 1837 the parents, Enos and wife, 
came with another daughter; the latter is 
now the widow King, and resides in Prince- 
ton. 

Abram Straiton. — In 1829 came Abram 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



83 



Sti-catton. At a large meeting of old settlers, 
in 1865, the oldest settler in the county was 
called for and requested to come forward and 
take a seat on the platform; Mr. Stratton 
responded, the record says, '' a hale, hearty 
man of some sixty or sixty- live." 

Abram Stratton was born in Ulster County, 
N. Y., February 18, 1805, and died of 
paralysis, in Bureau County, August 28, 1877, 
aged seventy-three years. His mother died 
when he was live years old, and his father 
died five years after. When grown, or 
nearly grown, Abram left the Hudson Valley, 
and Nathan, his younger brother, went to 
sea, and was never heai-d from after. In 
1829 Abram left New York on foot, his 
knapsack on his back, and this way came to 
Illinois, and thus traversed the State from 
its length to its breadth. After leaving De- 
troit he was only guided by Indian trails. 
He reported meeting between Detroit and 
Chicago the pony mail carrier, who then 
made trips once every two months, carrying 
the mail between Detroit and Chicago. 
Chicago was then Fort Dearborn, garrisoned 
by troops, guarding the trading post and annu- 
ity ofBce established for the benefit of the In- 
dians, who swarmed for miles around the post. 

Mr. Stratton spent the winter in Peoria, 
having stuck stakes for his Bureau County 
claim in 1829. The following summer, 
from some point near St. Louis, guidod by a 
pocket compass, he started to return to New 
York. He eventually reached his old home, 
and after a short rest he started on his return 
via the Erie Canal to Buffalo, then by the 
lakes to the mouth of the St. Joseph Kiver, 
Michigan. Boats were seldom run at that 
time to Fort Dearborn. He patiently towed 
his goods around the lake during a stormy 
November, and finally buying an ox team 
and making a sled, he started from Chicago 
in a December snow-storm over the trackless 



prairies and pathless woods, followed or dis- 
turbed by packs of wolves, and warmed and 
buoyed up by high hopes and firm resolves. 
The plainest .statement of the voyaging 
of this young pioneer is a historic picture 
that should be hung in the porches of every 
house, and in the portals of every school- 
room in the land. There is a lesson here 
that should not be forgotten. The nerve to 
be a hero in the wilderness, the frightful 
storms, the soul-frightening howl of the hun- 
gry wolves, the eternal waste of dreariness, 
is vastly different from playing a part in the 
face of the world and sustained and cheered 
by the conscious sympathy of at least friends 
and fellow-beings. At the block and the 
stake, in battle's red charge, and in the most 
horrid carnage of war, there is fellow-sym- 
pathy and enthusiasm, the bugle's blast, 
the clang and hurrah that set men's blood 
on tire — and shouting victory they rush upon 
death. This is heroic gallantry. In all ages 
men have sought martyrdom; have stood to 
bo hewn to pieces without a moan, even with 
songs of gladness; but in all time the "soli- 
tary " has overcome the nerves and will of 
the strongest, and always broken them down. 
In painting and literature the heroic and 
sublime is always in connection with great 
numbers. Will the great painter ever come 
who can put upon canvas the soul of the 
story of the lone pioneer as we have told above 
of Abram Stratton, pulling his boat around 
the bend of Lake Michigan in that stormy 
November, or his beating his way across the 
lonely prairies in the snow-storms of that 
wild December, the howling of the wolves 
and ', the tierce storms the only sounds that 
break upon the vast solitudes? And for 
what was all this heroic sacrifice? Look out 
over this rich and beautiful land of plenty 
and joy and wealth and happiness, and the 
one inevitable answer will come to you. 



86 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUXTY. 



October 16, 1831, Abram Stratton married 
Miss Sarah Baggs. This was the secoud 
marriage in the county of Putnam, of which 
this county was a part. And in the first list 
of jtirors drawn at Henaepin, the county seat, 
appears the name of Abram Stratton. 

In the latter part of 1870 Mr. Stratton was 
stricken with paralysis, and lingered and suf- 
fered much until, as above stated, he sank 
peacefully into a di-eamless sleep. He was . 
buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Wyanet, 
a great throng of mourners and friends at- 
tending, for no man that ever lived in the 
county was more widely known or sincerely 
loved. His friends were all mankind; his 
sincere mourners were all who knew him. 
His name and deeds and memory are much 
of the history of Bureau County. Standing 
at the head of his new-made grave, the Rev. 
T. J. Pomeroy, of Wyanet, said: " Kind- 
hearted and genial, faithful and resolute, he 
had many friends and warm friends. Of a 
judicial turn of mind, he carefully tiu-ned all 
facts over before deciding any case, and his 
conclusions were generally so accurate that 
his opinions had great weight with his fel- 
low-men. He was a man of fidelity. He 
delighted to show how accurately he could 
keep his promises. Integrity and honesty 
are the words that best describe his modest 
and unobtrusive life." 

In the spring of 1829 came Sylvester Brig- 
ham and Warren Sherley, unmarried men, 
from Massachusetts, and stopped at the house 
of Henrv Thomas. With their knapsacks on 
their backs they traveled all the way from 
Detroit. Brigham made a claim on the west 
side of ^^'est Bureau Creek, and Sherley set- 
tled at what was afterward Heaton's Point.. 
The two young men worked and made suf- 
ficient improvements on their claims to hold 
them, and then returned to the East, where 
Sherley remained, but Brigham came back 



the next spring, and brought James G. For- 
ristal with him. They came down the Ohio 
River and up the Illinois River as far as Peoria 
on a steamboat; the boat, named Volunteer, 
was about the ver}- first that had ever been seen 
at Peoria, at (vhich j)oint she landed in April, 
1830. A leading old settler and a prominent 
Peorian of that day planted his old blunder- 
buss on the sandy beach and fired away, and 
the whole people were out to see and rejoice 
over the great occasion. 

Brigham and Forristal built cabins in Do- 
ver Townshii:), and for some years each occu- 
pied his cabin alone, as neither had a wife. 
(See Joseph Brigham' s biography for a gene- 
alogy of the ]3righam family.) 

Daniel Smith, of Boston, came to the coun- 
ty in July, 1831, with his family. He had 
come down the Ohio and up the Illinois Riv- 
er. On his way up he fell in companj- with 
Mosely and Musgrove at Naples, and this 
event shaped his coiirse to this particular 
spot. He made a claim aud commenced his 
improvements on the land that is now the Aus- 
tin Bryant farm. Within twenty days of his 
arrival Smith sickened and died (about Au- 
gust 8, 1831,) and was buried half a mile 
north of the Princeton railroad depot. This 
was the first death of a white person, so far 
as can now be ascertained, that occurred in 
the county. 

Daniel Smith had married in his native 
State, Miss Electa Pomeroy, who still sur- 
vives him, and is living in the county, with 
her sons, in Ohio Township. (See biography 
of Daniel P. Smith in another part of this 
book.) 

Moses M. Thompson came October, 1834, 
from Hennejjin. He was born in Ohio, 
June 15, 1810. His father was John 
Thompson, who was a Tennesseean, and 
removed to Ohio, where he married Mary 
Frankeberger. AYilliam Frankeberger, a 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



87 



brother, died in Wyanet, March 19. The 
Thompsons in Tennessee were a wealthy 
family. The sous of Moses were M. M. and 
Alfred T., who came with their father. Alfred 
T. was at one lime County Clerk. He died 
October 30, 1850. A sister, Matilda, mar- 
ried Nicholas Smith; died December 3, 1851. 
William Young came in 1838. His de- 
scendants are still in the county. Prelate 
White came in 1839, but sold out and went 
to Texas. James Haumerick came in 1839 
and located in Wyanet. Thomas Clark, 
noted as the father of James T. Clark, the 
great railroad man, came in 1837, and in 
the building of the Chicago, Burlington & 
Quincy Koad James T. Clark commenced 
as a boy to drive the horse in pulling 
cars, at $16 a month, when they were at 
work on the Buda Section. Thomas H. 
Finley was a very early settler in Wyanet. 
He was a man of good education — a fine 
book-keeper, etc. — but was unfortunate in 
business. About 1839 Shepherd Walters 
settled in this township. One of his sons, 
A. M. Walters, is in Iowa, a noted lawyer. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Recobds Made by Old Settlebs — On Disputed Questions the 
Best Authority — Fihst Agitation of the Subject — Histori- 
cal Importance of Records, Speeches, Poems, Addresses. 
Remarks, and Anecdotes, Pictures, etc. — Address of S. S. 
Phelps— First Settlers' Meeting— Who Participated — 
Their Record of Old Settlers and the Year They Came — 
Poem by John II. Bryant— Doctor Bill — Officebs of Society 
— Killing of Phillips — MiloKendall's Address — Warren's 
History of Putnam County — E. Strong Phelps — John M. 
Gay, Munson and Miss Hall— First Birth, Fir.sT Burial — 
Caleb Cook — Aquilla Tbiplett — Chapter in which are 
Mentioned Many Old Settlers and Their Descendants — 
Arthur Bryant's Poem — Michael Kitterman, Sketch of — 
Thirteen Dogs — Anecdotes — Rev. Martin and His Doo 
"Penny" — The Perkinses — George Hinsdale, C. Q. Cobss 
AND Many Cthehs — ect., etc. 

"It seems to me but a transient season 
Since all was new and strange; 
I gaze on the scenes around me 
And wonder at the change." 

— JoHK H. Bryant. 

THE subject of Old Settlers' Meetings was 
first agitated in Bureau County as early 
as 1861. This is an important item in the 
county's history, as it is an index, first, to 
the patriotic interest the people entertained 
for their adopted State and county, and sec- 
ond, to the possession of that higher order 
of intelligence that makes a community inter- 
ested in the history of thoir own people, and 
that country of which they are a component 
part. This was among the youngest of 
counties, and yet it was among the first to 
realize the great fact that the public mind 
had become active in gathering rapidly the 
materials of history — materials not only of 
a temporary interest, but of a permanent 
value, that should be gathered and preserved 
for the historian's use. They showed by this 
act that they held a high appreciation of the 
great deeds of the early pioneers, and that 
their names and memories should not be for- 
gotten. The reader must bear in mind that 
as far back as 1861 the subject of forming Old 
Settlers' Societies was then a new and tmheard- 



88 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



of thing; the conception as applied to a com- 
paratively new country was fresh and original. 
Hence the importance which attaches to the 
fact that Bureau was among the first to com- 
mence to educate its people to become interest- 
ed in the important subject, and there is no 
doubt but that the action of a few of the people 
of the county was one of the influences that 
spread over the United States, and finally in- 
duced the action of Congress, and the Presi- 
dent and the Governors of all the States in the 
year 1876, in recommending to the people of 
the several counties and towns of the State 
and Nation, to cause a history of their re.spect- 
ive localities to be prepared for the One 
Hundredth Anniversary of our National In- 
dependence. This action is something of an 
index of the activity of the feelings of the 
heart and of the faculties of the mind of these 
pioneers and their children. Nothing aids 
the historian to get at the real lives of a peo- 
ple who have passed away so well as to see 
their literature (if they had any), the pictures 
of their leading personages as preserved by 
the photographer's art, or the inception and 
spread of a public movement that becomes 
wide-spread and permanent in its actions or 
effects. 

And just here vpe note it with pleasure, 
this early agitation of the subject of Old Set- 
tlers' Meetings resulted as early as 1865 in 
the organization of an Old Settler's Society, 
which continues in active and vigorous exist- 
ence to this day. And upon their record 
books are most invaluable facts and incidents 
preserved for posterity. Everything about 
them is deeply interesting — the proceedings, 
the officers, the manner of working up their 
accounts of the meetings, the addresses and 
the reminiscences of the venerable men at the 
meetings, who in their own way recalled the 
long ago. Nor should we omit mention of 
the touching poetical addresses on these occa- 



sions, many of which will take a permanent 
place in Western literature. To all these 
may be added the picture, by Mr. Immke, 
photographer, grouping over 400 of the early 
settlers, and which for a work of that kind 
we do not remember to have seen excelled. 
Here is a picture of most interesting study. 
It is the serious, stern, heavy- featured faces 
of men and women, who commenced life in 
its most real and trying phases; who faced 
dangers, trials and sore vexations; the most 
of their young lives they knew they carried 
their lives in their hands, but they had 
counted the costs and weighed the chances, 
and foreknew the grand results that awaited 
upon their ultimate victories. The ripened 
fruits have come doubtless much sooner than 
any of these strong faced, stern-souled old 
pioneers, even the most sanguine, expected. 
And some few of them have been spared to 
witness what they once had only hoped might 
come to their children's children. Every 
picture in this large group of representative 
pioneers is a study of itself, and could a copy 
of the group be preserved for the people in 
their second centennial celebration, and then 
by the improved arts of that age each face 
be restored to its natural size, with its faithful 
reproduction of the strong lineaments and feat- 
ures, it would be one of the most valuable lega- 
cies in the world to the great-grandchildren 
of the present age. A room set apart for these 
faithful portraitures of the pioneer men and 
women in some of the county's public build- 
ings, would be an inexpensive public school 
and place of recreation and resort, and yet 
it would become a public teacher and a mon- 
itor and guide that no amount of money could 
otherwise supply. We wish we could im- 
press upon the people, the liberal and public- 
minded people of the county, the great 
importance of preserving and filacing where 
they will be carefully kept, copies of this 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



89 



picture for posterity. If lost now it cannot 
be replaced. 

A preliminary meeting was held in Prince- 
ton, December 21, 1861, at which J. V. 
Thompson was ehosenj Chairman and E. S. 
Phelps, Jr., Secretary. Remarks were made by 
D. McDonald, E. S. Phelps, L. J. Colton, G. 
G. Reed, Cyrus Langworthy and A. Bryant. 

It was resolved to hold a regular county 
Old Settler's Meeting in Princeton, February 
22, and E. S. Phelps wan appointed to pre 
pare an address of invitation to the people. 
Mr. Phelps wrote the address — an admirable 
document — and it is so full of the real hearts 
of the old settlers, so vivid and true, that 
we reprint much of it for the admiration of 
posterity : 

When we look back to these early days of our 
county, when mills, churches, schoolhoases. etc., 
were few and far between, and when, in order to 
market our produce, we had to travel with our 
wagons to Chicago and bring hack our lumber, salt, 
etc., whenwe would take our teams andfamilies and 
go several miles to see our neighbors, and help them 
raise their cabins or houses, and when it cheered the 
hearts of us all to again shake the hands of true 
friends and look into each other's countenances; 
when the fathers and mothers, with the young men 
and maidens, could go to the house of God and sit 
on benches made of rails, puncheons, or slabs, 
and worship and sing praises with spirit and 
in the love of it, and when our schoolhouses were 
no better seated — in fact, the little schoolhouses were 
almost the only places in which meetings were held 
— oh, with what joy we met one another on these oc- 
casions, and how our hearts swelled within us, feel- 
ing that we were truly brothers and sisters in a 
strange land. 

No one who now comes into this beautiful county 
and sees our railroads, splendid churches, school- 
houses, dwellings, public houses, carriages, markets 
.•ilmost at our doors, improved machinery, county 
fairs, political meetings and other gatherings of the 
people, can realize the condition of our county 
from the time the first settlers came in, about 
1828, up to 18-17, when some of our sister counties 
ceased calling immigrants "old settlers." 

Who but the early settlers know the trials by 
cold, hunger, privation, wild beasts, Indians and 



other things we had to contend against? Who else 
has the history of those times engraved on their 
hearts never to be erased? AVhat history has more 
interest than that of the early pioneers, and who 
can give that history better than they? Is not this 
history important? Is it not one worthy of preser- 
vation? Are you not willing that the rising gener- 
ation should have this history to be handed down 
as a memento of our country? If so, let us try and 
gather up the fragments of this history, that is left 
in the memories of those who. have not yet gone to 
the spirit world. How it cheers us as we see the 
faces of those once loved and respected as neigh- 
bors and friends scattered over this country and will 
we not cherish the times in which we may meet and 
talk over past scenes, and compare them with the 
present time? 

Other counties in our loved Illinois have and are 
commencing to organize "Early Settlers" Societies 
for the purpose of gathering statistics of early times 
and enjoying in a social manner the company and 
presence of those who were scattered as early set- 
tlers over their counties. ******** 

The writer then appeals to all to attend 
the meeting, bring their dinner- baskets full, 
and each one get up appropriate toasts — 
appropriate to the occasion and the day (Feb- 
ruary 22), and thus concludes: 

Let us show to our children and those who have 
recently settled among us that we are friends and 
brethren and that the love and respect kindled in 
years gone by have not died out, but still live and 
are cherished in true friendly hearts. 

This address had the effect to awaken a 
deep interest in the history of the early times, 
and this followed with the meetings and 
addresses and talks among the old settlers 
and their friends awoke the whole community 
to the fact that here at home was the most 
interesting, instructive and entertaining his- 
tory in the world; that every aged pioneer 
was of himself a history; that the sacred cir- 
cle of these gi-ay-haired fathers and mothers 
"In Israel" was fast narrowing by old age 
and death, and that unless the facts that they 
carried in their memories were at once col- 
lected and put in a more permanent form that 
very soon they would be forever Inst, except 



90 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



in so far as they might be perpetuated by the 
" faltering tongue of faint traditions." 

Pursuant to this circular address of E. S. 
Phelps, a meeting of old settlers waa con- 
vened at Converse Hall, Princeton, February 
22, 1865. A permanent organization was 
formed and Hon. John H. Bryant elected 
President; C. G. Reed, Vice President, and 
adjourned. January 12, 1SG5, an Old Set- 
tlers' Meeting convened at Converse Hall, 
Princeton. Col. J. T. Thomson called the 
meeting to order. William Hoskins, of Selby, 
elected Chairman. George Radcliffe made 
appropriate remarks explanatory of the objects 
of the meeting. L. D. Whiting, J. V. 
Thompson, and Milo Kendall appointed Com. 
mittee on Resolutions. The names of 151 
old settlers, those who came to the county 
from 1828 to 1841, were given to the Secretary. 
Remarks were made by William Hoskins, 
who settled in the county December 6, 1830. 
Charles S. Boyd, who settled at Boyd's 
Grove, in 1830; James G. Forristol, March 
4, 1830; Nicholas Smith, 1831; Frederick 
Mosely, August 1831; E. H. Phelps, July, 
1831; Charles G. Reed, 1845; William 
Cowan, November 16, 1832; Alexander Hol- 
brooke, 1832; and J. V. Thompson, 1840. 

J. V. Thompson also read a poem, printed 
in the Bureau County Advocate of December 
26. 1849, J. H. Bryant editor and poet. 

The committee reported a stirring set of 
resolutions, in which they eloquently talk of 
the people who came here from various States 
and countries to build homes in the West, 
and be friends and co-workers in the great 
cause of civilization, and acknowledge with 
grateful hearts the kindness of Providence 
which " conducted us here, and cast our 
homes where genial skies and wholesome air 
favor health and its attendant blessings; 
where enterprise has a fair field for success; 
where the great arteries of travel and com- 



merce pass through our borders, and where 
nature on every hand has been grandly lavish 
of her wealth and her charms, in woodland 
and stream, in prairie and glen. 

"That the marvelous progress we have wit- 
nessed during the last third of a centmy, in 
numbers and wealth, in mental, moral and 
material progress, and in all that attends a 
high and advancing civilization, is but the 
shadow and prelude of a nobler coming age, 
when our rich prairies shall be cultivated to 
their highest limit, and adorned with all that 
beautifies rural scenery, thus rendering them 
the happy homes of multiplied thousands; 
when our villages and cities shall be centers 
of refinement and wealth, of manufacturing 
industry, and of the various institutions for 
social, moral and intellectual advancement. 

"Virtue, intelligence, justice, honor and 
patriotism are above wealth and material pros- 
jserity; that we are more anxious to endow 
our sons and daughters with high social, 
moral and intellectual qualities, than with 
gold and silver and lands." 

February 22, 1867, another large meeting 
was held in the same place, John H. Bryant, 
Chairman, and Elijah Smith, Secretary; C. 
G. Reed, Vice-President; T. W. Nichols, L. 
J. Colton, E. S. Phelps, Jr., and Col. J. T. 
Thomson, Executive Committee. 

The following is the record, as gathered at 
this meeting of the early settlers, commenc- 
ing with the year 1828. In addition to the 
151 names handed in we have gathered 
such as we find in the records and added 
them: 

1828. — Mrs. Sarah Stratton, nee Baggs, 
widow of Abram Stratton, still living in the 
county; Mr. and Mrs. George Hinsdale (Mrs. 
Hinsdale was a niece of Henry Thomas, and 
a member of his household); Mr. and Mrs. 
Ira Jones. Also on the records are the names 
of Smiley Shepherd, 1828, and Nelson Shep- 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



91 



herd, 1829, and Williamson Durley, 1831, 
(Putnam County men). 

1829. — Abram Stratton (see preceding | 
page for complete sketch of), Amos Leonard, j 
Daniel Dimmick, Timothy Perkins, Leonard 
Roth, William Hoskins, John Clark, Reason 
B. , John and William Hill. 

1830.— Charles S. Boyd, William Hoskins, 
James G. Fon'istal, Nicholas Smith, John 
M. Gay, Mrs. John M. Gay, M. Kitterman, i 
Sylvester Brigham, the Searle family. 

1831.— E. S. Phelps, Mrs. Anna W. 
Phelps, E. Hinsdale Phelps, Mr. and Mrs. j 
Elijah Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Eli Smith, | 
Nicholas Smith, John Cole, Fredrick Moseley, 
D. P. Smith, Dwight Smith, Nicholas Smith, I 
George Hinsdale, E. H. Phelps, Daniel 
Jones (see biography), Abram Jones, Mary 
Jones, Daniel Smith, Henry George (killed 
in Hall massacre), Roland Moseley, John 
Musgrove. 

1832. — Nathaniel Chamberlain, William 
O. Chamberlain, Elias Isaacs, William 
Cowan, Joel Doolittle, John Green Reed, 
Alexander Holbrook, Mrs. M. Sturdyvin, 
Mrs, H. W. Kelly, John H. Bryant (^Sep- 
tember 22), James O. Doolittle (January 10), 
Joseph Brigham, Mi's. Joseph Brigham, 
William Munson (married Miss Hall. He 
hewed the first logs for Griffin & Wilson's 
Mill at Leepertown), Daniel Sherley, Gil- 
bert Kellums. 

1 833. — Arthur Bryant, Lazarus Reeve, 
Abbott Ellis, Madison Sturdyvin, Demarcus 
Ellis, James Wilson, Frank Shepherd, Sam- 
uel Triplett, William Allen, Aquilla Trip 
lett, Mrs. Elizabeth Matson, Mrs. Arthur 
Bryant, Mrs. Elizabeth Norton, C. C. Corse, 
H. B. Leeper, Charles Leeper, Mrs. Sarah 
Ann Taylor, I. Wilson, James Garvin, 
John Leeper. 

1834. — Richard Masters, John Masters, 
Caleb Cook, Mrs. Lucy Cook, Henry Cook, 



Edward C. Hall, Chauncey D. Colton, 
McCayga Triplett, C. F. Winship, Mrs. 
Sarah Winship, J. T. Holbrook, Cyrus 
Langworthy, Mrs. Cyrus Langworthy, Will- 
iam Knox, John Elliott, Daniel R. Howe, 
Samuel Fay, Hemar Downing, Mrs. De- 
marcus Ellis, Mi's. Lumry, Mrs. Mason, 
Tracy Reeve, Mrs. Maria Clapf), Adam 
Galer, Mrs. Clark Norton, Bar. Mercer, 
Mrs. Julia E. Whitemarsh, Rev. J. E. 
Prunk, Mary Durfee, N. Perkins, John 
Clapp, W. Mercer, W. P. Griffin, E. H. 
Phelps, Mrs. John Vaughn, Jonathan .Ire- 
land, Mrs. Eliza Ireland, Mrs. Andrew 
Ross, W. L. Isaac, Moses M. Thompson, 
Enos Holbrook. 

1835. — Lewis J. Colton (in Kansas), Cy- 
rus Colton and wife, Frank W. Winship, 
Solomon Sapp, Henry Sapp, James Cod- 
dington, Austin Bryant, Timothy Searl, 
I. B. Chenoweth, Sol F. Robinson, James 
S. Everett, Enos N. Matson, Charles H. 
Bryant, James M. Winship, Mrs. S. M. Dun- 
bar, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Newell, Mrs. 
David Robinson, Mr. and Mrs. Charles 
Phelps, Mrs. Hannah M. Phelps, John 
Clapp, E. Strong Phelps, W. C. Drake, 
Sarah Tucker, E. Sherwin, Enoch Pratt, 
Amanda Pratt, John Pratt, Susan Pratt, 
George W. Pratt. Susan man-ied Daniel 
Kiser, and George W. was born in this 
county. Mrs. Susan Brown was a sister of 
Enoch Pratt. She was the wife of George 
Brown and the mother of George H. Brown. 

1836.— Nathan Rackley, Justin H. Olds, 
Enos Smith, Jacob Albrecht, Allen S. La- 
throp, Sidney Smith, Daniel Radcliffe, Mr. 
and Mrs. Samuel Mohler, Martin Hops, John 
Long, Seth C. Clapp, John Stevens, E. S. 
Phelps, Jr., George Brown, A. R. Kendall, 
Jesse Emmerson, George M. Emerson, Alfred 
Lyford, Daniel Heaton, Caleb Pierce, Enos 
Matson, Enoch Lumry, Mrs. Sarah B. King, 



93 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Mrs. William Cowan, Mrs. Susan Brown, 
George H. Brown, Enos Smith, O. E. Jones, 
W. Prunk, W. E. Cheuoweth, George K. 
Phelps, Susanna Campbell, George Rackley, 
Joseph Houghton (of La Salle County), Sam- 
uel E. Norris (Iowa), Mrs. Adaline D. Norris 
(Iowa), Adelia E. Drake, Mrs. Sarah Mus- 
grove, E. S. Phelps, Nehemiah Matson, Par- 
ker J. Newell, Alonzo R. Kendall, Mrs. Har- 
riet Childs Everett. 

1837.— Mr. and Mrs: Stephen Wilson, Da- 
vid Maple, James H. Smith, William Young, 
Caleb Cushing (relative of the celebrated 
Caleb Cushing), James M. Dexter, Joseph S. 
Clark, Evan H. Swayne, George M. Radclifife, 
David Greeley, William Hudnut, George E. 
Dorr, John Vaughan. Jr., William Frankeber- 
ger, Mrs. Rebecca Warfield, Mrs. Elizabeth 
Curtis, Mrs. Daniel King, Mrs. Rufus Carey, 
Mrs. Aaron Fisher, Mrs. Eli Wood, Mrs. A. 
M. Hops, Mr. and Mrs. John Walter, John 
Vaughn, J. Walter, A. M. Sheldon, John L. 
Enyart, Mrs. Mary M. Anthony, Alfred An- 
thony, Mrs. W. J. Moore, Frank Langworthy, 
J. N. Hill, James Richards Phelps, Edward 
C. Winship, Mrs. Ann Winship. 

1838. — Benjamin Porter, Henry V. Bacon, 
Amos N. Bacon, Samuel Dexter (Hinsdale), 
Anthony Sawyer, Franklin Foster, William 
Robinson, James B. Aiken, P. J. Newell 
(born in county), Mrs. Lucinda Bubaeh, Mrs. 
Nancy Morton, Caleb Cook (died March 27, 
1876), Mrs. Lucy Cook, Mary Cook, A. Dur- 
fee, Mrs. Mary AnnColton, Joseph I. Taylor, 
Henry Cook, Amos N. Bacon, Samuel Dexter 
(Hinsdale), Franklin Walker (Champaign 
County), Gilbert Clement, Oliver Denham, 
J. W. Si^ratt, Mrs. Nancy H. Morton, M. 
Prictchey, Orris S. Phelps, J. R. Phelps. 

1839. — Rufus L. Craig, Joseph Pierce, 
Niel Mc Arthur, Francis Buehan, Samuel M. 
Dunbar, Mrs. HannahM. Phelps, L. A. Hope, 
E. G. Peter, Andrew Gosse, E. J. Benson, 



E. B. Belknap, M. T. W. Lathrop, A. Benson, 
Robert M. Kearns. 

1840.— J. V. Thompson, William S. Rich- 
ards, Martin L. Goodspeed, Mr. and Mrs. 
Adam Prutsman, Mrs. Joseph S. Clark, Mrs. 
William McKee, E. R. Mathis, A. Prutsman, 
J. N. Ries. Zilphrt Griffin, L. L. Frizzell, Mrs. 
Lucretia Jones, W. W. Ferris, Carlton W. 
Combs. M. Bertrand Lockwood. 

The poem referred to as written by John 
H. Bryant, was entitled " ' Indian Courtship ' 
— Reminiscence — By An Old Settler"; And 
the scene is located by the first two lines: 

"Where French Grove road winds down the hill, 
The hither side of Galer's Mill, 
In the mild winter of thirty-three 
A wigwam stood beneath a tree." 

Here was the home, as the poet proceeds to 
tell us, of Maumese. 

"A proud chief tan of the band 
Which erst possessed this lovely land." 

Then in rythmic phrase the story of a young 
white man's love with Maumese' s daughter 
is well told, and how his heart was finally 
wrenched by the old chief striking his tent 
very suddenly and moving away. The young 
man was the " Deacon's son," 

(" Since better known as Doctor Bill 

With sulky, saddle bags andj)ill.") 

And the most knowing ones said this was Dr. 
Chamberlain, whose luckless fate it was to be 

thus 

" stepped between 

Our hero and his forest queen " 
whose 

"Step was lighter than the fawn's 
That l)Ounded o'er these blooming lawns," 

And her father " bounded " her away and Dr. 
Bill was left to choose him a very sweet "pale 
face" and thus plod along in the old fash- 
ioned way of rearing young pioneers. 

The reading of the poem attracted great 
attention, and its happy chord is evidenced 
by the fact that to this day many of those 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



93 



who heard it so much admired it that they 
can yet repeat it entire. 

In February, 1867, another very large Old 
Settlers' meeting convened in Princeton, and 
we condense the following summary of its 
proceedings : 

Elijah Smith, Secretary; T. W. Nichols, 
L. J. Colton, E. S. Phelps, Jr., Col. J. T. 
Thomson, Executive Committee. 

The principal address was then delivered 
by Milo Kendall. The speaker commenced 
with an eloquent ajjostrophe to the memory 
of George Washington. He then referred to 
the important but generally little understood 
fact, that " When a country emerges from a 
savage to a civilized life, not by the slow 
process of development and culture, but by 
the sudden and abrupt change produced by 
conflict between savage and civilized races, 
the events which mark the transitions of pow- 
er and dominion over the soil from one race 
to the other, are often the most interesting 
features in history." He then refers in fit- 
ting language to the story of the conflict that 
marks every inch of advance of the white man 
from his landing on the Atlantic shores un- 
til he had conquered all before him to the 
western ocean. 

" Forty years ago," he says, "not a white 
man dwelt upon the soil within the limits of 
our county. What a mighty transformation 
has been wrought out by a single generation 
of settlers! The footprints of the retreating 
savage are scarcely obliterated in the Indian 
trail, before the shrill whistle of the locomo- 
tive is heard upon their track. ' 

He then proceeds to tell how these glor- 
ious pioneers were the avant couriers, the 
true soldiers and husbandmen pioneering 
this great nation, and preparing the easy way 
for all to follow. He then rapidly sketches 
the growth and present greatness of the 
county, and argues for it au undimned fu- 



ture. He refers to the Hampshire colony and 
recounts the happy achievementsof that body 
of Christian men and women. 

These are some of the important facts in 
the early history of which accounts have been 
given that materially difl'er in the facts, 
and were it not that these incidents were 
talked over and agreed upon by those who 
were there to see, we confess we find often 
great difficulty in reconciling these stories. 
We have no hesitation in adopting as the 
true version every historical fact that was re- 
lated in these Old Settlers' Meetings and to 
which all present assented. 

Killing of Phillips. — Mr. Kendall proceeds 
in his address to tell of Shabbona and the 
melancholy circumstance of the killing of 
Elijah Phillips: 

" There was a venerable old chief and war- 
rior of the Pottawattomie family, who had, in 
earlier days, fought side by side with the re- 
nowned chieftain Tecumseh. But forever 
banishing the hope, and even the desire, of 
ridding his vast hunting grounds of the 
presence of the white man, he became the 
friend of the early settlers, and devoted his 
remaining years to the welfare of the white 
man against the strategems and machinations 
of the more cruel and bloody of his race. 
Old Shabbona, as he was called, sent spies 
into the camps of the Sacs and Foxes to as- 
certain their designs against the whites. On 
learning that these hostile tribes had formed 
the bold plan of exterminating the whole 
white population in northern Illinois at one 
fearful blow, he lost no time in warning the 
inhabitants to leave. This duty he did not 
and would not entrust to any living mortal 
but himself alone. At the risk of his life he 
undertook and performed the duty, night and 
day, wet or dry, the old chieftain rode on 
from one settlement to another, heralding the 
terrible news of the assassination plot which 



91 



HJSTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



had already been matured, and which was 
about to be put into execution. All who 
obeyed the warning of the old chief were 
saved. The Hall, Davis and Pettigrew fam- 
ilies on Indian Creek paid dearly for their 
most sad mistake in disobeying the earnest 
and almost passionate appeals of the old 
veteran to flee from the awful fate that await- 
ed them. The details of that tragic event, 
already a matter of history, are as familiar 
to you as household words, and too painful 
to be related here. 

" The Forristol party, near the present site 
of Dover, came near sharing the same fate. 
As there are some features connected with 
that event which I have obtained from living 
witnesses who ere long will pass away, I 
have concluded to tell the story as I gathered 
it from them, at the risk of being censured 
for repeating an oft-told tale, although I do 
it more with the hope of rescuing some of 
the details from oblivion, than from any ex- 
pectation of interesting the old settlers with 
the narration. 

"In the spring of 1832 John and Justus 
Ament each owned a cabin situated half a 
mile apart on Section 13 in Dover. The For- 
ristol party then consisted of James G. For- 
ristol, John Ament, Sylvester Brigham, Aaron 
Gunn, Jonathan Hodge, Ziba Dimick and 
Elijah Phillips. It became known to Sbab- 
bona that the Sacs and Foxes intended to 
commence a massacre of the settlers about 
the 1st of June that year. He notified the set- 
tlers of this fact in time to allow them to 
take shelter in a rude fort erected that season 
at Hennepin. 

"But before I proceed further with my story 
allow me to tell how, in one instance, the old 
chief came near falling into the hands of the 
enemy whose bloody purposes he was seeking 
to avert, and narrowly escaped with his life 
while on his errand of mercy. Not knowing 



where the blow would first be struck, he had 
made the circuit about the Bureau timber 
and up on Indian Creek to the Hall settle- 
ment, and then made directly for Fox River 
to warn awaj a family of HollanViacks, then 
residing there. He approached their cabin 
about sundown (this was about the Ist of 
June, 1832,); his jaded and almost famished 
pony was reeking with sweat and foam; he 
hastily warned the family of their danger, 
telling them to flee that very night, as he 
thought he had discovered signs of a war 
party in the vicinity. This duty performed, 
Shabbona retired to a secluded spot half a 
mile away from the cabin, to rest and refresh 
himself and his pony, and yet in a position 
to keep an eye on the dwelling and its sur- 
roundings. In the meantime the family, 
quickened by the impulse of fear, hastily 
gathered such articles of food and clothing 
as would favor them in their flight, and im- 
mediately fled, with nothing to hide them from 
the face of their enemies but the impending 
darkness which by this time had gathered 
thick about them. Having proceeded from a 
quarter to half a mile, Mr. Hollanbaek sud- 
denly bethought himself of some valuables 
which he desired to save, and which in the 
hurry and flurry of their flight they had for- 
gotten. He determined to return alone to 
the house to secure them. He carefully ap- 
proached the cabin and listened at every step 
as he neared the premises, and just as he was 
about to enter the door from whence he and 
his family had but a few moments before es- 
caped, he heard the voices and rummagings of 
savages within as they were busily engaged 
in gathering the remnants of such plunder as 
the humble dwelling afi'orded. Softly but 
sj^eedily Mr. Hollanbaek retraced his steps, 
joined his family, and renewed his flight. A 
moment later and they beheld the flames of 
their horning cabin leaping upward higher 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



95 



and higher into the darkness above, warning 
them that their abiding place, which they had 
honored with the sacred name of home, had 
been immolated upon the sacrificial altar, and 
made desolate by the torch of the savage. 
Old Shabbona in his concealment witnessed 
all — the fleeing family, the stealthy approach 
of the marauders on their bloody mission, the 
flames of the burning cabin — and noted the 
retiring foe as they took to the trail and dis- 
appeared under cover of the eight. The old 
veteran, thankful to the Great Spirit for the 
safety of himself and the fleeing family 
whose lives he had helped to save, resumed 
his journey in the late watches of the night 
and reached bis home in safety. The Hollan- 
backs made good their escape during that ter- 
rible night of agony and fear. Some twenty- 
five years after this event. Old Shabbona, 
then upward of eighty years of age, visited 
among the old settlers here for the last time, 
and for the last time related to us this story, 
and as he sat by the fireside and partook of 
the bounties and hospitalities of those he had 
known and befriended in early days, and saw 
that their huts and cabins had given place to 
cheerful, happy homes and comfortable 
dwellings, and marked the change which a 
few short years had brought about, the old 
man gave utterance to sentiments of heartfelt 
gratitude and joy, as though we were all his 
children, and that our prosperity was his 
chiefest pleasure, and expressed himself abun- 
dantly rewarded for his sleepless viligance 
and care over the infant settlements about 
him in the times of their greatest need. The 
old man remembered and related every inci- 
dent connected with the plot to exterminate 
the whites, and his heroic endeavors to avert 
the terrible blow; and in his narration of 
these exciting scenes evinced a pride and 
satisfaction for the part he had acted, and a 
sensibility commendable even to minds of cult- 



ure and refinement. It is gratifying to us 
to know that the Government made the old 
man a very handsome and suitable donation 
in his old age, as a reward for his enduring 
friendship toward the early settlers, and the 
assistance rendered by him in the settlement 
of some Indian difficulties, and as a compen- 
sation for the many sacrifices which he made 
during the turbulent times of the Black Hawk 
war. The old hero died a few years ago on 
land purchased at Government expense, near 
Ottawa, and we may truthfully say over his 
grave that the instances and examples are ex- 
ceedingly rare, even in civilized life, where 
Men have exhibited more fidelity, more con- 
stant and enduring friendship, or made great- 
er personal sacrifices, or exhibited more gen- 
erosity and benevolence toward a race with 
whom they claimed no kindred, than did this 
venerable old Pottawattomie chief. I now re- 
turn to my story. 

"The Forrestall party, seven in number, all 
youQg. bold, enterprising men, and tolera- 
bly well armed, having no women and chil- 
dren to protect, although apprised by Shab- 
bona of the plot arranged for their assassin- 
ation, felt nevertheless a determination to 
remain at their post — keep together and 
watch for something to transpire before seek- 
ing a place of greater safety. They had 
heard of the massacre of the Hall, Davis 
and Pettigrew families, and some of their 
party bad visited the scene immediately after 
its occurrence. But no hostile demonstrations 
having been made against themselves, they 
still remained and watched the signs of the 
times, occupying together the cabin then 
owned by John Ament until the morning of 
the 18th of June, 1832. The party, all un- 
suspecting, arose as usual, little dreaming 
that within forty steps of their log-cabin lay 
concealed some thirty or forty Indians with 
muskets and rifles pointing toward their cabin 



96 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



door. Elijah Phillips, having purchased of 
Justus Ament the other cabin, some half a 
mile distant, had occcision to go there and 
started before sunrise, and had proceeded 
some thirty-live steps directly toward the 
concealed and ambushed foe, when the sud- 
den and startling report of two rifles revealed 
the fact that the dreaded attack bad indeed 
been made, and that old Shabbona's warnings 
were indeed prophetic. Phillips staggered 
and fell forward upon the ground within live 
steps of his assailants. On the instant the 
infuriated Indians made a rush for the open 
door of the cabin, accompanied with terrific 
yells, such as savages alone can utter. The 
inmates of the cabin, keenly sensible of the 
terrible danger of the moment, slammed the 
door in the face of their besiegers and barred 
it instantly. Another terrific yell, and every 
savage was again in concealment. The 
chiukings between the logs of the cabin were 
quickly removed in places on the wall side 
next to the besiegers, and the muzzles of half 
a dozen guns were run out, and their little 
cabin for once became a fort, and every gun- 
ner was eager for the sight of a red skin on 
whom to avenge the fall of their bleeding 
comrade, who lay prostrate and dying in 
sight of them all, but yet where no aid could 
be safely afforded him. He was pierced by 
two bullets, and at the time of the rush 
toward the cabin the savages, in passing 
over the bleeding form of their victim, gave 
him a blow with a tomahawk on his brows, 
and thrust a scalping knife into his neck. 
Not a cry or a groan escaped the lips of Phi I- 
lips, although life was observed to linger 
some minutes after his fall, and after his 
assailants had rushed back into their hiding 
places. Here lay the besiegers in ambush 
awaiting some fresh opportunity to renew 
the siege without wasting their fire against 
the impenetrable walls of the cabin. Here 



also were the party besieged in armed occupa- 
tion of their little fort awaiting some new 
development of the besiegers. At last a 
counsel of war was held in the cabin. Dim- 
ick, a lad only seventeen years old, was anx- 
ious to leave the cabin and make for Henne- 
pin acro.ss the country as best they could, 
and take their chances of escape in that 
manner. In this he was overruled by all the 
others. At this juncture of afi'airs a mare 
owned by one of the party, and which had 
been spanceled and turned loose to feed 
about the premises, and which, by the way, was 
always exceedingly shy about being caught, 
and even hobbled as she was, universally 
gave the owner much trouble in catching her. 
On this occasion, to the great joy and surprise 
of the besieged occupants of the cabin, the 
mare, unbidden, had made her way directly 
up and into an open porch on one side of the 
cabin, as if she too desired the protection 
which its walls aiforded. Young Dimick 
seized the opportunity of making his escape, 
and at the same time of bringing assistance 
to the besieged. Rushing out of the cabin 
with a handkerchief tied over his head in- 
stead of wearing a hat, he seized the mare by 
the mane, a bridle was handed him from the 
cabin, and with one slash with a knife he cut 
the spancles which hampered the limbs of 
the animal and with a bound was upon her 
back, and directing his course toward Henne- 
pin dashed off at a fearful rate. Dimick 
reached Hennepin in safety, and at i o'clock 
in the afternoon of the same day a company 
of well armed men an'ived and relieved the 
little garrison of their imprisonment. When 
the rescuing party had arrived within two 
miles of the cabin the Indians were discov- 
ered to be in motion; occasional glimpses of 
the crouching form of an Indian here and 
there dodging, skulking and retreating could 
be discerned from the cabin, until they 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



99 



wholly disappeared some minutes before as- 
sistance arrived." 

The body of Phillips was taken to Henne- 
pin and buried — the first grave dug and the 
first burial in the Hennepin cemetery — in 
June, 1832. 

In the history of Putnam County, by the 
Rev. H. Vallette Warren, we find the follow- 
ing reference to this tragedy: 

" A party of men going from Hennepin to 
Dover, sixteen miles distant, to secure 
their cattle, were followed and watched all 
night by Indians, and in the morning a man 
named Phillips was shot as he came out of 
the cabin in which they had passed the 
night. The Indians then fled. A boy named 
Dimmick rode to Hennepin and gave the 
alarm. It was the day of the disbanding of 
the rangers, many of whom were there. 
About thirty of them, as many as could be 
gotten over the river in time, responded and 
hastened to Dover, where they found the body 
of Phillips lying as he fell and his companions 
still in the cabin The Indians were fol- 
lowed but not overtaken. The company re- 
tm-ned to Hennepin, bearing the remains of 
the unfortunate man, and Thomas Hartzell, 
J. S. Simpson, H. K. Zenor and Williamson 
Durley, selected a burying-place and assisted 
in burying the only man who fell by the 
hands of the Indians within the limits of 
Putnam County, and the first to fill a grave 
in the burying ground of Hennepin." 

E. S. Phelps, Jr., delivered a memorial 
tribute to the memory of Ebenezer Strong 
Phelps, who was born in Northampton, Mass., 
September 3, 1788. June, 1803, he appren- 
ticed to the jewelry business. February 12, 
1812, married Anna Wright, with whom he 
lived over sixty years. When married he 
commenced business in his trade and followed 
this till 1851. In 1816 he was elected Dea- 
con in the church. At the organization of 



the Hampshire Chuioh, Princeton, in 1831, 
he was chosen Deacon. In 1828 he proposed 
getting up a colony to come to Illinois, and 
succeeded in organizing one in 1831, and on 
May 4, 1831, the colony, in company with 
Phelps' two sons, started for Illinois. Mr. 
Phelps with the remainder of his family fol- 
lowed June 13, and arrived at Springfield, 
111., where he went to work at his trade, 
where he remained until 1838. He was 
elected Elder in the Springfield Presbyterian 
Church, and was again elected Deacon of the 
Hampshire Colony Church on coming to 
Princeton, which position he held until his 
strength deserted him. He was Treasurer of the 
church many years; for some time a Justice 
of the Peace; School Treasurer for township 
about twenty-five years; an active worker in 
the Sunday-school, he was Sunday-school 
Superintendent both in Springfield and 
Princeton; an active anti-slavery man, and an 
earnest temperance advocate from 1828 till 
the day of his death. February 24, 1862, 
his golden wedding was celebrated. On his 
eightieth birthday he had a family re-union 
find then and there arranged for his fu- 
neral; his sons E. H., E. S. and J. R., 
and his son-in-law J. S. Bubach, were to be 
the pall bearers, and L. J. Colton was to take 
charge of the funeral. In February his health 
began to rapidly fail and on March 19, 1872, 
"his spirit went to sing with the glorified 
ones." 

Anna (Wright) Phelps died in Princeton, 
July 6, 1873. 

Deacon Caleb Cook, one of the early set- 
tlers and from the day of his coming until 
his death a prominent and influential citizen 
of the county, died of gastric fever, March 
27, 1876, age, sixty-eight years. 

He came to the county in 1834, and was 
at one time President of the Bureau County 
Old Settlers' Society. When Mr. Cook was 



100 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



elected President he returned thanks in a few 
appropriate remarks, briefly alhiding to his 
trip on horseback in 1835, from Montgomery 
County to the hotel of Elijah Smith in the 
vicinity of Princeton, and said that after 
a night spent with Smith he mounted 
again and started in search of Cornelius 
Gorss, who had a claim to sell. On the road 
he came across a young man building a fence 
around a hay stack; he intimated that this 
then young man was in the audience and he 
was asked to come forward. 

John M. Gay. — This brought John M. 
Gay to his feet. He was nearly eighty years 
of age, and he said that old as he was, he was 
nearly as diffident as the Chairman (Cook). 
He stated that he came to West Bureau, 1830; 
was driven off twice by the Indians, but re- 
turned, located the place afterwards sold to 
Mr. Tucker. He was the first Justice of the 
Peace on this side the river, and by virtue of 
this office married several of the early settlers; 
among those he remembered Mr. Munson, 
who married a daughter of William Hall, 
who was killed by the Indians, and Mrs. Mun- 
son was one of the captive "Hall Girls." 
Mr. Gay said he remembered officiating at 
the wedding of Abram Strattan and George 
Hinsdale. He said he vividly remembered the 
Hinsdale marriage, because a man named 
Timothy Perkins had requested his services. 
Gay's horse was in the pasture and he started 
to catch him and it turned out to be an all day 
job; when he did get him he started in haste to 
the place; he soon met the wedding party 
coming to meet him, and as this meeting was 
close by a deserted cabin, the party dis- 
mounted, entered the cabin, and on the dirt 
floor, without doors or windows, and amid 
these royal suiToundings the happy and joyful 
wedding took place, and all mounted (two on 
a horse) and returned as they came. Was 
this not a jolly wedding trip? 



At the close of Mr. Gay's remarks, Mrs. 
Gay rose up and stood by the side of her 
husband, to the great delight of the audi- 
ence. 

First Child Born. — The President, Caleb 
Cook, then introduced to the old settlers Mrs. 
Jacob Sells, as "the first white child born this 
side the Illinois River." We presume this 
officially and authoritatively settles the al- 
ways greatly vexed question as to who was 
the really "first child born," out of always 
the numerous claimants. Mrs. Jacob Sells 
was the second daughter of Henry Thomas. 

In a conversation with Mr. Kitterman the 
matter of the first birth was brought up. He 
remarked that he was present when the ques- 
tion came up before the old settlers and with- 
out saying a word he heard it settled as 
above stated, but nevertheless he then be- 
lieved and still believes that his third child, 
Ann, was really the first child born in what 
is now Bureau County. There are circum- 
stances strongly pointing to Mr. Kitterman's 
recollection as being the truth of the matter. 
Mrs. Sells was born "this side of the river," 
but it is told by some that she was really 
born in Peoria, where Mrs. Thomas had gone 
in anticipation of the event. Let us crown 
them both ' ' the first born, " as the county is 
large enough to honor the two forever. 

AquiUa Triplett, Sr., was born in Culpep- 
per County, Va. , August 6, 1807. At the age 
of 16, with his parents, he removed to Mus- 
kingum County, Ohio, where he married 
Miss Elizabeth Wilson, August 20, 1829. 
The family came to Bureau Cotinty in 1834. 
For a long time Mr. Triplett was personally 
acquainted with every soul in the county and 
was universally respected for his industry 
and integrity. He reared a large family. 
He was a member of the Baptist Church, and 
in all his walks of life was an exemplary and 
consistent Christian. His nature was whollv 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



101 



sunshiny and genial, and his descendants are 
worthy and excellent people. 

At the Old Settlers' meeting, September 
6, 1877, under the signature of " S," was 
written a stirring " Greeting Song," to the 
tune of the " Morning Light is Breaking." 
One cou[)let runs: 

" We t.ilk of days uow olden, 
Yet to us never new; 
Where mera'rie's sky is golden 
With bright and varied hue; 
And like the hill-tops glowing 
With beauty, distance gives. 
The days and in j-ears going, 
Gave joys that ever live." 

The officers chosen at this meeting for the 
ensuing year were: President, Elder John 
Cole; Vice-Presidents, Simon Elliott and 
William Hoblet; Secretary and Treasurer, E. 
S. Phelps: Directors, H. C. Field, C. W. 
Combs and Martin Tompkins. 

Mr. Arthur Bryant said: " I came to this 
State in 1830 and settled in Jacksonville. 
Came to Bureau in the spring of 1833. The 
people here were all of that class which the 
land speculators called squatters. "We could 
not buy the land at that time for it was not 
in the market. I camped eight weeks in a 
wagon while I was putting up a cabin. In 
1835 the land in this district was offered for 
sale. All of what is Bureau and Marshall 
Counties was in Putnam County. We went 
up to Galena to bid otir land off in July, 1835. 
The Township of Princeton was nearly all 
bought at that sale. I bid off the land for 
nearly all my neighbors. I have been try- 
ing lately to think who were voters in 1835. 
I can now think of but seven. " [Unfortunately 
he did not name them.] 

A poem written in 1831, by Arthur Bryant, 
was then read. It was entitled " Emigra 
tion." The opening lines are a touching 
apostrophe to the old home, saying: 



"Come, 'ere we quit our native home, 
Afar in an unknown land to roam. 
Let us rove the meadow and woodland o'er, 
And look on the scenes we may see no more. 

* * *■ * * * « 

All, all are lovely; but loveliest to-day. 
For we know that to-morrow we leave them for aye. 

***»*■»* 
Farewell to the forests, to hill and dell. 
To the home of our fathers a long farewell ! 
Farewell forever our native laud 
By the breath of the mountain breezes fanned; 
O'er the boundless lakes that glitter afar. 
We track the beams of the Western Star; 
We hasten away to a distant clime. 
To a soil untilled since the morning of time, 
Where never arose the cottage smoke 
Kor share of the plowman that greensward broke. 
Where the grassy plains were never shorn, 
Save the rushing flames by the fierce winds borne; 
And countless agps their shadows cast 
On the scenes of its unrecorded past." 

And then the poet proceeds to tell us what 
his eyes beheld as he trudged along to the 
"distant West" And here in beautiful words 
are painted that other side of the story of the 
cruel hardships, the dreary loneliness of the 
travelers in the wide wastes. 

"But desert lies the beauteous land 

As fresh as it came from its Maker's hand." 

* * , * # 5(f 

As the suu comes up from a sea of gold 

And the mists fiom the face of the morning are 

rolled, 
Lo! the verdant wastes in the brightening ray. 
O'er swell and o'er hollow stretch far away. 
And the sounds, we listen, the objects we view 
To the ear and the eye are pleasant and new. 
The thickets that skirt the untrodden wa.v 
With the crab and the wild i)lum are fragrant and 

gaj-. 
The painted cup flaunts its leaves of red 
Like a sheet of flame on the prairie spread. 
The violet springs on the sunny swells. 
The lungwort hangs forth its azure bells. 
The red-bud blooms on the forest bowers. 
The paw-paw opens its duslvy flowers. 
On the green savannas spreading far 
Shows the varied phlo.v its brilliant star. 
The crane's harsh note is heard on high 



102 



HISTOEY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



As he floats like a speek on the azure sky, 
The trumpet voice of the wild swan sounds, 
O'er the bush and hillock the wild deer bounds, 
Fi-om the new-leaved branches that sway above 
Comes the plaintive coo of the turtle dove, 
The prairie bird in his amorous play, 
Hails with boom and with song the dawn of day; 
And the southwest wind, with its warm caress, 
Breathes joy through the blossoming wilderness. 
We hail the land of the distant West." 

Then the poet turns in his imagination to 
the future of this smiling land, where he says 
sometime: 

"On clods that shelter the red man's grave 

Shall the tall maize spring and the green wheat 

wave; 
The forests that rang with the Indian's yell, 
Shall echo the sound of the Sabbath bell; 
Where the gaunt wolf howled and the panther 

strayed. 
And the grim bear stalked in the woodland shade. 
The schoolboy's shout, and the drowsy hum 
Of traffic and toil on the ear shall come." 

'Away to the distant West, away!" 
The very soul of the young brave pioneer 
is here given out in sweetest song. It is the 
■window to the inward real man, and in his 
immortal verse he has left us an unmistak- 
able index to himself, his age, and the times 
and men who turned their faces toward the 
"distant West," and wrought here the finest 
jewel in our sisterhood of States. 

E. Strong Phelps^ Address: — At this meet- 
ing, the principal address was made by Mr. 
Phelps. He commences by saying that he 
only claims to represent that class of our old 
settlers who were expected "to be seen, not 
heard." Those whose "hair woitld persist in 
coming through their hats; who waited for 
the second table and slept under the eaves in 
the loft.'' He proceeds to apologize for at- 
tempting to speak in that character to "tell 
of the recollections of children" and "fear 
such may not very interesting." The truth 
is that just here he was striking out in a new 



and most interesting path of observation — 
something that its very novelty would have 
made it remarkable, even if the substance was 
not a splendid treat. He insists that as chil- 
dren of the old settlers, they filled their places 
tolerably full and in happy content. He then 
bears willing testimony to the fact that even 
at the second table they fottnd plenty to eat 
and that they slept as soundly in their "bunks 
under the eaves, as did other children in 
grander rooms and softer beds.'' He then 
comments on the change in the face of the 
country since first he looked upon it, as fol- 
lows: "What was known as the big slough, 
between Princeton and Dover, where we went 
miles to find a crossing place, is now a mere 
ditch with but little water running in it; where 
the grass was so tall that it came up to the 
horses' sides as we passed along, are now corn- 
fields and growing orchards. I have seen the 
water deep enough, after heavy rains, to nav- 
igate a good-sized steamboat, in a slough 
near my father's house, that is now perfectly 
dry ; and on the site of the pond, where we, 
as boys, shot ducks and went swimming, the 
American House and business houses on the 
east side of Main Street (Princeton), now 
stand. 

He thinks his father was the first to erect 
a house at a distance from the timber; the 
family came in 1836, and made an improve- 
ment one mile northeast of the Princeton 
depot. He says: "My first impressions 
were we lived a great way ofi' from anywhere; 
that we were in imminent danger of freezing 
to death in the winter; that we were Yankees 
and very peci;liar people anyway, as we lived 
in a frame house away out on the prairie, 
instead of living in a fashionable log-house 
in the timber. 1 think some of otir neigh- 
bors looked upon us much the same way the 
citizens of Chicago would look upon one who 
should go and voluntarily make his home at 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



103 



the lake crib, instead of settling in the resi- 
dent part of the city. It seemed such an 
unlikely place to live. Our little improve- 
ment seemed like some little crib in mid- 
water, and the winds were continually send- 
ing the grassy waves of the great prairie lake 
against it, threatening utterly to destroy it. 
I have stood on the banks of Long Island 
Sound when the tide was coming in, and 
they recalled vividly to my mind the old 
home of my childhood days upon the western 
prairie. But when, as was often the case, 
the prairie tires were started and came upon 
us with their flame and smoke, then indeed 
we were in great danger, and many a hard 
hour's work have we performed, to save our 
little all from its devouring fury. I remem- 
ber that my father, before he knew how 
deceiving the tires were to the eye at night, 
set out a back tire to protect us from one that 
seemed coming over the ridge of prairie not 
a quarter of a mile from us, and that caused 
much alarm and some danger to persons at 
some distance north of us — when it was 
afterward found that the lire was on the 
Providence Prairie, eight or ten miles from 
us. 

'•There was no trouble with the Indians 
after we moved here; yet my mother was 
once badly frightened by them. It being 
Sunday, all our family but herself and an 
infant daughter, had gone to church. On 
going out of doors my mother saw a large 
body of Indians, some of whom were getting 
over the fence in the corn-field. In gi'eat 
alarm she went into the house, barred the 
door, ascended into the loft with her infant 
and ritle and pulled the ladder by which she 
reached it up after her, and waited for the 
fate she was sure was comin£r, resolvinsr to 
sell her life as dearly as possible. The attack 
was delayed longer than she had expected, 
but still she stayed there until the voice of 



my father coming home with his family and 
asking admittance, convinced her that she 
could safely descend, and then she learned 
they were friendly Indians, being removed 
to their reservation west of the Mississippi, 
and that their destructive powers were bent 
upon the roasting ears only. 

"Another great danger we had was of get- 
ting lost, esi^ecially at night. I remember 
one Saturday night a j'ounger brother of 
mine was sent to take borne a cousin of ours, 
who resided near Dover. Not coming back 
as soon as expected, and night and a thunder 
storm both coming on, I was sent to meet him. 
Failing in doing so, I kept on to my uncle's 
home, where I found that ho had started but 
had taken the wrong road. The storm over- 
taking me there, however, I stayed all night. 
My parents finding that neither of us came 
home, concluded my brother had not started 
home before the storm, and they therefore 
were not alarmed. I proceeded home Sun- 
day morning to find that my brother had not 
been home at all. A search by all about 
the place, together with the neighbors was 
immediately instituted, and aftgr some time 
the trail was found and followed. He had 
turned the seat over during the storm and 
crawling under it, had let the horse have his 
own way and had finally gone to sleep. The 
horse at one time had come near home and 
then turned directly away. He was found in 
the afternoon four or five miles away and 
brought home. 

"Being too young to work I was employed to 
run errands. I was once sent to our neigh- 
bor, Elijah Smith, to obtain some peas for 
planting. Furnished with a tin pail I mount- 
ed a horse and went and obtained them and 
started on my return. As I liked to ride fast 
I started in a brisk trot; the peas began to 
rattle and ' away went John Gilpin' — the 
harder the horse ran the louder the peas 



104 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



rattled — as long as there was one left to rattle, 
That was a poor pea year at our house. 

"Our school was in a log-house in the edge 
of the timber, near the residence of John 
Anient, and where the brick now stands 
north of the Princeton depot. I can see it 
to-day as it stood long ago, with its stick 
chimney, slab seats and writing desk, where 
we faced the wall when we went to write. 
But our schoolhouse was up to the time after 
all, as it had glass windows and a wooden 
floor, and a pail of water was always in the 
corner to use if the chimney got on lire. 
How well I remember the path through the 
hazel bushes that led to it. The spring 
where we obtained our water and the hornets' 
nest between it and the house, where at the 
boys' recess we clubbed it until they became 
so enraged that it was almost impossible to 
pass it going to the spring without being 
stung. Woe to the girl who came down the 
path to the spring during the recess, for they 
generally paid the penalty of our misdeeds 
until they learned to give it a wide berth. 
Then there was the opening in the bushes 
where we had our play-ground, on one side of 
which ran the Dixon stage road. How we 
used to run for it when we heard the sound 
of the stage driver's horn, and what shouts 
and eager faces greeted it as it passed. Then 
the nuttings, the strawberry ings, the black- 
berryings we had, marred only by the dread of 
rattlesnakes and sometimes the thought that 
we were playing truant. 

"Among the many teachers of those days, 
I have only time to speak of one, who stands 
out before my mind's eye more prominently 
than the rest; one who ti^ught me to study 
for its own sake; from whom 1 parted with 
real regret at the close of school and only 
wished that I was old enough to marry her 
and be with her always. Many years have 
passed since then, but bright through the 



past and bright through the future will ever 
shine the fairest and best to me of the teach- 
ers of the old log schoolhouse^Amelia 
Smith. 

"We used to have our rough-and-tumble fun 
too in those old days; especially when the big 
boys came to school in the winter, when 
the teacher had to go on his muscle, and 
black eyes and bloody noses were sometimes 
in fashion. A teacher who did not use his 
authority by force when the boys got into 
difficulty, had a hard time to succeed. "Town 
ball ' and ' bull pen' were played with a vim, 
and when the boys threw a ball they meant 
to hit. Sometimes these sports were varied 
by "We are marching onward to Quebec," 
and the "Needle's eye," but I always noticed 
that us small boj's could march right along to 
Quebec without molestation and pass the 
"needle's eye" without fail, while the big 
boys had great trouble in the matter. We 
must have sorely tried the patience of our 
teachers in those days. I remember we were 
called upon to recite a verse from the Bible 
each day, and how the book was searched for 
the shortest verses in it, and ' ' rejoice ever- 
more," "Jesus wept," and such short verses 
were repeated many times every day. But at 
last we reached the end of our rope, for the 
whole school, from the largest to the smallest, 
repeated the same verse " And the Lord spake 
unto Moses, saying. " The teacher then 
drew the line right here and each one of us 
had to take our seats and get a separate verse 
before we could go home. Then we had our 
debating clubs and old fashioned spelling- 
schools, and I shall always remember the 
time when they failed to get us spelled down 
from Webster's Elementary and had to resort 
to the Bible, or how I went down under the 
work "Israelite." 

" Nor can I forget the singing-school we 
had in the earlv times. We went long dis- 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



105 



tances in those days to attend them; and I 
have a suspicion that it was not a desire of 
learning music that brought them all there, 
but we had a good time nevertheless. As 
usual from out the sea of faces that meet the 
mind's eye in those singing-schools of long 
ago, one face and one voice appears more 
prominent than the rest. For long years her 
body has rested in the leafy shades of oui* 
quiet Oakland; but through all the years I 
still see that sweet face, and here the sweeter 
voice of that singer of the olden time — Catha- 
rine Allen. Among the teachers of music 
too, there is one we cannot forget. He sleeps 
also iu our fair Oakland, but to many hearts 
there will come thoughts of pleasure and 
regret at the mention of the name of our old 
singing teacher — James Perry." 

He then tells briefly of the earliest days 
of the Underground Railroad, and especially 
of Clapp Station, etc. etc. He then produced 
an old account book of Gay & Olds, and for 
the year 1837 he quoted some of the entries 
as follows: 

SUNDRIES DR. TO GAT & OLDS. 

Wm Shepherd, i pound tea 25 

James S. Everett, 8 pounds sugar 1.00 

Micheal Leonai-d, 320 lbs. salt 8.00 

Obadiah Britt, 5 lbs. nails 63 

Madison Studyvant, 2 oz madder 06 

Jesse Moler, 24 doz. cotton yarn 4.80 

William Elom, tobacco 13 

Joel Doolittle, 1 pr pants 4..50 

Elias Rodgers, 3 yds cassimere 4.50 

Stephen Burnham, Sadirons 1.13 

Sett knives and forks 1.38 

Sett spoons 37 

Tea cups 35 

Pair scissors 37 

Maj Joseph Smith, 1 lb tobacco 75 

James G. Paristol, i lb tobacco 37 

John H. Bryant 1 letter 25 

John Clapp then told how he came to the 
county in 1834. He told of having a sister 
that was afraid of the Indians, and could not 



handle the rifle, so she made overtures of 
peace and friendship by offering them pan- 
fuls of doughnuts; this had a most taming 
effect on the Indians, and they would some- 
times swarm about the premises, humble 
and hungry for more doughnuts. 

Micheal Kitter man. — The big-hearted, big- 
brained, though unlettered old Roman — a 
superb type of a grand old pioneer, was 
forced to get up and talk to his old friends, 
acquaintances and admirers. He said- 

"I came to this county in 1828, and looked 
around and thought the country would suit 
me pretty well. In 1831, about the 18th of 
March, I left Indiana and thought I would 
come out to this country. I came on down 
here to the Mackinaw; it was high, I 
couldn't get across. I didn't know what to 
do. I did not like to lay by. A man told 
me if I would go up to the Narrows I could 
cross by swimming my horse. I went there 
and found it so. A man there showed me 
over the river and said : ' you can't go 
through to-day.' I had faith I could; I had 
a good horse, and mounted and started on a 
wagon-track and traveled until it was dark, 
and then I got down and sat on my saddle, 
and held my mare by the bridle all night. 
It commenced getting cold and snowed a lit- 
tle, not enough however to cover the wagon 
track. In the morning I put my saddle on 
my mare and started. At 4 o'clock that day 
I struck the rapids above La Salle. I stopped 
at a house near by— every man kept tav- 
ern then — they got me something to eat. 
Next day I came down to Hennepen; there 
was no way of crossing the river. I hired 
Jim Willis, for half a dollar to ferry me over 
to the Hall settlement. I hired out to old 
Johnny Hall for six months at $9 a month. 
Every Sunday J would get a chain and as 
of him, and I hauled up two or three logs 
each day and built me a cabin. Then I went 



106 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



back for a woman, and when I got her and 
came back there was a man living in my 
cabin. This was on Section 16. I had not 
a dollar in the world. I drove down to where 
I now live and have lived there ever since. 
I cut a log about four feet long and put some 
coalB in it and bui-ned a mortar; perhaps I 
was a week doing it of nights. I got my 
mortar dug out and got me a pestle, and 
every night I pounded meal enough to do me 
next day. I never enjoyed myself so much 
in my life as I did then. When the mills 
wore built I went up to the Fox Kiver and got 
a grist. When I wanted salt I had to go to 
Chicago. It would take me eight days to go 
up and eight days to come back. I took my 
food along; when I was there once I wanted 
some whisky; I went all over Chicago for it. 
I could get whisky, but nothing to put it in. 
Well, I went into a saloon and the keeper 
said: 'I've got a five-gallon jug.' "Well, 
what will you fill it for? Says he: 'I'll put 
in the five gallons and give you the jug for 
a dollar.' I took it. I lived under the 
wagon as I came home, and had all the 
whisky I wanted to drink. I believe I have 
split enough rails at 50 cents a hundred to 
fence in the township. I have split 500 
rails a day at $8 a month." 

Mr. Kitterman was born in Franklin 
County, Va., near Rockmount, the county 
seat, about the beginning of the year 
1800. He found his way to Indiana an 
orphan boy, and stopped in Harrison County 
August 18, 18z!6. He married Miss Lydia 
Clark in Perry County, Ind., a native of Nel- 
son County, Ky., born September 15, 1810. 

[For family genealogy see biography in the 
biographical part of this work. Ed.] 

He came West in 1828 to look at the 
country, and, as he says, he liked it, and in 
1830, with a saddle horse and just $4 
in the world. He left wife and two 



babies and came to where he now lives to 
prepare a home. In his own language he tells 
how he hired to Hall for §9 a month, and 
during the six months thus engaged hewould 
"rest on Sunday" by getting out a few logs, 
and thus patiently the j'oung man built his 
cabin. After a long and arduous trip he 
reached here with his wife and babes with not 
a dollar in his pocket. He drove to his cabin 
and there found "Curt" Williams in pos- 
session — had " jumped" his claim and would 
neither give it up nor agree to pay a cent for 
it. Without wasting time or words upon 
this rather unneighborly man Mr. Kitterman 
proceeded to the spot where he now lives and 
unloaded his wagon, and from that hour to 
this he has stayed there on the lookout foi 
"jumpers." And there is no doubt, as he 
says, that in his " whole life these were my 
[his] happiest days." A nature so full of the 
sweet sunshine of life richly deserves the 
long and prosperous voyage, the rich endow- 
ment in worldly goods, the green old age, the 
large and respectable families of children and 
grandchildren, and the troops of friends that 
surround the walk in life and cheer and 
solace the declining years of Micheal Kitter- 
man, and "his woman," as he styles his 
good old lady who has now for fifty-eight 
years, through storms and through sunshine 
stood bravely by his side, a truly noble com- 
panion and worthy helpmeet. To visit and 
talk with this venerable old couple is a rare 
treat. Their days have been spared and 
blessed until they have been long in the land, 
and to look at them cheerful, happy and con- 
tented, vigorous, hale and hearty as they are, 
their greatest delight being in recounting the 
reminiscences of the past in which the true 
charity of heart has forgotten the little of 
the mean of life that crossed their pathway, 
is to behold a picture of a worthy couple into 
whose lives has come all the sweetness of 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



107 



suDshine that makes the world wholesome, 
pleasant and good. 

Mr. Kitterman's broad and charitable mind 
is aptly illustrated in his statement of the 
loss of his claim and hard-earned cabin by 
the " jumper." And when the war had 
frightened Williams away, and as he did not 
return as soon as the other settlers, Mr. Arthur 
Bryant, supposing he had abandoned it, com 
menced to work upon the claim and fix and 
improve the house and prepare it for his 
home. Bat Williams ilid return, and biding 
his time, he waited until Bryant had improved 
it considerably and then, one night he moved 
in and thus really "jumped" it the second 
time. Mr. Bryant went to Kitterman and 
wanted to consult him and probably strength- 
en his title by getting him to release his claim 
to him. The two talked the matter over and 
it appearing that Williams would leave for 
$20, Mr. Kitterman advised Bryant to pay 
this and get rid of him. His advice was 
followed. 

When visiting Mr. Kitterman, the writer 
reminded the old gentleman that he had 
heard some amusing anecdotes of him, and 
wanted to know if they were authentic. 

"They tell a great many stories on me," 
he replied, " but they are only jokes. Some 
of them, I expect, I made up and told my- 
self, just to tell a story, you know. What is 
your story?" 

The writer related Boyd's story about the 
Assessor and dogs. How the Assessor had 
called, and Kitterman, being warned jiist 
before by Boyd that he was assessing the 
dogs, and that he would soon be there, etc. , 
whereupon he called his dogs and shut them 
in the cellar. In a little while the Assessor, 
Pajrne, arrived. Soon the property was gone 
over and assessed, and then he said he had 
to assess the dogs. He looked around and 
could see none, and Kitterman remarked that 



he believed his boys claimed one or two 
trifling curs that hung around the place, and 
made some remark about boys and dogs gen- 
erally. Thus the dog subject was tided over, 
and as they sat on the porch, the apples and 
hard cider were at hand, the tax books were 
closed and all joined in a pleasant social chat, 
eating apples and drinking cider. Boyd had 
stayed, and the party were enjoying them- 
selves, and chatting and joking in great glee. 
Finally the pitcher was emptied, and Mr. 
Kitterman ordered one of his boys to fill the 
pitcher. The lad obeyed, but knowing noth- 
ing of the dogs being in the cellar, he threw 
open the cellar door and out came thirteen 
dogs in a rush for the open air and frisking 
about the men and wagging their tails and 
barking their joy to their master and his 
guests for their liberty. 

The men looked at each other and finally 
all joined in a hearty laugh. No words were 
equal to the occasion. The joke was too 
good, and no dogs were charged to either 
Kitterman or his boys that year. 

Mr. Kitterman laughed heartily at the 
story and said, jast as he expected, "There 
was no truth in it. " 

"Indeed there is," said Mrs. Kitterman; 
" it is all true, but a good deal stronger than 
you told it. I tell you to put it in your book 
and make it as strong as you can, and then it 
won't be half enough." 

The Kitterman family consisting of six sons 
and four daughters living, is one of the lead- 
ing, wealthy and influential families of Bu- 
reau County. They are surrounded by their 
sons and sons-in-law, and the people of the 
county all join in wishing the cheery old 
couple to be spared many days yet in the 
land. 

Mr. Kitterman is an open-hearted, fearless, 
outspoken, manly man. The opposite every 
way of the braggart and the loud-canting 



108 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



Pharisee. A man of worthy deeds, strong 
sensfl and no pretensions. A self-made man; 
the architect wholly of his own fortune, who 
has builded wisely and well. He is the old- 
est living settler in Bureau County — now the 
surviving link between the present and the 
past. Living or dead we would transmit his 
noble deeds and good name untarnished to 
the remotest generation, inseparably linked 
with the history of Bureau County. 

At the old settlers' meeting, August 15, 
1878, John H. Bryant was elected presiding 
ofBcer, and E. S. Phelps. Secretary. The 
meeting was commenced with prayer by 
George Hammer, an old settler of 1834, who 
came with his uncle, John Hammer. John 
Clapp, C. P. Mason and E. B. Frary were 
appointed a committee to select oflScers for 
the coming year. President Cole gave an ac- 
count of the Black Hawk war. Officers for 
the ensuing year were elected as follows: 
Arthur Bryant, President; J. Benedict and 
H. Moore, Vice-Presidents; John "Walters, 
T. Nichols, Alanson Benson, Directors; 
Stephen G. Paddock, Secretary. H. B. Lee- 
per talked to the old settlers, and amused 
them for some time. John Walters gave 
some amusing facts about his tailoring in 
Princeton from 1837 to 1840. R. B. Frary 
told the particulars of thi'ee families living 
in one house 14x16, and how the broom -maker 
and the basket-maker, in addition, carried on 
their trades in the same room, and how there 
was room enough and to spare. 

In 1882 the old settlers met at the fair 
grounds. President, T. W. Nichols. Prayer 
by Elder Andrew Ross. An address was 
delivered by the President. Cyrus Colton, 
R. B. Frary and J. H. Bryant appointed a 
committee to select officers for ensuing year. 
Reported following: President, Milo Ken- 
dall; Secretary and Treasurer, H. B. Lee- 
per; Executive Committee, Milo Kendall, 



George B. Cushing, C. T. Wiggins. Then R. 

F. Frary presented an address on the life of 
John Clapp. G. M. Radcliffe gave sketches 
of Charles S. Boyd, Mrs. Austin Bryant, 
Mrs. J. V. Thompson, Mrs. Fanny Moseley 
and Edward R. Bryant. Milo Kendall read 
an interesting paper on John Elliott, and O. 

G. Lovejoy read a poem by John H. Bryant. 
Zebinah Eastman gave an account of the 
Hampshire Colony. 

Old settlers met at the fair grounds, Sep- 
tember 6, 1883. President, T. W. Nich- 
ols; Secretary, H. B. Leeper. Prayer by 
Rev. T. L. Pomeroy. Committee to nomi- 
nate officers: T. L. Pomeroy, George Ham- 
mer and George Phelps; and John Walters was 
chosen President; Vice-Presidents, Andrew 
Ross and L. D. Whiting; Secretary, Ro- 
mane Hodgeman. Roll-call of the deceased 
of the past year was as follows: Mrs. 
Lucy Cook. Mrs. Jacob Bettz, Dr. Joseph 
Jones, Dr. Avery, Mrs. Elliott, Arthur Bry- 
ant, Mrs. A. Boyd, Mrs. David Wells, Dea- 
con Asahel Wood, William Frankeberger, 
John Pi'outz, Alby Colton, Charles Faley, Mrs. 
Sarah Musgrove, Mrs. Brookbanks, Walter 
Dui-ham, Mrs. R. T. Templeton, George 
Brown, Sarina Clapp, and Mrs. H. R. Pom- 
eroy. Appropriate eulogies were pronounced 
on each. 

August 30, 1884, a meeting of the old set- 
tlers convened at the fair grounds. Presi- 
dent, John Walters; Secretary, H. B. Leeper; 
commenced with prayer by Dr. R. Edwards; 
singing led by Streator; and John H. Bry- 
ant, Cyrus Colton and George Phelps ap- 
pointed a committee to select officers for the 
ensuing year. H. C. Bradsby delivered an 
address, when the society adjourned for din- 
ner. After dinner the amphitheatre was again 
filled and short and interesting addresses 
were made liy John H. Bryant, Rev. T. L. 
Pomeroy, Dr. William Mercer, L. D. Whiting, 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



109 



G. M. Radcliffe, Deacon Henry Wells, George 
W. Hammer, J. E. Dorr, Nicholas Smith, 
Rev. J. Coles and A. W. Bacon. These 
speeches were short, stirring and deeply in- 
teresting and elicited much applause. Rev. 
T. L. Pomeroy said that in coming to Illinois 
in 1837, he arrived at Chicago, and then took 
the stage for Hennejain. This was a small 
coach that started out every morning, and at 
that time furnished all the transportation 
the country lying west of Chicago needed. 
Mr. Hammer said he came in 1834, with his 
uncle, John Hammer. He graphically de- 
scribed some of the straits the family were 
subjected to in the way of getting something 
to eat; how he had carried corn on his shoul- 
der to mill, and then with his own hands 
ground it and carried it back; how, when his 
uncle had gone on a three weeks' trip to a 
mill about 100 miles east of the Illinois River, 
ho had informed his aunt that he suspected 
the bushel of sweet potatoes his uncle had 
brought and holed up so carefully for seed in 
the spring, were frozen, and how he got 
her consent to examine them and, sure enough, 
they were as hai'd as rocks, and they there- 
fore ate them; and this and scant corn meal 
and meat was the only variety the family had 
to eat during the winter: thus again proving 
that it is an ill wind that blows nobody any 
good. 

The roll-call of the deceased of the society 
since the last meeting, gave the following 
list: Edward Mercer, James Wiusor, James 
Garvin, James Swan and A. S. Lathrop. 

James Hamrick was a native of Lancaster 
County, Ohio, born February 3, 1815; was a 
son of John and Elizabeth (Spenny) Ham- 
rick, who had come from Virginia. Four of 
their children out of eleven, are now living. 
The family came in 1839, and settled at Cen- 
ter Grove. 

The name of Henrv Thomas occurs fre- 



quently in the history of the county. He 
was among, if not the first settler in the 
county. 

Of his family now living are: Austin C. 
Thomas, now in Oregon; Laura, wife of John 
Stuchel, now in Peoria. There are many facts 
that go to show that she was the first born white 
child in Bureau, or, perhaps it was Mary Ho- 
bart (Thomas), who was born January 15, 
1830, and now lives in Dover. As Mrs. Ho- 
bart is yet a citizen of the county, and can 
show days and dates, we incline to give her 
the blue ribbon among the first born in the 
county. Other childi-en of Henry Thomas 
are Emily Jackson, of Bureau Township, 
Sarah Lumry, of Kansas, and Electa Martin, 
now in the county. 

Ezekiel Thomas' family are: Ruth J. 
Frankeberger, a widow, of Wyanet; Sarah 
Ballard, of same place; Matilda Fisher, of 
Princeton; Harvey Thomas, same place; John, 
of Oregon; Mary Walker, same; Malinda 
Houk, of Princeton; Hartzel, of Peojia; Will- 
iam and Nora Epperson, of Oregon. 

William Hoskins was anative of Kentucky; 
lived many years in Indiana, and came here 
in 1831, and settled in Selby. His wife was 
Rebecca Kellums. They had five boys and 
one girl. The boys: Thomas, James, Wesley, 
Jesse H. and William W. ; Lucinda married 
James Hosier. This family are all either 
dead or removed from the State. Judge 
Hoskins died in Missouri, 1849. He had 
improved four farms in this county. 

Rev. William Martin was one of the 
earliest ministers here. He was a native of 
Virginia. He was President of the first 
Conference in Chicago. He took his dog 
" Penny '' with him, and when he got there 
a committee met him for a reception, and as 
he mingled in the crowd he lost sight of 
"Penny,'' and the ceremony was at once 
stopped while the President started down 



110 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



street calling, "Here Penny! Here Penny! 
Here Penny! " as loud as he was in the habit 
of callincr hogs from the woods in Bureau. 
In fact his voice rang out all over the city, 
and Penny soon heard the familiar sounds, 
and master and dog were soon together and 
the grand ceremonies of the Conference 
then proceeded. It is said by eye witnesses 
that the large committee of aristocratic la- 
dies that stood waiting the good man's pleas- 
ure and his yells for Penny, was about as 
amusing a sight as was ever witnessed at a 
Church Conference. The Rev. Mr. Johnson 
was in company with Mr. Martin, and he 
says he tried to stop the man in his yells for 
his dog, and told him that he was now in 
the city, and he must not act so; that those 
were very aristocratic ladies. Martin replied, 
in the highest key, " What do I care — 
Here Penny! — for the aristocratic — Here 
Penny! — ladies or anybody else? Here Pen- 
ny! Here Penny!! Here! Here!! Here 
Penny!!!" 

Stephen Perkins was born March 31, 1798, 
in Grayson County, Va. ; died in this county, 
September 14, 1867. He was a sou of Tim- 
othy and Tabitha (Anderson) Perkins. The 
grandfather of Stephen was a soldier in the 
Revolution. Stephen married Margaret 
Woods, of Wythe County, Va. , who was born 
in 1802. She was the daughter of John 
Banham. The Perkinses crossed the river in 
1834, and wintered in a log cabin three 
miles northwest of Hennepin, where Stephen 
Perkins settled, and it was called Perkins' 
Grove, which had been staked out by Will- 
iam Perkins in 1833. The grove was named 
after Timothy Perkins, who made and sold 
claims from the mouth of Bureau to Perkins' 
Grove. He went finally to Missouri where 
he died in Gentry County. He was of a 
roving disposition; reared a large and re- 
spectable family. Jabeth Perkins and his 



son William came in 1833; but William re- 
turned to Kentucky. Jesse Perkins bought 
Leonard Roth's claim in 1832, one mile west 
of Bureau Junction, where he died. His 
son Alvin lives near Senachwine. 

Manson Perkins was born February 15, 
1826, in Ashe County, N. C. He was a son 
of Stephen Perkins. 

In 1849 there was a party of fifteen started 
for California from about Perkins' Grove; 
among these were the Perkinses. John Per- 
kins taught the first school in Perkins' Grove. 

William Pollock, a native of Tyrone, Ire- 
land, came to Illinois in 1832, and settled in 
Stark County, and came to Perkins' Grove in 
1837. He purchased William Anderson's 
claim. Anderson was a Mormon Elder. 
Anderson went to Nauvoo, and was killed in 
the Hancock County war. Johnson W. Per- 
kins, bom here, married Edith A. Wasson, 
daughter of Lorenzo D. Wasson. 

George C. Hinsdale came in July, 1831. 
He married Elizabeth Baggs, May 18, 1834. 
(See biography.) 

Christopher G. Corss came in 1831 with 
the Hampshire Colony. (See biography of 
C. C. Corss.) 



CHAPTER IX. 

LoneTree— Putnam CouNxr Organized 1S31— Captain Haws- 
John M. Gay Elected Commissioner, Dr. N. CaAMBEBLAiH. 
School Superintendent, 1831 — Bureau Precinct — Its First 
Nineteen Voters — Their Names and Whom They Voted For — 
A Democratic Majority — Bcreauites on the Jury of 1831 — 
John M.Gat and Daniel Dimmick Elected Justices— Gurdon 
S. Hubbard's Accou.vT OF Bourboxnais— Peoria and Galena 
Road — Dave Jones — First Steamboat— First Grist and Saw- 
Mili, — " Dad Joe " Smith, a Sketch— Young Dad Joe's Ride — 
Alex. Boyd's Ride— The Hall Massacre — Sylvia and Rachel 
Hall — People Flee the Cou-jty— SHAimoNA. 

RESUMING the thread of our narrative 
from which we swerved some little in 
the preceding chapter, in our account of the 
old settlers and their meetings and records, 



HISTORY or BUEEAU COUNTY. 



Ill 



we will devote some considerable space in 
this chapter to those facts and circumstances 
as we have gleaned them of the early settlers, 
and the course of their lives here when all 
was new and wild. 

Oliver Kellogg, brother- in- law of Dixon 
and Boyd, was among the earliest pioneers in 
this section, and when the route from Galena 
became a traveled road, it went by the name 
of Kellogg's trail, for many years. 

As early as 1829, Meredith's, Thomas's, 
Boyd's, Inlet's, Dixon's and Kellogg's were 
noted places, as well as the old Bulbona and 
Lone Tree, the latter giving its name to Lone 
Tree Postoffice. From the earliest times 
this great, solitary tree, standing alone in 
the wide expanse of prairie, was widely 
known. It was a grand old oak that for 
ages had lifted its boughs and defied the 
storms and pointed the way to the lonely 
travelers, hunters and trappers; and when 
civilization began to hunt out this partof the 
world, it was a noted beacon, a towering 
sentinel that told the weary pioneers that 
they were upon the borders of the promised 
land. This historic tree died some twenty 
years ago, and was blown down, and Mr. E. 
Anderson, who had become the owner of the 
gi-ound on which it stood, had made a pasture 
about it, and it is supposed the continuous 
tramping of stock was partly the cause of its 
eventual decay. We are indebted to An- 
drew Anderson for a small block of this 
Lone Tree, which is now doing service as a 
paper weight on our table. When we are 
through with it, it will be suitably identified 
and placed in the custody of the Illinois 
Historical Association. 

Lone Tree is about the center of Wheat- 
land Township, in the southern part of Bu- 
reau County. 

In the spring of 1831 Putnam County was 
first organized into a municijiality, and pos- 



sessed of legal functions. Then new bound- 
aries were given the county, that is, to the 
boundaries in the act of 1825, authorizing 
the county when sufficient population was 
had to organize. At that time (1831) the 
whole country north and west of Bureau set- 
tlement to Galena and northeast including 
Chicago were in the bounds. According to 
the act of the Legislature on the first Mon- 
day in March, 1831, at the house of Capt. Will- 
iam Haws,* an election for county officers was 
held, and to put the wheels of the new 
county government in operation. John M. 
Gay was elected one of the Commissioners of 
the new county, and Dr. N. Chamberlain was 
appointed School Commissioner. These were 
both Bureau County men, and at the time 
they were living in Bureau Precinct, Putnam 
County. Bureau Precinct included all of the 
present county and parts of Stark and Mar- 
shall Counties. At the first election, August 
18, 1831, there were just nineteen votes in 
Bureau Precinct, as follows: Henry Thomas, 
Elijah Epperson, Mason Dimmick, Leonard 
Roth, John M. Gay, Samuel Glason, Curtiss 
Williams, John and Justus Ament, J. W. 
Hall, Henry Harrison, Abram Stratton, Eze- 
kiel Thomas, Hezekiah and Anthony Epper- 
son, E. H. Hall, Adam Taylor, Daniel Dim- 
mick and Thomas W^ashburn. This vote in 
Bureau Precinct was given as follows, on 
Candidates for Congress: Joseph Duncan, 10; 
Sidney Breese. 1; Edward Cole, 6; James 
Turney, 2. As Duncan was the " out and 
outer " Democrat perhaps in the race, we 
may be safe in saying that the first vote ever 
polled of the good people of what is now 
Bureau County was unmistakably Democratic. 
In the month of May, 1831, the first court 
of Putnam County mei The grand jury list 



» This was Capt. Haws of the Black Hawk war, and whose 
company was composed of several Bureau men. and who served 
with him during that war. His house, at which this first elec- 
tion was held, was near where Magnolia now is. 



112 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



shows the names of Elijah Epperson, Henry 
Thomas, Leonard Roth, Abram Stratton, John 
Knox and Mr. Gaylord. On the petit jury 
were Sylvester Brigham, Ezekiel Thomas, 
Eli Redmon, Justin Ament and William 
Morris. This co>irt was at the trading-house 
of Thomas Hartzell, a well-known place to 
every old settler. 

Gurdon S. Hubbard. — Our attention has 
just been called to a letter from Mr. Hubbard 
to the old settlers of Putnam County, and as 
this gives us some important facts in refer- 
ence to this county, we extract the following: 
" Thomas Hartzell, who was a Pennsylvanian 
by birth, was at that time, 1824, trading on 
the river below in opposition to the American 
Fur Company. In 1824-25, he succeeded 
Beaubien in the employment of the company. 
There was a house just below, across the 
ravine, built by Antoine Bourhonnais (Bul- 
bona), also an opposition trader, but who, like 
Hartzell, went into the employ of the Fur 
Company under a yearly salary. My trading 
post after leaving Beaubien was at the mouth 
of Crooked Creek till 1826, when I located 
on the Iroquois River, where I continued in 
the employ of the company till 1830, when 
I bought them out. The last time I visited 
the place where the old trading-house stood, 
the chimney was almost all that remained. 
It was built almost wholly of clay, upon a 
frame-work of wood, being supported by 
stakes stuck firmly in the ground, the whole 
daubed inside and out with clay mortar. The 
hearth was of dry clay pounded hard. It was 
the custom to build rousing fires, and this 
soon baked and hardened the chimney and 
gave it durability. The roof was made of 
puncheons, the cracks well daubed with clay 
and long grass laid on top and kept in place 
by logs of small size. The sides of the 
house consisted of logs kept in place by 
posts sunk in the ground. The ends were 



sapling logs set in the ground upright to the 
roof. A rough door at one end and a window 
composed of a sheet of foolscap paper, well 
greased, completed the building. It was 
warm and comfortable, and under the roof 
many an Indian was hospitably entertained." 

Hubbard further tells of the great buffalo 
herds he saw upon these prairies when he 
first came here, and that passing boats "were 
often delayed for hours by vast herds cross- 
ing from side to side, among which it was 
dangerous to venture." Indians accounted 
for their disappearance by a deep snow and 
a long hard winter when thousands perished, 
and for years the whitening bones upon the 
prairies were evidences of the truth of this 
story. 

Peoria and Galena Road. — This became a 
prominent thoroughfare in 1827. The first 
road connecting Peoria and the Lead Mines 
(Galena) passed by Rock Island, and this 
was a long and difiSoult route. John Dixon, 
Charles S. Boyd and Kellogg had hunted out 
this new, shorter and better road, and at the 
time of the Winnebago war, 1827, Col. Neale, 
with 600 volunteers from southern Illinois 
passed over this new trail. 

Soon after this road was opened, droves of 
cattle and hogs, with emigrant and mining 
wagons, as well as a daily mail coach, passed 
over it, which made it one of the great thor- 
oughfares of the West. For a number of 
years after this road was opened, only six 
cabins were built along its entire length, and 
these stood fifteen or twenty miles apart, so 
as to entertain travelers. Besides these six 
cabins, no marks of civilization could be 
seen between Peoria and Galena, and the 
country through which it passed was still in 
the possession of Indians. 

This road originally passed through the 
head of Boyd's Grove, over the town site of 
Providence, a few rods west of Wyanet, and 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY, 



113 



by Red Oak Grove. Afterward it was 
changed to pass through Dad Joe Grove, and 
in 1833 it was made to pass through Tiskilwa 
and Princeton. 

In the spring of 1831 Dad Joe received a 
large, sealed package, wrapped around with 
red tape, and inscribed " Official Documents." 
On opening it an order was found from the 
Commissioner's Court of Jo Daviess County, 
notifying him that he was appointed Overseer 
of Highways, and fi.xing his district from the 
north line of Peoria County to Rock River, a 
distance of sixty-five miles. In this dis- 
trict Dad Joe could only find four men, be. 
sides himself, to work on this sixty-five miles 
of road. 

In 1833 an act passed the Legislature to 
survey and permanently locate the Peoria 
and Galena road, and appointed Charles S. 
Boyd, J. B. Merrideth, and Dad Joe, Com- 
missioners for that purpose. Although this 
road had been traveled for six years, it had 
never been surveyed or legally established, 
and with the exception of bridging one or 
two sloughs, no work had been done on it. 
The Commissioners met at Peoria for the pur- 
pose of commencing their work, and at the 
ferry, now Front Street, they drove the first 
stake. A large crowd of people had col- 
lected on that occasion, as the location of the 
road was to them a matter of some conse- 
quence. Dad Joe, mounted on old Pat, ap- 
peared to be the center ot attraction, as he 
was well known by every one about Peoria. 
Eight years previously he was a resident of 
Peoria, and while acting as one of the County 
Commissioners he had located the county 
seat there, and by him the name of the place 
was changed from Fort Clark to Peoria. 

Many of the old settlers will recollect old 
Pat, Dad Joe's favorite horse, which was 
ridden or driven by him for more than twenty 
years, and he became almost as well known 



in the settlement as his noted master. He 
was a dark sorrel horse, with foxy ears, a star 
in the forehead, a scar on the flank, and was 
always fat and sleek. It was this horse that 
young Joe rode when he carried the Govern- 
or's dispatch from Dixon's Fei-ry to Fort 
Wilburn, as previously stated. 

Among the crowd that had collected 
around the Commissioners on this occasion, 
was John Winter, a mail contractor, and 
owner of the stage line between Peoria and 
Galena. Many stories of early times were 
told by those present, funny jokes passed, 
and all were enjoying the fun, when Winter 
ofi"ered to stake the choice of his stage horses 
against old Pat, that he could throw Dad 
Joe down. Now Dad Joe was no gambler, 
and would not have exchanged old Pat for 
all of Winter's horses; but being fond of 
fun, he said in his loud tone of voice, which 
could have been heard for half a mile, 
" Winter, I'll be blessed if I don't take that 
bet." Dad Joe was a thick, heavy-set man, 
of remarkable physical power, and wore at 
the time a long hunting-shirt with a large 
rope tied around his waist. Winter was a 
spare, active man, a great champion in wrest- 
ling, and wore a pair of fine cloth panta- 
loons, made tight in accordance with the 
fashion of the day. When all the prelimin- 
aries were arranged, and the parties had taken 
hold, Winter sang out, " Dad, are you 
ready ?" to which Dad replied, "All ready, 
Winter, God bless you." Winter, as quick 
as thought, attempted to knock his adver- 
sary's feet from under him, but instead of 
doing so, he was raised off the ground, and 
held there by the strong arm of Dad Joe. 
Winter kicked and struggled to regain his 
footing, but all to no purpose; at the same 
time his tight pantaloons burst open. At 
last he said, "Dad, for God's sake let me 
down, and you shall have the best horse in 



114 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUJirTY. 



my barn." Dad Joe released his hold, and 
Winter never either paid the bet or bantered 
the old man for another tussle.* 

The first wedding celebrated within the 
limits of Bureau County took place in the 
summer of 1830, and the parties were Leon- 
ard Roth and Nancy Perkins, a daughter of 
Timothy Perkins. The license was obtained 
at the county clerk's office in Peoria, and the 
parties were married by Elijah Epperson. 
There were some doubts about Mr. Epper- 
son's authority to administer the marriage 
rite, as it was obtained through his church 
relation some years before, while living in 
Kentucky, but there was no authorized per- 
son, at that time, living within fifty miles of 
them, and the legality of the marriage was 
never questioned. 

For a few years after Putnam County was 
organized, John M. Gay, as Justice of the 
Peace, was the only person on the west side 
of the Illinois Eiver authorized to administer 
the marriage rite. Abram Stratton and Miss 
Sarah Baggs deferred their wedding two 
weeks, waiting for Mr. Gay to obtain his 
commission, so he could marry them. Squire 
Gay was sent for to marry a couple at Per- 
kins' Grove, whose names were Peter Har- 
mon and Eebecca Perkins, a daughter of 
Timothy Perkins. 

Dave Jones. J — This individual became so 
notorious in the early settlement of the 
county, and figures so much in its history, 
that a further account of him may interest 
the reader. Dave Jones, or Devil Jones, as 
he was generally called, was a small, well- 
built man, with very dark skin, hair and eyes 
as black as a raven, and he had a wild, savage 
appearance. He was strong and active, a 
good wrestler and fighter, and but few men 
could compete with him. For a number of 

* N. Matson. 

t This account of Dave Jones is from N. Matson's Reminis- 
cences. 



years he was a terror to the settlement, being 
feared both by whites and Indians. Jones 
came to the country in the spring of 1831, 
and built a cabin on the present site of Tis- 
kilwa, but getting into trouble with the 
Indians, he traded his claim to Mr. McCor- 
mis for an old mare, valued at ten dollars, 
and two gallons of whisky. He next built a 
cabin near where Lomax's Mill now stands; 
a year or two later he went to Dimmick's 
Grove, and in 1S35 he moved to Indiana, 
where he was hanged by a mob soon after his 
arrival. Many remarkable feats of Jones are 
still remembered by old settlers, some of 
which are worth preservino-. 

In the spring of 1832 a dead Indian was 
found in the creek, near the present site of 
the Bureau Valley Mills, with a bullet-hole 
in his back, showing that he came to his 
death from a rifle shot. The corpse was taken 
out of the water by Indians, buried in the 
sand near by, and the affair was soon forgot- 
ten. Jones said while hunting deer in the 
creek bottom, he saw this Indian sitting on a 
log over the water fishing, when all of a sud- 
den he jumped up as though he was about to 
draw oat a big fish, and pitched headlong 
into the water, and was drowned when he 
came up to him. Two other Indians disap- 
peared mysteriously about the same time, 
who were supposed to have been murdered, 
and on that account, it is said, the Indians 
contemplated taking revenge on the settlers. 

One warm afternoon, Jones, with a jug in 
one hand, came cantering his old mare up to 
the Hennepin ferry, saying that his wife was 
very sick, and would certainly die if she did 
not get some whisky soon. In great haste 
Jones was taken across the river, and on land- 
ing on the Hennepin side, he put his old 
mare on a gallop up the bluff to Durley's 
store, where he filled his jug with whisky. 
Meeting with some old chums, he soon 



J 



Is..'' 



it, 







V 




^,/?,/^. 




HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



115 



became intoxicated, forgot about his wife's 
sickness, and spent the afternoon and even- 
ing in wrestling, dancing "Jim Crow," and 
having a fight with some of his friends. 

It was long after dark when Jones started 
for home, but on arriving at the ferry he 
found the boat locked up, and the ferryman 
in bed. Jones rapped at the door of the 
ferryman's house, swearing if he did not get 
up and take him across, he would pull the 
house down, and whip him besides. But all 
his threats were in vain; the ferryman could 
not be moved. Jones went down to the river, 
took ofi" the bridle reins, with which he tied 
the jug of whisky on his back, then drove 
his old mare into the river, and holding on 
to her tail, was ferried across the river, as 
he afterward expressed it, without costing 
him a cent. 

One afternoon, while Dave Jones was 
engaged in cutting out a road from Hennepin 
ferry through the bottom timber, his coat, 
which lay by the wayside, was stolen. 
Although the value of the old coat did not 
exceed two dollars, it was the only one Jones 
had, and he searched for it throughout the 
settlement. At last Jones found his coat on 
the back of the thief, whom he arrested and 
took to Hennepin for trial. The thief was 
at work in Mr. Hays' field, immediately west 
of Princeton, when Jones presented his rifle 
at his breast, ordering him to take up his 
line of march for Hennepin, and if he 
deviated from the direct course, he would 
blow his brains out. The culprit, shaking in 
his boots, started on his journey, while Jones, 
with his rifle on his shoulder, walked about 
three paces behind. On arriving at Henne- 
pin the thief pleaded guilty, being more afraid 
of Jones than the penalties of the law, and 
was therefore put in jail. "After Jones had 
delivered up his prisoner, he got drunk, was 
engaged in several fights, and he too was 



arrested and put in jail. At that time the 
Hennepin jail consisted of only one room, 
being a log structure, twelve feet square, and 
Jones being put in with the thief, commenced 
beating him Seeing that they could not 
live together, the thief was liberated and 
Jones retained. At this turn of affairs Jones 
became penitent, agreed to go home and 
behave himself, if they would let him out. 
Accordingly the sheriff took him across the 
river, and set him at liberty; but Jones swore 
he would not go home iintil he had whipped 
every person in Hennepin, so he returned to 
carry out his threats, but was again arrested 
and put in jail. 

A short time after the establishing of the 
Hennepin ferry, Dave Jones was on the 
Hennepin side of the river, with a yoke of 
wild cattle, and wished to cross over, but was 
unwilling to pay the ferriage. He swore 
before he would pay the ferryman's extrava- 
gant price, he would swim the river, saying 
that he had frequently done it, and could do 
it again. Jones wore a long-tailed Jackson 
overcoat, which reached to his heels, and a 
coon-skin cap, with the tail hanging down 
over his shoulders, the weather at the time 
being quite cool. He drove his oxen into 
the river, taking the tail of one of them into 
his mouth, when they started for, the oppo- 
site shore. Away went the steers, and so 
went Dave Jones, his long hair and long- 
tailed overcoat floating on the water, his 
teeth tightly fastened to the steer's tail, while 
with his hands and feet he paddled with all 
his might. Everything went on swimmingly, 
until they came near the middle of the river, 
where the waters from each side of the island 
came together; here the current was too strong 
for the steers — they turned down stream, and 
put back for the Hennepin side. Jones could 
not ojsen his mouth to say gee or haw, without 
losing his hold on the steer's tail, and was 



116 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



therefore obliged to go where the steers led 
him, but all were safely landed some distance 
below the starting-place. Jones was in a 
terrible rage at his failure to cross the river 
— beat his cattle, and ciu-sed the bystanders for 
laughing at his misfortune. After taking a 
big dram of whisky, he tried it again, but 
with no better success. Three different times 
Jones tried this experiment, each time whip- 
ping his cattle and taking a fresh dram of 
whisky. At last he was obliged to give it 
up as a bad job, and submit to paying the 
ferryman the exorbitant price of twenty-five 
cents to be ferried over. 

First Steamboat— In May, 1831, the steam- 
boat Caroline came up the Illinois River from 
St. Louis, and continued up the river to the 
mouth of the Little Vermilion— Shipping- 
port. This was the first steamer that had ever 
ascended above Beardstown, then the head of 
navigation. At this point a pilot named 
Crozier took the boat successfully to Ottawa. 
In the September following the second boat 
came — the Traveler. The Caroline brought 
Captain Williams' company of soldiers. 

First Mill— In 1829 Timothy Perkins 
and Leonard Roth came and settled near 
Leepertown Mills. In 1830 William Hoskins, 
John Clark and John Hall (bought Dim- 
mick's claim) and made a large farm. Dim- 
mick removed to LaMoille, where he lived 
two years and sold out and left the country. 
In the summer of 1830 Amos Leonard 
(millwright) built a grist-mill on East Biireau, 
about eighty rods above its mouth. It was 
made of round logs, twelve feet square, and 
all its machinery, with a few exceptions, was 
made of wood. The mill-stones were dressed 
out of boulder rocks, which were talien from 
the bluffs near by, and the hoop they ran in 
was a section of a hollow sycamore tree. This 
mill, when in running order, would grind 
about ten bushels per day, but poor as it 



was, people regarded it as a great accession 
to the settlement, and it relieved them of the 
slow process of grinding on hand-mills, or 
pounding their grain on a hominy block. 
Settlers east of the river, as well as those liv- 
ing near the mouth of Fox River, patronized 
Leonard's Mill, and it is now believed that it 
was the first water-mill built north of Peoria. 
In 1831 Henry George, a single man who 
was killed at the Indian Creek massacre, 
made a claim, and built a cabin on the pres- 
ent site of Bureau Junction. In 1833 John 
Leeper bought Perkins' claim, and a few 
years afterward built a large flouring-mill, 
which received much patronage from adjoin- 
ing counties. Quite a village (called Leeper- 
town) grew up at this mill; but in 1838 the 
mill burned down and the village went to 
decay. 

In 1834 a number of immigrants found 
homes in this locality, among whom were 
David Nickerson, John McElwain, James 
Howe, Charles Leeper and Maj. William 
Shields. As early as 1832 a number of per- 
sons had settled in Hoskins' neighborhood, 
among whom were Daniel Sherley and Gil- 
bert Kellums. In 1834 the large family of 
Searl came here, where many of their de- 
scendants continue to live. 

Moseley Settlement. — In August, 1831, 
Roland Moselej-, Daniel Smith and Joha 
Musgrove, with their families, came to 
Bureau; the two former were from Massa- 
chusetts, and the latter from New Jersey, 
having met by chance while on their way to 
the West. The emigrants ascended the Illi- 
nois River in a steamboat as far as Naples, 
and finding it difiicult to obtain passage 
further up the river, they left their families 
there, and made a tour through the country 
in search of homes. Hearing of the Hamp- 
shire Colony on Bureau, Mr. Moseley directed 
his course thither, and being pleased with 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



117 



the country, he selected a claim. At that 
time Timothy Perkins claimed, for himself 
and family, all the timber and adjoining 
prairie, between Arthur Bryant's and Caleb 
Cook's, but he agreed to let Mr. Moseley have 
enough for two farms, on condition of selling 
him some building material. A few months 
previous, Timothy Perkins and Leonard Roth 
had built a saw-mill on Main Bureau, a short 
distance below the present site of McManis' 
Mill. This was the first saw-mill built within 
the limits of Bureau County, and with one ex- 
ception, the first north of Peoria. 

Mr. Moseley marked out his claim, cutting 
the initials of his name on witness trees, and 
contracting with Mr. Perkins to furnish him, 
on the land, some boards and slabs for a 
shanty, after which he returned to Naples to 
report his discovery. 

The three families, with their hoiisehold 
goods, were put on board a keel-boat at Na- 
ples, and ascended the river as far as the 
mouth of Bureau Creek. Soon after their 
arrival at Bureau they were all taken down 
sick with the intermittent fever, one not be- 
ing able to assist the other. Although 
strangers in a strange land, they found those 
who acted the part of the good Samaritan. 
James G. Forristal, although living twelve 
miles distant, was a neighbor to them, spend- 
ing days and even weeks in administering to 
their wants. Daniel Smith, father of Daniel 
P. and Dwight Smith, of Ohiotown, found 
shelter for his family in a shanty constructed 
of split puncheons, which stood on the Doo- 
little farm. The widow of Daniel Smith, 
being left with three small children, in a 
strange country, and with limited means, ex- 
perienced many of the hardships common to 
a new settlement. 

Mr. Moseley and Mr. Musgrove were men 
of industry and enterprise, improving well 
their claims, and lived upon them until their 
deaths. i 



"Dad Joe Smith." — Among the earliest 
j and certainly one of the most remarkable 
men of all the early pioneers who came to 
Bureau County was Joseph Smith, immortal 
as "Dad Joe." A very powerful physical 
frame, not tall, but square and heavy built, 
compact, and large bones and muscles, a tower 
of strength, with a capacity of voice that has 
never been equaled in this part of the world. 
A big brain, a strong and steady nerve and a 
heart that never knew fear of anythintr mor- 
tal. The Smith family are a long line of he- 
roic pioneers and soldiers, running back from 
the late war to the American Revolution. 
From the early settlements in Maryland they 
pressed upon the bloody tracks of the savage 
from Maryland through and beyond the 
"Dark and Bloody Ground," into Ohio, In- 
diana, into and through Illinois and beyond 
the great Father of Waters. They warmed 
him in their cabins and gave him of their salt 
when he was a friendly and good Indian, and 
when he put on his murderous paint, they 
"met him in his path and slew him." "Dad 
Joe" Smith was the child of pioneers — "born 
in the wildwood, rocked on the wave " — he 
grew, from inheritance and from the educa- 
tion of his life, a pioneer, that grandest type 
of man, of whom it has been well said they 
were "civilization's forlorn hope," for with- 
out them limited indeed would be its do- 
minions. It is a tradition that "Dad Joe" 
was one of Gen. George Rogers Clark's men, 
or at least it was the daring and adventurous 
march of this" Hannibal of the Northwest" 
into this part of the Mississippi Valley that 
resulted in eventually bringing him to this 
part of Illinois. His coming here was the 
most valuable acquisition of the time to the 
whole country, for he possessed the ' ' blood 
and iron " in his nature that awed and mas- 
tered the crafty and cruel savage and would 
tame and quiet his tierce, wild nature often 
when nothing else would. He was brave. 



118 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY- 



sincere, manly and honest, and the red man 
soon learned to know that his friendship was 
a boon and that his enmity was to be dreaded, 
that his good-will was easier gained than his 
ill-will, and that one was to be as much de- 
sired as the other was to be dreaded. In his 
heart the untutored savage must have felt 

that 

"The elements so mixed in him 
That nature might stand up 
And say to all the world: 
This is a man." 

His stentorian voice and his ever ready 
"Yes, God bless you!" were equally famed 
throughout the country, and something of the 
estimate the people entertained of the man is 
the fact that he was universally known as "Dad 
Joe," and to half his acquaintances to have 
spoken of Mr. Joseph Smith would have been 
mentioning a strange name — some one they 
had never heard of; and so marked was this 
peculiarity that it was quite natural for every 
one to speak of his boy as "Young Dad Joe," 
■who was a chip of the old block. An inci- 
dent occurred in the Black Hawk war that 
was fitly remembered at the old settlers' 
meeting in Princeton, in September, 1875, in 
the following lines: 

TOUNG DAD joe's EIDE.* 

" Of Paul Revere, and Collins Graves, 

* » # » 

" And Sheridan's most famous ride, 
And other heroes still beside. 
Their praise is on the Nation's tongue." 

"Our hero is a stripling lad. 
Who was the darling of his "Dad," 
Yet scarce from off the apron string; 
Younger than was the ruddy Dave, 
Who slew the famed Philistine brave." 

* * * * 

The poet then proceeds to almost literally 
relate the circumstance that actually occur- 
red. Gov. Reynolds was with the arm}- at 

*Read by A. N. Bacon. 



Dixon, and it became very important for him 
to get a dispatch delivered to the commander 
at Fort "Wilburn, a fortification on the Illi- 
nois River opposite Peru. He called for a 
volunteer to carry the dispatch, a dangerous 
undertaking, as the country swarmed with 
Indians, supposed to be on the lookout for 
any couriers that might bo passing from one 
portion of the army to another in this emer- 
gency. 

" Well mindful of his country's weal. 
And fired with patriotic zeal, 
Old Dad Joe unto him said, 
God bless you. Governor, I will send 
That message to its destined end." 
* # « * 

Then turning to his boy, a lad about fifteen 

years old, he said: 

" God bless you. Joe; 
Take this dispatch across the plain, 
To Wilburn Fort and there remain; 
Just saddle up old Pat and go! " 

The brave boy gladly obeyed, and in a few 
moments was on old Pat's back: the message 
carefully tucked away in his clothes, and as 
he turned his horse's head, and in a quick 
gallop started upon the perilous voyage, that 
great voice of " Old Dad Joe's " rang out 

after him: 

" God bless you, boy. 
Keep clear of timber — Indians there! " 
And a backward wave of the boy's hand 
told the father that his boy understood him, 
as he sped away, bending forward his head 
and steadily looking straight before him with 
every sense drawn to sharpest tension. The 
boy feeling the greataess of his mission — 
the destiny perhaps that hung upon his suc- 
cessful voyage, thundered across the plains, 
and heeding the advice of his father in bear- 
ing off from the timber, was able to ride in 
triumph from starting-point to destination, 
although from several coverts the armed In- 
dians on ponies discovered him, and rode out 
and chased him for many a mile on his way. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



119 



Their ponies were over-matcliecl by old Pat, 
and they would soon abandon the chase as 
the young rider would disappear in the tall 
grass and the distant view, as he sped on and 
on over the swelling prairie. 

" He onward sped and reached the goal. 
* * # * # 

"When they the j'outhful horseman saw, 
And from its hiding place to draw 
The Governor's will, that thej' might know, 
A shout went up from that lone band 
That should be sounded through the land, 
Hurrah! Hurrah! for young Dad Joe. 
» » « * 

" Our story may be growing old. 
The incident that we have told, 
Was more than forty years ago; 
Some may our hero never know; 
Yet Bureau folks may well bestow 
Three times three cheers on Young Dad Joe." 

The poetry is not very much, but the heroic 
feat it celebrates is a part of the Black Hawk 
war that should not be lost in the history of 
Illinois. It was a brave act by this "little 
man, in erownless hat and legs of tan." 

" Dad Joe" was among the first to settle at 
Fort Clark, at Aukas, at the mouth of Rock 
River, at the lead mines and in Bureau 
County. He spent the most of his life here 
and lived and died without an enemy. He 
got his name of " Dad Joe " from the trader 
Ogee, who spoke very broken English, who 
found no other way of designating Joseph 
Smith, Sr. , from his son Joe. His heart 
was as kind as his exterior was rough. He 
was a native of Kentucky, and although 
his parents owned slaves, he had no educa- 
tion, and refused to own a human being. He 
was a strong temperance man, and a good 
judge of ahorse; altogether a most remarkable 
pioneer, and whose memory will be always 
carefully preserved by the good people of the 
county. 

It was said of " Dad Joe " that he was a 



very moral and pious man, never profane in 
his language, but we infer from an anecdote 
of him related by John H. Bryant, at the old 
settlers' meeting August 30, 1884, that he 
once broke over his rule in this respect. He 
discovered a prairie fire approaching his farm 
and he and all his family were out to fight it 
off in order to save his wheat-stacks that were 
exposed. In this as everywhere the good old 
man worked with a will beating out the fire. 
His strokes flew fast and furious as the tire 
kept advancing, and at each stroke he would 
say, "God bless the fii-e! God bless the fire!" 
and yet it advanced toward the wheat-stacks, 
and faster and faster he fought and also faster 
and faster would he ejaculate, "God bless the 
tire! God bless the fire!" And finally the 
fatal flames by a bound were upon the near- 
est wheat-stack, and then the old man threw 
down his weapon and exclaimed, " God damn 
the fire! " and hurriedly left the scene. 

Was not this only oath of the good man 
like Lawrence Sterne's saying of Uncle Toby's 
oath: " The accusing spirit flew up to 
heaven's court of chancery and blushed as he 
handed it in, and the recording angel as he 
wrote it down dropped a tear upon it that 
blotted it out forever." 

Caiiture of the Hall Girls. — William Hall 
settled where LaMoille now stands, in 1830, 
and the next year sold to Aaron Gunn (the 
only survivor who was in the cabin when 
Elijah Phillips was killed, and who is living 
in La Salle), and settled on Indian Creek, a 
few miles north of Ottawa. He had been 
at his new home but a few weeks when the 
Black Hawk war broke out. The people had 
generally fled to the forts. The massacre 
occm-red on the 21st day of May, 1831, at 
the cabin of a man named Daviess, on In- 
dian Creek. Fifteen persons were killed, and 
the two Hall girls, Sylvia, aged eighteen, and 
Rachel, aged sixteen, were taken prisoners 



120 



PIISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



and carried off captives. The attack was in 
the afternoon, by about seventy-five painted 
Indians, and was so sudden and unexpected 
that the people in the cabin could make but 
little defense. "William Hall and Robert 
Morris were at once shot dead. Daviess, the 
owner of the cabin, made a heroic defense, 
clubbing his gun and breaking it to pieces 
and bending the barrel. Henry George 
jumped into the mill-pond, but was shot and 
killed while swimming across. Daviess' son, 
aged fourteen, was caught as he was cross- 
ing the mill-pond, and tomahawked, and 
his body thrown into the water. , William 
Hall's SOD, John W. , by running to the 
creek bank, and as volleys were tired at him, 
he jumped over the embankment and es- 
caped. Mrs. Phillips was found with her 
child in her arms, and their heads had been 
split with a tomahawk. An infant was 
snatched from its mother's arms and its 
brains knocked out against the door-frame. 
The Hall girls and Miss Daviess jumped on 
the bed. Miss Daviess was shot dead, and 
the muzzle of the gun was so near Miss 
Hall's face as to burn a blister. 

Edward and Greenbury Hall, and a son of 
Mr. Daviess, were at work in a field near the 
cabin, when the murdering was going on. 
They heard it, and knew it was their fami- 
lies being butchered. They hurried to the 
scene and cautiously approached and saw 
the number of the Indians, and all they 
could do was to fly and try and save them- 
selves. Near the cabin of Daviess lived two 
families named Henderson — grandfather and 
uncle of Gen. T. J. Henderson, of Prince- 
ton. But these families had gone to the 
fort, and thus escaped. 

After the slaughter l.he savages seized 
Sylvia and Rachel Hall, placed them on 
horses, and, a buck at each side to hold 
them, they started oif. They had three 



prisoners when they started, having the two 
girls and an eight year old son of Mr. 
Daviess; but they soon killed the child, as he 
seemed troublesome to take along. Two 
days after the massacre a company of rangers 
went from Ottawa to bury the dead. The 
bodies were shockingly mutilated. The 
captives were carried north of Galena, and 
their captors, the Sacs and Foxes, turned 
them over to the Winuebagoes. 

A day or two after the cajitm-e, John W. 
Hall, the brother who escaped, at the head of 
a company of rangers followed in pursuit of 
the Indians. When the company reached 
the lead mines Mi'. Gratiot and Gen. Dodge, 
of that place, employed two friendly Winne- 
bago chiefs to buy the prisoners of the Foxes. 
They soon effected the purchase and a ran- 
som of §2,000 and forty ponies and some 
blankets were paid over to the Indians, and 
the ranger? conducted the girls to the fort. 
Nicholas Smith, of West Bureau, was a team- 
ster in the army, and took the girls in his wag- 
on to the fort near Galena, where they were 
put on a boat and sent to St. Louis, where 
they were met by Rev. Erastus Horn, an old 
friend of their father, who tenderly cared for 
them until John W. Hall married and settled 
on the Seaton farm, when the girls returned to 
Bureau County again. The Illinois Legisla- 
ture gave the girls a quarter section of canal 
land near Joliet, and Congi-ess donated them a 
bounty. 

Sylvia married Rev. William Horn, a son 
of their {protector, and moved to Lincoln 
Neb. Rachel married William Munson, and 
moved into La Salle County, where she died 
in 187L 

A remarkable Indian characteristic was 
manifested as the finale of this massacre. 
Two Pottawattomie Indians had been indicted 
in La Salle County for participating in the 
tragedy. They had been fully identified by 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



131 



the Hall girls. They were arrested, indicted 
and bound over, and before they were tried 
their tribe moved west of the Mississippi, 
and in ignorance of what they should do, 
these criminals went with their tribe. George 
E. Walker, an Indian trader, was Sheriff of 
the county, and with others he was security 
for the appearance of the savages. He went 
alone into the Indian country west of the 
river, in pursuit of the prisoners. He found 
them and made known his mission. A coun- 
cil was called, the matter considered, and it 
was decided the Indians must accompany 
the Sheriff and stand their trial. The pris- 
oners bade an eternal farewell to all their 
friends, and in the firm conviction they would 
be executed, started willingly with the Sher- 
iff for the place of trial and execution. For 
many days the Sheriff traveled through the 
Indian country, camping at night and the 
three sleeping together. He would often 
send the prisoners off to hunt in order to 
have something to eat, and thus the long 
slow trip was made through the wild coun- 
try, and there was not an hour they were on 
the road but that these criminals could have 
walked off in perfect security. There is no 
one thing that so fully portrays the stoicism 
and indifference of death, and a peculiar 
sense of Indian honor for their pledged word, 
as this incident. They felt that they were 
going to their certain execution — they were 
dejected and sad all the way, because there 
is nothing to an Indian so abhorrent as to be 
hung — choked to death. This is not only 
death but it is to be damned, because when 
they die, they believe the soul passes out of 
the mouth with the last breath, and, if 
choked, this cannot take place, and the soul 
is lost. To be shot or burned is nothing to 
these savage stoics, because then they can 
sing their death chants, and it is glorious to 
die. 



They were duly tried at La Salle, and ac- 
quitted. They had so cunningly painted 
themselves when they appeared at the trial 
that the Hall girls could not positively iden- 
tify them. 

Alex Boyd's Ride. — In the spring of 
1832, Alex Boyd being about the same age 
of "Young Dad Joe," also had some ex- 
perience as a rider through the dangerous 
wilds and Indian coverts, bearing important 
messages from the commander to the fort 
at Peoria. 

In the winter of 1831 Charles S. Boyd's 
house, a large twostory log-house with L, 
burned, and in the flames was destroyed 
nearly everything in the house except the 
people. The fire occurred in the dead of the 
night, and when the family were aroused 
they could only save themselves. One bed 
was all that was saved in this line, and the 
most of the clothing of the family was de- 
stroyed. Alex's recollection is that he saved 
a shirt — the one he was sleeping in. The 
family moved into a little smoke-house. 

Some time in June James P. Dixon, son 
of John Dixon, in company with five soldiers, 
arrived at Charles Boyd's late at night. 
They stopped for the night, and in the morn- 
ing young Dixon told his uncle that he was 
the bearer of important dispatches from Ap- 
ple River to Governor Reynolds, who was 
then supposed to be at the Peoria Fort. He 
was worn out and exhausted with his long 
ride thi-ough the dangerous country; he 
begged his uncle to have the message con- 
veyed to Peoria. Alex .was called up and 
asked if he would take it. He replied if his 
father would let him ride "Kit'' he would 
not be afraid. His wardrobe was increased 
to a straw hat, breeches and shirt. He was 
warned by his father what particular points 
to avoid and where to be on the lookout for 
covert red-skins, especially the old empty 



123 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUKTY. 



cabin of Joe Meredith's that stood near the 
road, about five miles this side of Simon 
Keed's. It was forty-five miles to Peoria, 
and the rider left Boyd's Grove at 1 P. M., 
and delivered the message to Gen. Stillman, 
he thinks it was before sundown of that day. 

People Driven Aivay. — From the time of 
the commencement of the Winnebago war, 
1827, to the close of the Black Hawk war in 
June, 1832, the few scattered settlements of 
northern Illinois were often harassed by 
bands of savages on their marauding expedi- 
tions. Word was passed around, and at all 
hours of the day and night people would 
start at a moment's notice, often so closely 
pressed that they would gather the babies in 
their arms and flee on foot, and sometimes 
their way was lighted up by the burning 
cabins they had just quitted. At night the 
families would doubly bar their doors and 
crawl into the cabin attics and sleep in ter- 
ror, the men lying with hands upon their 
rifles. In the day the men and boys would 
work in the field, one standing sentinel, 
while the others with their guns strapped on 
their shoulders would work. During these 
dreadful years of terror and suspense, every 
man, woman and child was on constant picket 
duty, painfully alert for the sign of the ap- 
proaching murderers. The horses, the cattle 
and the dogs, with their keener sense of smell, 
were most valuable protections often, and 
would give their warnings to the people. 
The poor, dumb domestic animals dreaded 
and were terrified at the sly approach of the 
dirty, stinking savages, and the people well 
understood their language of fear and terror, 
and saved their lives by heeding their notes 
of warning. 

Some of these were false alarms, but others 
were only too real. The false alarms which 
several times set the whole people in rapid 
motion for the fort on the east side of the 



river, would be started by some trivial cir- 
cumstance or the sudden fright of some 
hunter or nervous traveler, and thus the cry 
of alarm would pass around and the literal 
stampede of the people would commence. 

Shabbona or Chamblee. — The most \ alua- 
ble friend the whites of Illinois ever had 
was chief Shabbona. He professed and was 
the white man's friend. He admired the 
superior intelligence of the white race, and 
desired their fi'iendship and their civiliza- 
tion for his ignorant savages. He was a man 
of natural good sense, and above the low 
cunning and treachery of the average Indian. 
His superiority gave him great influence over 
his people, and although he several times 
suffered outrages and grievous wrongs at the 
hands of the rangers and soldiery, be re- 
mained unfaltering in his friendship to the 
pioneer settlers, whose cabins he delighted to 
visit, and smoke the pipe of friendship, j)ar- 
take of their salt, and learn their better ways 
of living. Although a chief and one of 
power he was not loth to see come the com- 
forts of industry and civilized life, and it is 
now well understood he would have gladly 
seen his people become like the white man 
and abandon their tribal life, and be good 
and industrious citizens of the white man's 
government. His good sense must have 
detected the evils that came with people who 
had preachers, powder and fire-water, yet he 
could look over and beyond surface evils to 
the much good that would come to the savage 
by institutions that would lift him from his 
degrading ignorance. There were other 
Indians that were true friends to the white 
man, but none so valuable as Shabbona. It 
is said he would go himself or have spies 
among the Winnebagoes, Sacs and Foxes, 
and when they had organized to raid the set- 
tlers, Shabbona would make long and hard 
night rides and warn every endangered set- 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



123 



tlement, and thus time and again he saved 
their lives — and especially the people of 
Bureau County, in the years 1831-32. 

After the Black Hawk war Shabbona and 
his 150 followers were for some time en- 
camped on Bureau, near the crossing of the 
Dixon road. He was born in the Ottawa 
tribe; married the daughter of a Pottawatto- 
mie chief, upon whose death he succeeded to 
power. He was with Tecumseh in 1811, on 
his mission to the Creek Indians, in Missis 
sippi; was present at the Vincennes Council. 
He was an aid of Tecumseh' s, and by his side 
when he was killed by Dick Johnson at the 
battle of the Thames. 

Shabbona, Black Partridge and Senach- 
wine, were three of the most noted chiefs of 
the Mississippi. They were the friends of 
the white man, they labored for peace and 
friendship, and to protect their white friends 
they more than once risked their lives. They 
possessed intelligence far above their people. 
When they looked upon civilization they 
desired their people might become civilized, 
and not, as their superior intelligence pointed 
out to them, foolishly try to live after the 
white race came, as savages and enemies, 
because this was to waste away and slowly 
perish from the face of the earth. 

Shabbona and Black Partridge were at the 
Chicago massacre, drawn there in the hope 
to save the white people. They did not reach 
there in time to save all, but there is but lit- 
tle question that the few who did escape 
owed their lives to them. 

At the commencement of the Black Hawk 
war, Shabbona went to Dixon's ferry to offer 
the services of himself and warriors of his 
band to Gov. Reynolds, to fight against the 
Sacs and Foxes. Mounted on his pony, and 
alone, he arrived at Dixon's ferry on the 
same day that Stillman's army reached there. 
The soldiers, believing Shabbona to be an 



enemy in disguise, dragged him from his 
pony, took away his gun and tomahawk, and 
otherwise mistreated him, telling him they 
had left home to kill Indians, and he should 
be their first victim. A man, running at the 
top of his speed, came to Dixon's house, and 
told him that the soldiers had taken Shab- 
bona prisoner, and were about to put him to 
death. Mr. Dixon, in all haste, ran to the 
rescue, when he found the soldiers (who were 
somewhat under the influence of liquor), 
about to stain their hands with innocent 
blood. Dixon, claiming the prisoner as an 
old friend, took him by the arm and conduct- 
ed him to his ovm house, when he was after- 
ward introduced to Gov. Reynolds, Gen. 
Atkinson, Col. Taylor, and others. 

Shabbona, with his warriors, joined Atkin- 
son's army, although he had sided with the 
British under Tecumseh and Capt. Billy 
Caldwell, but now he was the friend of the 
Americans, and participated in all the battles 
during the last Indian war. In the fall of 
1836 he and his band abandoned their reser- 
vations of land at the grove, giving way to 
the tide of emigration, and went west of the 
Mississippi. But Shabbona's fidelity to the 
whites caused him to be persecuted by the 
Sacs and Foxes. In revenge they killed his 
son and nephew, and hunted him down like 
a wild beast. 

Two years after going West, in order 
to save his life, he left his people, and 
with a part of his family returned to this 
county. For some years he traveled from 
place to place, visiting a number of Eastern 
cities, where he was much lionized, and re- 
ceived many valuable presents. His last visit 
to Princeton was in 1857, while on his way 
eastward. Shabbona died in July, 1859, on 
the bank of the Illinois River, near Seneca, 
in the eighty- fourth year of his age; and was 
buried in Morris Cemetery. No monument 



134 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



marks the last resting-place of this friend of 
the white man. 

Hon. John Wentworth, of Chicago, says: 
William Hickling, of this city, has exhibited 
to me the original of the following docu- 
ment, proving that Billy Caldwell, our Jus- ; 
tice of the Peace in 1826, was an officer in 
the British service, after the treaty of jjeace; 
and that he styled himself Captain of the ' 
Indian Department, in 1816, at Amherstburg 
(Fort Maiden). Mr. Hickling resided in 
Chicago before its incorporation, but resided j 
many years thereafter at Ottawa, and was a 
pai-tner of George E. Walker, nephew of 
Rev. Jesse. Whilst at Ottawa the Indian 
chief, Shabbona, ofteu visited him and 
remained with him over night. Not long 
before his death he gave him the document, 
asserting that he had always worn it upon 
his person. The manuscript proves that 
Caldwell was a man of education, as we all 
knew he was of intelligence. He was edu- 
cated by the Jesuits, at Detroit, and, at the 
time of his death he was head chief of the 
combined nations of Pottawattomie8,Ottawas, 
and Chippewas. He married a sister of the 
Pottawattomie chief, Yellow Head, and had 
an only child a son — who died young. On 
the authority of Shabbona, Mr. Hickling 
denies the commonly received idea that Cald- 
well was a son of Tecumseh's sister. He 
confirms the report that he was the son of an : 
Irish officer in tlie British service, but he 1 
insists that his mother was a Pottawattomie. 
and hence he became chief of the Pottawat- 
tomies. Tecumseh was a Shawnee, and, he 
contends, had but one sister, Tecumapeance, 
older than himself, whose husband, Wasego- 
boah, was killed at the battle of the Thames. 
She survived him some time, but died in 
Ohio. 

Shablwna (or Chamblee, in French) was an 
Ottawa Indian, and a chief, born on the Ohio 



River. The certificate was undoubtedly 
given him to assist him with the British 
Government. At the commencement of the 
battle of the Thames, or of Moravian Town 
(as Caldwell calls it), the Indian chiefs 
Tecumseh (Shawnee) (spelled Tecumthe by 
many), Caldwell (Pottawattomie), Shabbona 
(Ottawa), and Black Hawk (Sac), were, as 
Mr. Hickling learned from Shabbona, sitting 
upon a log, in consultation. 

The paper on which this document was 
written was a half sheet of old-fashioned 
English foolscap paper, plainly watermarked 
" C. & S., 1813," and is as follows: 

" This is to certify, that the bearer of this 
name, Chamblee, was a faithful companion 
to me, during the late war with the United 
States. The bearer joined the late celebrated 
warrior, Tecumthe, of the Shawnee nation, 
in the year of 1807, on the Wabash River, 
and remained with the above warrior from 
the commencement of the hostilities with the 
United States until our defeat at Moravian 
Town, on the Thames, October 5, 1813. I 
also have been witness to his intrepidity and 
courageous warfare on many occasions, and 
he showed a great deal of humanity to those 
unfortunate sons of Mars who fell into his 
hands. B. Caldwell, 

Captain, I. D. 

Amhurstburct, August 1, 1816. 

There was no regular fort in Bureau, and 
in the spring of 1831 the entire population 
fled to the east side of the river, and to 
Peoria, and some continued their flight back 
to the old States and never returned. Some 
of the bolder men and their boys would leave 
their families on the east of the river and re- 
turn to raise their corn. They were often in 
the midst of such danger that they dared not 
sleep in their cabins, but secreting in the 
coverts, and generally a new place every 
niffht. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



135 



Henry Thomas' house was fixed up for a 
fort, and here the frightened people would 
sometimeb gather in alarm. There was but 
little stuff raised here in 1831-32, and it was 
only by the Illinois soldiers coming here 
from southern Illinois that enabled some of 
the people to get enough to eat during the 
winter. The gloomy years of Indian troubles 
had finally passed, and in the fall of 1832 
this particular portion of Illinois began to 
emerge from its severest ordeal. 



CHAPTER X. 

End of the Indian Troubles— Commkncement of Permanent 
Settlement — Election of 1834 — Bryant and Brigham 
Elected — Estimated Number of People — Brown's Company 
OF Rangers — The Hampshire Colony — William 0. Cham- 
berlain ITS Original Inventor— E. H. Puf.lps' Account of 
the Colony and of their Coming, and the History Thereof 
— Names of the Colonists and their Friends, 

TTyHEN the Black Hawk war was ended 
V V by the destruction of the invading 
army, and Black Hawk was a subdued and 
quiet prisoner, and the Sac and Fox Indians 
had passed the great river never to return, 
the people once more began to return to their 
deserted homes. So far as we can learn 
those who had fled and were the tii-st to re- 
turn were the following families: Prince- 
ton, Elijah Epperson, Dr. N. Chamberlain, 
Eli and Elijah Smith, John Musgrove, Ro- 
land Mosely, Mrs. E. Smith, Robert Clark 
and Joel Doolittle. LaMoi lie, Daniel Dera- 
mick; Dover, John L. Ament; Ai-ispie, 
Micheal Kitterman, Curtiss Williams, and 
Dave Jones; Selby, John Hall, William Has- 
kins, John Clark, and Amos Leonard; Wya- 
net, Abram Oblist, and Old Bulbona; Bureau; 
Ezekiel aud Henry Thomas, Abram Stratton, 
John M. Gay; Ohio, "Dad Joe" Smith; 
Walnut, James Magbv; Milo, Charles S. 



Boyd; Leepertown, Timothy Perkins and 
Leonard Roth; Hall, William Tompkins and 
Sampson Cole. 

These constituted the places settled in the 
county and is very near a complete list of 
all the old settlers who came marching home 
" when the cruel war was o'er." And those 
homes that were burned by the Indians were 
soon rebuilt and the work of repairing the 
houses and fences, and planting, late as it 
was, something to furnish food to tide over 
the winter, gave all these people who 

" Hewed the dark old woods away, 
And gave the virgin fields to day," 

much to busy themselves about. 

Then began to come to this part of Illinois 
the benefits of tbe Black Hawk war. It may 
sound strange to speak of the advantages of 
war — a trade that is simply brutal, murder- 
ous and devilish. But the word had gone 
out to the world that the war was over, the 
Indians gone, that is, the Sacs and Foxes, 
and all about in the older settlements, and 
away from the seat of war were men and 
families waiting for this news, and were 
ready to resume the journey started the year 
or years before, and came to this particular 
spot of Illinois. Then the war had sent 
many soldiers and rangers here and they 
looked upon the country and determined, if 
they lived, to return and build them homes 
on this beautiful land. All these, and still 
other causes, started a stream of the really 
permanent settlers. 

Capt. Jesse Browne, with a company of 
rangers, was in Bureau dui'ing the winter of 
1832-33. A jjortion of the time the com- 
pany was camped in Haskins' Prairie. Capt. 
Jesse Browne was a brother of Thomas C. 
Browne, at ■ one time one of the Justices of 
the Supreme Court in this State. He was 
authorized by the Government to raise a com- 
pany of rangers to guard the frontier. They 



126 



HISTORY OP BUREAU COUNTY. 



were called the "Browne Rangers." It is 
said that some of the settlers were disposed 
to believe that the Otta was, along Kock River, 
were organizing a raid upon the people of 
Bureau. And it is further told that Mrs. 
John Dixon, with her children, passed down 
by the Bureau settlements and terribly 
frightened some of them by announcing that 
she was Meeing for her life, as the Ottawas 
were on the war-path. But the fact is there 
was at no time any sufficient general scare to 
interfere with the tending the crops and 
building cabins by the settlers. And the 
next two years were times of prosperity and 
increase in the enfeebled little colonies, which 
was neither marked uor rapid, yet it was pros- 
perous, and the prosperity was permanent. 

In 1834 there was an election in Putnam 
County, and in the precinct of Bureau John 
H. Bryant and Joseph Brigham were elected 
Justices of the Peace. Mr. Bryant was the 
successor; that is, John M. Gay's books were 
turned over to him, and as Dimmick had 
never qualified there were no books for 
Brigham, and, as was expected, he gave the 
office little attention, leaving it for Bryant to 
manage mostly. The population by this 
time (1834) had increased to probably 250 
souls. 

The Hampshire Colony. — Dr. W. O. Cham- 
berlain was an apprentice in the printing 
office of the Hampshire County Gazette, 
of Hampshire County, Mass., where he 
served from 1828 to 1831. In the town li- 
brary he had found a volume of Lewis and 
Clark's travels, and becoming deeply inter- 
ested in the book, he published occasional 
extracts about the Northwest in the Gazette, 
and these attracted much attention. As a 
result of these publications E. S. Phelps and 
some others, called a meeting of those who 
might wish more definite information about 
the new, wild country, but especially Illinois. 



A larger attendance than was expected re- 
sponded to this call, and so many expressed a 
wish to go West, that a colony was soon 
formed, and named Hampshire Colony, after 
Hampshire County, Mass. E. S. Phelps 
was elected President of the colony. 

At a meeting of the society in 1830, Thom- 
as M. Hunt, a druggist, desiring to find a 
new location, proposed to come and explore 
the northern part of Illinois, and only asked 
the colony to ^ pay a part of his expenses. 
His offer was gladly accepted. The only 
conveyances at that time were the Erie Canal, 
the lakes and the old-fashioned stage coaches. 
So meager was this mode of travel that in 
the year 1830, only one vessel, a schooner, 
made one trip around to Chicago. A four- 
horse wagon made semi-weekly trips from 
Detroit to Fort Dearborn. Mr. Hunt came 
via. Chicago to Peoria; here he found the 
two-horse stage, running between St. Louis 
and Galena, via. Springfield. He traveled 
south to St. Louis, and in his report he said 
that he did not see an acre of waste land 
south of Peoria. 

In 1830, in the fall, Sullivan Conant and 
Mr. Bicknell, and Rufus Brown, father of 
Judge Brown, of Chicago, and Israel P. 
Blodgett, father of Judge Blodgett, and their 
families, and D. B. Jones, a young man, 
started to come to northern Illinois. Revs. 
Lucien Farnham and Romulus Barnes, each 
of whom had married a sister of Butler Den- 
ham, of Conway, Mass. , who (Denham) lately 
died a citizen of Bureau County, also came 
West under the auspices of the colony. 

The winter of 1830-31 was probably the 
severest ever known here. The snow was 
reported from three to four feet deep, and 
the cold was intense, and much of the game, 
especially the deer, perished. Owing per- 
haps to the severity of the winter the home 
colony heard but once from Mr. Hunt during 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



127 



the winter. He was then on the Big Vermil- ! 
ion. The average time, in good weather, 
then for a letter to travel from here to Mas- 
sachusetts was four or live weeks. 

In March, 1831, the "Congregational 
Church of Illinois," was organized, with 
eighteen names. It was expected by the or- 
ganizers that when they got located in their 
new home their numbers would be double those 
given above. In the early spring of 1831, 
the main part of the colony left, and on May 
7, they left Albany, N. Y., in a canal 
boat, with Captain Cotton Mather in com- 
mand, with whom the colonists had contract- 
ed that he would not travel on Sunday. In 
this company were Dr. W. O. Chamberlain 
and son Oscar. Levi Jones, wife and five chil- 
dren, and the families of Rufus Brown — Mrs. 
Brown and four children, and Mrs. Blodget 
and her five children, Eli and Elijah Smith 
and wives, newly man-ied, and the following 
single men: John Leonard, John P. Blake, 
A. C. Washburn, Aaron Gunn, C. J. Corss, 
George Hinsdale, E. H. Phelps aged eighteen 
years, and Charles C. Phelps aged sixteen, 
sous of E. S. Phelps. 

On the 18th of May they landed at Bufi"alo, 
expecting here to find a vessel to take them 
to Chicago, but were told that no vessel 
traveled that route, but being informed a 
schooner was then loading at Detroit for Chi- 
cago, and would leave the next Thursday, 
they shipped by steamer for Detroit, but by 
stormy weather and other causes they only 
reached Detroit late Thursday afternoon and 
found the schooner already loaded and ready 
to sail, and it could not take their goods. 
The Captain informed them he would make 
another trip in two or three months. They 
stored their goods and hired two teams, a four- 
horse and a two-horse wagon to bring them 
through to Illinois. They left Detroit May 
25, Monday, and reached Sturgis' Prairie the 



next Sunday. Here one of the horses in the 
four-horse wagon team died. This was the 
conveyance hired by the eight young men of 
the party. The driver then informed them 
it was all his team could do to haul their 
trunks, and they must foot it. About this 
time the travelers met a man who had been 
traveling in Illinois, and from him they 
learned that their friend, Mr. Jones, was at 
Bailey's Point, on the Big Vermilion Eiver, 
where he had built a double log-cabin to re- 
ceive them in. This was the first they knew 
exactly what point they were aiming for. 
The eight young men walked to Mottville, on 
the St. Joseph River, and here they paid off 
their teamster, and purchased two canoes. 
They lashed these together, making a pi- 
rogue, and putting their luggage on board 
started down the river. They learned that it 
was about 165 miles to Ottawa, 111. They 
expected by traveling night and day to make 
the trip in three or four days. For this rea- 
son they had hut little provisions. The third 
day out as they floated along they saw a deer 
and killed it,and landed and roasted enough to 
eat, but as they had no salt they left the most 
of it on the bank and resumed their journey. 
They passed a large encampment of Indians 
on the way, the first signs of humanity they 
saw after leaving Portage. A storm came up 
Saturday evening and they tied up, and 
sleeping in their canoes they found them- 
selves lying in several inches of water in the 
morning. They built tires and spent the day 
drying their clothes. Their provisions were 
entirely out. Under these circumstances the 
question arose among them, especially as then 
they could not guess when they could com- 
plete their trip, as to whether it would be 
best to travel on Sunday, or stay over hungry 
and trust in the Lord. About noon they 
pulled out into the stream and resumed their 
journey. Sunday night another storm com- 



138 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



pelled them to tie up, and in a grove they 
passed the night and storm. For two days 
all they had to eat was elm and basswood 
bark. They reached another Indian encamp- 
ment the next day, but as there was trouble 
with the Indians they could get no food. The 
Indians pointed on down the river, and gave 
them to understand that there they could get 
food. Sailing along with the current, the 
voyagers eventually heard the glad sound of 
a cow- bell and landed, and on going to the 
top of the blufif they saw a cabin. They found 
a woman and children here and made known 
their wants. She told them she could not 
feed them as she had nothing but mush and 
milk for her family. They informed her that 
they would consider this most sumptuous fare, 
and she prepared them a pot full — the woman 
first shelled the coi-n and ground it in a hand- 
mill. They learned it was twenty miles to 
Ottawa. The hungry men, barring the one 
good feed of mush, started to complete their 
journey, and on the way agreed that when 
they reached Ottawa they would put up at 
the best hotel (reckless as to price or style) and 
have the best beds, and for a few days eat, 
sleep and enjoy the bliss of life. About sun- 
set they espied a little lonely cabin on the 
shore and rounded to, and went to it and in- 
quired of the woman how far it was to Otta- 
wa. She smiled and said "this is Ottawa." 
She informed them that the preceding win- 
ter there had been several cabins on the op- 
posite side of the river (the north side) but 
the spring high waters had washed them all 
away. This good woman — the then mistress 
of Ottawa, was French, and her husband a 
trader. Her father was with her and her 
husband was off among the Indians trading. 
The old gentleman had a number of bee hives 
and they cared for the young travelers the 
best they could, but all they had to eat was 
honey and mush, and for beds, each one 



picked out his puncheon and its softest side. 

They had been six and a half days on the 
journey. The good woman told them she 
had known several people to come by the 
same route they had, and the quickest trip 
she had known before was nine days. As the 
voyagers had started with only three day's 
provisions they felt some new twinges of the 
stomach when they thought that it was a 
mere chance that they were not exposed to a 
six days' fast instead of a little more than the 
two days they had had a foretaste of. 

After enjoying the hospitalities of the city 
of Ottawa one night, they resumed their jour- 
ney, and at noon reached Shippingport, 
across the river from La Salle, and the head 
of navigation, owing to the rapids. Again 
this city consisted of one house, which was 
warehouse, store, dry goods and groceries and 
family residence, all the property of a man 
named William Crozier. They learned it 
was eight miles to Bailey's Point, where their 
agent was. Storing their trunks they 
started on foot, and just before night arrived 
there. Here they were rejoiced to find the 
other members of their colony who had come 
through in wagons and had reached the 
place only a few hours before. This was on 
the 9th of June, five weeks and two days 
from leaving home. 

Mr. Jones told them that the best country 
he had found was on the Bui-eau. After a 
few days' rest some of the men of the party 
came over to inspect the land, and examined 
the prairie as far north as Dover, a little 
west of which they found three bachelors: 
Sylvester Brigham, James G. Forristall and 
Elijah Phillips, who came the year previous 
from New Hampshire. The few settlers here 
at that time were mostly east of the river on 
account of the Indians. The men returned to 
their friends and gave a very favorable report 
of the country. They found Elijah Epper- 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



129 



son on the east side of the river. His cabin 
was one mile north of where the Princeton 
depot now is, where a Mr. Stoner now lives, 
and he told them that if they were not 
afraid of the Indians they were welcome to 
occupy his cabin and whatever they could 
find there to eat. A part of the young men 
who did not know yet enough of the red man to 
fear him, started to come with two yoke of 
oxen and wagon. They arrived on the 2d of 
July, and the first news they heard was that 
a treaty had been made with the Indians. 
The result was, the nest week Eli and Elijah 
Smith and wives came, and these and the six 
young men lived in the cabin together for 
some months. The next week came Roland 
Moseley and Daniel Smith. They had come 
from Northampton. They came by the Ohio 
River, and had left their families at Beards- 
town as they did not know where the colony 
was. On their way from Beardstown they 
fell in company with John Musgrove, from 
New Jersey, who was looking for a place to 
settle. The three located on the south side 
of the prairie, put up cabins and returned to 
Beardstown for their families. E. H. and 
Charles Phelps, expecting their parents in 
August, put up a cabin. E. S. Phelps and 
Amos C. Morse left Alassachusetts July 13, 
with their families, and sent their goods by 
ship by way of New Orleans, the families 
coming by way of the Ohio River. Mr. 
Phelps shipped his stock of jewelry, which 
he intended selling in St. Louis or some 
other large place. Failing in this he took 
his stock and located in Springfield, 111., 
where he remained until 1838, when he came 
to Princeton. Mr. Morse located in Jack- 
sonville. The Phelps boys here heard nothing 
of their parents until in the fall, when they 
joined their parents in Springfield. When 
the Black Hawk war broke out the next 
spring, Eli and Elijah Smith and wives went 



to Springfield and remained there during the 
summer. Thus the colonists were scattered, 
and as the fall of 1831 was a very sickly 
time among the settlers, this and the war 
drove several of them away who never 
returned, consequently in the beginning of 
the year 1834 but four of the church mem- 
bers were living in Bureau. That year 
Elisha Wood and family, who started here 
in 1832, but had stopped in Tazewell County 
came. None of those who started West in 
1830 finally settled here. Sullivan Conant 
had settled in Springfield, Mr. Bicknell, in 
Fulton, and Blodgett and Brown at Brush 
Hill, about twenty miles this side of Chicago. 
D. B. Jones settled in Fulton County. Dan- 
iel Smith died in less than thirty days after 
his arrival. (Full account of this in a pre- 
ceding chapter). Mr. Morse died in Jack- 
sonville, and Levi Jones at Bailey's Point. 
All these deaths were soon after their arrival. 
John Leonard married Mrs. Levi Jones, and 
removed to Galesburg. A. C. Washburn set- 
tled in Bloomington, John P. Blake in Put- 
nam County. Aaron Gunn near La Salle, 
George Hinsdale on West Bureau, Alva 
Whitmarsh and family came in 1841. Scat- 
tered as was the Hampshire Colony, yet it 
was the final cause of many of Bureau's best 
citizens coming here. In September, 1832, 
Cyrus and John H. Bryant came from Jack- 
sonville. They had visited Hinsdale Phelps 
in Springfield to inquire about this country. 
He advised them to come and see, and judge 
for themselves. They did so, and they fixed 
their claims, and through their influence 
came J. S. Everett, 1835; Lazarus Reeves, 
the Wiswalls, W' illiam P. Grifiin, and John 
Leeper and family, 1833. The fall of 1832 
came N. O. and W. C. Chamberlain, and 
their sister, Mrs. Flint and her family. In 
1833, Asher Doolittle, Joseph Brigham, 
Horace Winship, Harrison Downing and the 



130 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Mercer families. In 1834 there was added to 
the settlement: Caleb Cook and family, and 
John Clapp, from Massachusetts. From 
Ohio were the Mercer families and Tripietts, 
and Galers and Elliotts. The Masters, Ellis 
and Durham families came with Hinsdale 
Phelps from Springfield. 

In 1834 Hinsdale Phelps had returned here 
while the remainder of his father's family 
remained in Springfield. During the summer 
he severely cut his foot and returned to 
Springfield. While there he met C. D. Col- 
ton, who had come from St. Lawrence County, 
N. Y. , the previous fall with a colony, but 
not liking the location in Sangamon, 3'oung 
Phelps pursuaded him to come with him and 
see this country. He did so and made a claim 
and through his induenee came the other 
Coltons, his relatives, and Alba Smith, David 
Robinson, Nathaniel and Joseph Smith, and 
Benjamin Newell all came in 1835. In the 
year 1884 came Butler Denham from Con- 
way, Mass., and with him S. H. Burr, S. L. 
Fay, Anthony Sawyer, Adolphus Childs and 
C. C. Corss, all single men. They all soon be- 
came however, the heads of happy and pros- 
perous families. In 1835 Ruf us Carey, Alfred 
Clark, S. D. Hinsdale, Noadiah Smith, J. H. 
Olds, from Massachusetts, and Ralph Wind- 
ship, from New York. In the spring of 1835 
Charles Phelps, brother of E. S. Phelps, 
came out to look at the country. He attended 
that year the land sale at Galena, and bought 
the land he afterward lived on, northeast of 
Princeton. He brought his family the next 
June, and there came with or soon after him, 
all from Massachusetts, Seth C. Clapp, Lew- 
is Clapp, George Brown, Cephas Clapp, O. 
E. Jones and Miss Childs, now Mrs. J. S. 
Everett, of Princeton. 

Of those who came here in 1831 there are 
now living in the county: George Hinsdale, 
Daniel P. and Dwight Smith and their moth- 



er, Mrs. Daniel Smith, E. H. Smith, Mrs. 
Eli Smith, Michael Kitterman, John Cole 
and Jirs. J. H. Fisher. Of the eight young 
men who came with the colony, five are still 
living: John Leonard, the oldest of the com- 
pany, died in 1864. Charles Phelps died in 
186(3, and C. G. Corss in 1866. 

What are the results ? Looking back fifty- 
four years! Then there were not half as 
many inhabitants in the State as are now in 
the city of Chicago. Fifty-four years ago, 
when the colony came here, the Indians, deer, 
prairie wolf and rattlesnakes held undispu- 
ted possession of all this land. Fifty-four 
years ago and all the northern part of the 
State, including Quincy, Jacksonville, and 
Springfield, to Danville, on the Wabash, were 
in one Congressional district. But the pop- 
ulation increased so rapidly in 1840, when 
Hon. John T. Stuart was our Representative 
in Congress it was said he represented the larg- 
est constitnancy and territory of any member 
of Congress. Fifty-four years! What great re- 
sults the world over. Probably greater than in 
any previous century. What has been accom- 
plished in Bureau County? There were then 
about a dozen families — forty or fifty per- 
sons all told; but one wagon road in the 
county, the St. Louis and Galena stage road 
by Boyd's Grove, and Bui bona' s. Look 
about you, and remember all you now see of 
roads, bridges, houses, barns, shops, factor- 
ies, mines, farms, raih'oads, depots, cities, 
towns, villages, schools, churches and all 
these evidences of wealth, contentment and 
prosperity are the product of this short half 
century. * 

*We are indebted to E. H. Phelps fjr the altove account of the 
HHUii'shJre Coleny. 




Eng.by EGWiltiamsiBn] NY 




HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



133 



CHAPTER XI. 

-CnRT" Williams— The Man of Marss— Smiley Suepheed— 
The Deep Snow of 1831 — John, Job, Timothy Brown and 
David Searl — Greenbury Hall — Lewis Cobb — The Cholera 
OF 1832 — Scott's Army — The Terrors of the Plauoe — First 
Steamboats .Arrive in Chicago, 1S32 — "I Surrender, Mr. 
Indian 1" — Biographical Sketches of many old Settlers — 
Henry F- Miller — M. Studyvin — David Chase — James Cod- 
DiNGTov — Enoch Lumry — James Garvin — E. Piper — James 
Wilson — Jacob Galer — John Leepeu— John Bagos — The 
WisvvALLS AND Tripletts— Halls— A Negro Here in 1829. 

THE man who made bis mark or rather 
several "marks" herein the squatter 
days was Curtis Williams — "Uncle Curt'" — 
as he was generally known. His main busi- 
ness was to keej) well ahead of the settlement 
and staking out a claim and doing enough 
work on it to identify and hold it, and then 
sell out to a new comer. If he had a brush 
cabin up, so much the better, as the new arriv- 
al's tirst want was some place to store his 
family — get them out of the wagon, where 
they sometimes had already been stored for 
weeks. ' ' Uncle Curt" commenced east of the 
river, and in the course of time passed nearly 
across Bureau County. If he found an un- 
occupied claim so much the better. He was 
the man that Mioheal Kitterman found in his 
cabin when he "returned with his woman." 
The spot where this cabin was located is now 
occupied by Mr. E. C. Bates' fine residence 
in South Princeton. But "Uncle Curt" 
was a bold and valuable pioneer. He was 
not afraid to go ahead, and he was full 
of that industry and public spirit which 
goes so far in developing a new country. 
He was the pioneer to that portion of the 
county where Buda now stands, which place 
was known as French Grove until after the 
building of the railroad and laying out of 
the new town. He built a carding-machine 
at Leepertown, and was the first to aid the 
good women in this portion of the country in 



the drudgery of making woolen clothes for 
the people. His aged widow is the mother- 
in-law of Henry F. Miller. Curtis Williams 
made more claims than anj' other one man 
who ever came to the county, and as a " claim 
maker " his name will go down in the history 
of the county for all time. 

Smiley Shepherd died at his home near 
Hennepin, April 4, 1882. Born March 3, 
1803. Thomas Shepherd, his great-grand- 
father came to this country in the seventeeth 
century and settled near Harper's Ferry. 
Shepherdstown, Va., gets its name from this 
family. In August, 1828, Smiley left his 
father's home on horseback for a visit to the 
new State of Illinois. He came to Bond 
County, to which place the Moore family had 
come from Red Oak, some years before. From 
Bond County he came to Putnam Count.y. in 
company with J. G. Dunlavey. They found 
Capt. Haws at Point Pleasant, now Magno- 
lia; James Willis was on the farm now owned 
by Mr. Shering, near Florid. Thomas Hart- 
zell kept an Indian trading house on the 
river, on the site now the home and grounds 
of A. T. Purvianee. A few other persons lo- 
cated claims this year in the county, but none 
had been on the ground over a year but Mr. 
Hartzeil. Some time was spent visiting with 
the few settlers, who were overjoyed to see 
new comers, and their prospective friends 
and neighbors. The best timber lands, springs, 
town sites, etc., were looked at, and their fu- 
ture value estimated carefully by these first 
settlers. During the visit he selected the 
site of the home he so long occupied. Its 
scenery and extensive views outweighing, in 
his estimation, the considerations which in- 
duced others to pass it by. While looking 
at the locality, he spent his first night in the 
neighborhood, on what is now the northwest 
corner of Mrs William Allen's apple orchard, 
sleeping alone on the prairie grass, with his 

8 



134 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



saddle for a pillow, and his horse fettered 
near by. During the night a wolf managed 
to steal from his stock of provisions a tin cup 
of butter, but like some other thieves, he did 
not know what to do with it when he had it, 
and instead of licking out the butter closed 
the mouth of the cup with his teeth and left 
it. Leaving Putnam, he gratified his strong 
love for romantic scenery by visiting Starved 
Rook, Sulphur Springs, Buffalo Rock, and 
the present site of Ottawa. From this point 
he crossed the country to Rock River and the 
Mississippi, below the mouth of Rock River. 
On his way back he and his companions made 
the trip from the Mississippi to Fort Ulark, 
(now Peoria) in one day. From this he made 
his way back home by way of Vandalia, Vin- 
cennes and Cincinnati. 

In a letter dated February 16, 1831, Shep- 
herd thus tells of the deep snow. "The 
snow fell between Christmas and New Year 
to the depth of two feet, and has since that 
time, by repeated accessions, been kept up 
full that depth." From the facts before us, 
the difficulties these pioneers had to contend 
with, can be better imagined than described. 
During the winter of 1831-32 Smiley, as- 
sisted by Nelson, built a log-house on his 
first chosen site, and moved into it in Febru 
ary, before the chimney was built, or a shut 
ter made for the door. Here he lived until 
death — a period of over fifty years. 

During these first years he became well ac- 
quainted, personally, with Shabbona, Shick- 
shak, and other Indians who, before the 
Black Hawk war, were residents of the 
country, and on friendly terms with the 
whites, who treated them kindly. During 
the Indian troubles of 1832, he shared the 
fort life, the many alarms, real and false, of 
his now numerous fellow citizens; was 
pressed into the service of the United States 
as teamster by Gen. Atkinson, and taken to 



Chicago, with a regiment of troops on its 
way to Fort Dearborn. It is remarkable, 
that with his experience and knowledge of 
Indians, he should have been their friend 
and defender through life. For over thirty 
years he sent, annually, a barrel of bacon, 
and for some ten years in the early history 
of the Mission, two barrels of flour, in addi- 
tion to the bacon, and frequently other arti- 
cles needed by the families at the Mission of 
T. S. Williamson and S. R. Riggs, among 
the Dakota Indians. 

He was among the first to grow the grape 
successfully, by vineyard culture, in north- 
ern Illinois. His vineyard of Catawbas and 
Isabellas was planted in 1849, and bore a 
fine crop in 1851, which sold at 15 cents per 
pound. He successfully fruited nearly all 
the fine varieties of pear, plum, peach, cherry 
and strawberry of his day. Naturally enough, 
he loved those of similar tastes and occupa- 
tion with himself. From these years until 
the infirmities of old age prevented his at- 
tendance on its meetings, he was an enthusi- 
siastic laborer in the cause and objects of 
the State Horticultural Society. Served the 
society one year as President, and considered 
many of its members among his dearest 
friends. 

The presence of a large number of friends 
at the funeral testified of the kindly regard 
in which he was held. He was buried at 
Union Grove by the side of his wife, who 
died in 1873. The last of that little band 
of noble men Father John Dixon, Charles S. 
Boyd, "Dad Joe" Smith and the very few 
others who were here, neighbors, companions 
and friends in the long ago, when the daring 
white man first began to feel his way into this 
part of the wilderness. 

Ch-eenbury Hall settled near where Wy- 
anet now stands, in 1832. He reports seeing 
the track of Gen. Scott's army as it passed 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



135 



through the north part of the county. If he 
was not greatly mistaken, which he probably 
was, then the fact is established that the 
great General and his army were really once 
on the soil of Bureau County. 

Lewis Cobb, of Wyanet, was one of the 
soldiers in Scott's army that came to Chicago 
in 1832, in the two vessels that were stricken 
so severely with the cholera plague of that 
year. One of the gloomiest pages in our 
western annals is the account of that trip, and 
the horrors of the ghastly plague that beset 
them. Gen. Scott arrived in Chicago, July 
8, 1832, on the steamer "Sheldon Thomp- 
son," Capt. A. Walker, the tirst steam- 
boat trip ever made to Chicago. His delay 
in Chicago on account of the cholera, was 
such that he only reached Rock Island late 
in August, just at the close of the negotia- 
tions of peace, which were finally and fully 
concluded in September. The Government 
had charted four boats and loaded them with 
troops. The "Henry Clay, "Superior," 
"William Penn," and "Sheldon." The 
first two were turned back when the cholera 
broke out, and the other two came on to 
Chicago. So it will be seen that the first 
steamboat was ' ' two boats. ' ' 

The cholera was so fatal that thirty bodies 
were thrown overboard between Chicago and 
Mackinaw, and about 100 died at Chicago. 
The deaths were so sudden and the burial so 
instantaneous thereafter, that the victims, in 
their last agonies, feared that the}' would be 
buried alive, if it could be called a burial, 
for they were thrown into a pit at the north- 
west corner of Lake Street and Wabash Ave- 
nue. Gen. Scott described this as the most 
affecting scene of his life. Gen. Humphrey 
Marshall, a member of Congress from Ken- 
tucky, who was a Second Lieutenant, gave a 
description of the scene, and though thickly 
settled as Chicago then was, he could find 



the place where he assisted in depositing the 
remains of the victims, many being thrown 
into the pit in a few horns after they had as- 
sisted in depositing their comrades there. 
The people all through the Fox and Rock 
River Valleys had fled to Fort Dearborn for 
protection against the Indians; but they soon 
fled back, having a greater dread of the 
cholera thau of the Indians. 

John Wentworth says: Black Hawk, chief 
of the united tribe of Sacs and Fox Indians, 
was born about 1767, near the mouth of the 
Rock River, and there were his headquar- 
ters, until he made a treat}', ceding his lands 
to the United States, and agreeing to go to 
Iowa. He went there, and settlers went 
upon his lands and began to cultivate them, 
when he repudiated his treaty, returned to 
Illinois and commenced massacring them. 
Before the United States could take up the 
matter, the Governor called for troops, and 
most of the prominent politicians volunteered 
their services, and raised more or less 
soldiers, to go under their own particular 
leadership. Black Hawk was chased up into 
Wisconsin, captured, and sent to Washing- 
ton to see Gen. Jackson. Jack Falstaft" 
never slew as many men in buckram as each 
and every one of these Illinois politicians 
did. Squads would often go out from camp, 
and hasten back with accounts of their mi- 
raculous escapes from large bodies of In- 
dians, when there were none in the vicinity. 
An alarm was given, one night, when oae of 
the most distinguished men in the State 
mounted his horse, without unhitching him, 
and gave him a spur, when, mistaking the 
stump to which he was tied for an Indian 
taking hold of the reins, he immediately 
exclaimed: "I surrender, Mr. Indian!" 
An alarm was given that a large body of 
Indians was approaching the Kankakee set- 
tlements; volunteers turned out, and found 



136 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



them to be nothing but sand-hill cranes. 
If an Indian was found dead on the prairie 
anywhere, several would exclaim : • • That's 
the one I killed!" Mr. Lincoln had an in- 
exhaustible supply of stories based upon his 
experience in this war, but he never claimed 
that his services there made him President. 
He made more, in his Presidential campaign, 
out of the rails he had split, than out of the 
Indian scalps he had taken. 

We believe this story was first told on 
Lincoln by Douglas, in 1858, during their 
celebrated campaign for the United States 
Senate. 

Mr. Lincoln was here as a Captain, first, 
and then as a private, in Capt. Isles' company, 
during 1832. 

James Coddington came to Bureau in 
1831. He was a native of Maryland, born 
in Alleghany County, of that State, January 
25, 1798. In the general hegira of the 
Indian war, he returned to his native place, 
and then came back in 1833, and settled on 
Section 17, in Dover. He married Catha- 
rine Fear, of this county. She was born in 
Maryland, in 1814, and with her family 
came to this county in 1884. Of this' union 
there were ten children, five of whom are 
living, two of the sons and two daughters in 
this county. 

Mr. Coddington died, June, 1876, while 
on a visit to his friends in the East. He 
was thrown out of a wagon and died of his 
injuries. (See biography of J. H. Cod- 
dington). 

David Chase was born in Royalston, Mass. , 
April 30, 1811. When yet a child his 
parents removed to Fitzwilliam, N. H., 
where he was reared, where he married Lucy 
Brigham, a sister of Joseph Brigham (see 
biography) and immediately after marriage 
started for Illinois, arriving in 1834, and 
settling in the village of Dover, on the farm 



now owned by his son David, where the 
widow now resides. Mr. Chase died July 
1, 1882. He was a very quiet, unobtrusive, 
good man, father and neighbor. They had 
three children — one son and two daughters. 
Lucy Abagail married Oscar Mead, of 
Dover, and died, November, 1879. And 
Mary Ellen is the wife of Aiihur Fruett. 

Madison Stiidijvin was born in V^irginia, 
near Grayson Court House, January 16, 
1810. In 1824 went to Sangamon County; 
in 1829, to Hennepin County and in 1832, 
to Bureau. His father, AVilliam Studyvin, 
died in Putnam County aged ninety years 
and fifteen days. The mother, Nancy (Will- 
iams) Studyvin lived to the age of ninety. two 
years. They were the parents of nine sons 
and three daughters, six of whom are liv- 
ing. Mr. Studyvin was a soldier in the 
Black Hawk war. In 1835 he married 
Frances Ellis (see biography of Abbot 
Ellis) in this county. They have two 
children: VV. C. in Brookville, Mo., and 
Emily, married SimoQ Ogaw, and resides 
nine miles from Clinton, Mo. Mi-. Study- 
vin is a Democrat, an estimable and univer- 
sally respected old settler. 

Ezekiel Piper came in 1836; he was born 
in Maine, December 27, 1795, died December 
31, 1875. He married Ann Roberts, of Bucks 
County, Penn. The family came to Illinois 
in wagons across the country, and settled in 
Leeper Township, where they lived two years 
and moved into Selby. They had seven chil 
dren, five of whom are now living. An indus- 
trious, frugal farmer, who tilled the complete 
measure of his earthly ambition in providing 
and rearing a respectable family. 

James Garvin came to Putnam County in 
1829. A native of Kentucky. He married 
Mary Studyvin who still survives. Mr. Gar- 
vin settled in Dover in 1832. He is now a 
very old man. (Since this was written, he 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



137 



died August 9, 1SS4, an aged widow but no 
cbildren surviving.) 

Enoch Lumry was bom iu New York in 
1810; be came to Bureau in 1836. His 
father was Andrew Lumry, of New Jersey. 
Enoch maiTied in 1837, Amelia Mason, of 
Kentucky, born in 1811, and came to this 
county with her folks in 1834. 

James Wilson was born in Dover, Penn.. 
and reared in Kentucky, and came to Bureau 
in October, 1833, and improved the farm he 
now lives on. He came to this county in com- 
pany with Marshall Mason. His uncle 
Thornton Wilson was living here and it was 
merely to visit him and see the country that 
Mr. Wilson made the trip, but on seeing it 
remained. 

Harrison Hays was an early settler in Peru. 
He kept what was long known as "Hays' 
Ferry," and afterward settled iu this county 
where he died. His son now lives in Prince- 
ton. 

Henry F. Miller. — Nothing can convey to 
posterity a stronger picture of the real pio- 
neers than the story in their own language 
of their coming, how they came, what they 
saw, their trials and troubles and tinal 
triumphs. To give it in their own language, 
is like borrowing their eyes and looking back 
over a real panorama of fifty years of the 
most important part of American history. It 
is a story — the plainer and simpler the bet- 
ter — surpassing in interest any possible pict- 
ure of the imagining of the poet or historian. 
It is the reproduction of the past, true in all 
its shadings, and standing out in the picture 
is the living, breathing man, and, if not now, 
surely in time all will contemplate it with 
unflagging interest. To thus borrow the eyes 
of the very few that were here among the first 
is now barely possible; to-morrow the last 
will have been gathered to the fathers. 

The writer will ever remember as the most 



pleasing task of his life, his interviews and 
social chats with these early settlers as he has 
here and there come across the small remnant 
in the county. He was in the pursuit of dates 
and figures, and facts on disputed points in 
the legends of the pioneers. Piled upon his 
writing-table are these bundles and scraps 
and "pads" of notes, and taking one at ran- 
dom from the confused mass, it chanced to. 
be those gathered, almost verbatim as they 
came from Mr. Miller's lips, in the different 
interviews. If this picture is placed side by 
side with the others given, especially Strat- 
tou's, Kitterman's, "Dad Joe's," the mem- 
bers of the Hampshire Colony and many 
others found in this work, the whole will 
round out the view most completely. 

Putting his answers to questions in a nar- 
rative form. He said: "Henry F. Miller is 
the s(m of Jonathan and Susanah Miller; he 
was born in Green County, Penn., near the 
junction of Cheat River with the Mononga- 
hela, March 30, 1807. Practically, all the 
schooling he enjoyed was between the age of 
five and seven years. There were no English 
grammars or geographies in school. As soon 
as able he went to work on his father's farm; 
at sixteen was apprenticed to a joiner and 
cabinet trade, and during harvest time would 
return and help his father on the farm. 
When of age he crossed the mountains for 
the first time and made a trip to Baltimore. 
In August, 1830, started for Illinois, crossing 
W^est Virginia on foot to the Ohio River, at 
the mouth of Fish Creek. The river was 
very low, and he footed it down along the 
river to Marietta; there he boarded a small 
steamer, and after sticking fast at every riffle 
and with the other passengers getting out in 
the water and pushing the boat off, they 
finally reached Cincinnati." 

Here, Mr. Miller remarked in parenthesis: 
"I had worked at the trade with my brother; 



138 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



my father could blacksmith, make shoes, har- 
ness, and I helped him build his houses and 
barns," and his eyes sparkling with the recol- 
lection, he said: ''I saw La Fayette in 1824 at 
Gallatin, and shook hands with him." (The 
writer asked him to hold out that hand and 
let him feel it, and is content that he and 
La Fayette have touched the same hand.) 
Resuming his story: "I changed boats and got 
along better. I landed and footed it across 
the State of Indiana, and reached Terre 
Haute September 30. Just as I reached this 
place word was passed around that the great 
Lorenzo Dow was in town, and would preach 
at the court house. Everybody turned out 
to hear him. After hearing him I thought 
he wanted to be a great prophet in his day, 
bxit as most of his prophecies failed, I con- 
cluded he was much overrated. I remained 
here until July, 1831, when I went to Lafay- 
ette and stayed until October, working at my 
trade. I bought a horse and started for 
Pennsylvania, passed through La Fayette and 
Wayne Counties to Richmond, Ind., 
Columbus, Wheeling, and thence to my old 
home, where I remained untilJanuary, 1S32, 
when, in company with Dr. Shelby, 1 started 
South and reached New Orleans, and to Port 
Gibson, Miss. ; remained there until June, 
1832, and left for Illinois and came to 
Beardstown, and after a few days there went 
to Jacksonville and to Springfield. Here I 
saw the great Methodist circuit rider, Peter 
Cartwright; he was a candidate for the Legis- 
lature against A. Lincoln, and there was a 
report that he had made a bargain with the 
candidate for Sheriff, that if the Sherifif would 
vote for him he would give 500 Methodist 
votes. Cartwright was reading certificates he 
had from the Sheriff denouncing the story. 
Cartwright declared that he would cry perse- 
cution through the district; then went to 
New Salem in Sangamon County, and worked 



a short time, and boarded with a Mr. Rut- 
ledge; Mr. Lincoln boarded there at the same 
time. But as he was only Abe Lincoln then, 
and as no one thought he would ever bo 
President, I did not try to get much ac- 
quainted with him. 

" I then went to Hennepin, and found the 
people had fled from the west side of the 
river,and in Hennepin the people were living 
in block-houses and picket forts. While in 
Hennepin I slejit all alone in John Simpson's 
house; the family were afraid and were in the 
fort. I did not know enough about Indians 
to be afraid of them. Remaining a few days 
in Hennepin, I went to Petersburg, and helped 
build the first house of any size in that place. 
Remained there until November, and in com- 
pany with a young man, we bought a canoe 
and started for St. Louis. The river was 
very low; covered often with wild fowls, 
which at the approach of our canoe would 
rise in the air and often make a noise like 
distant thunder. Our canoe was very short 
and difficult to manage; we camped on the 
banks, generally with hunters we would find 
hunting furs and deer. At Alton the wind 
was so strong we had to lay to for it to fall, and 
my companion having no baggage, left me 
here and went on foot, and I then literally 
had to paddle my own canoe. When the sun 
set, the wind lulled and I pulled out for St 
Louis. This was about as lonesome and 
dreary a night as I ever experienced. The 
weather was frosty, and I was stiff with cold 
when 1 reached St. Louis just at daybreak. 
The hotels were closed, and it was my good 
luck that a steamboat just then arrived, and 
I went and warmed at her fires. The next 
day I shipped for Grand Gulf, Miss., and 
from there I went to Fort Gibson; I worked 
here until 1833, and then I returned to 
Hennepin; in a few days I went to Ottawa and 
visited the spot on Indian Creek where the 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



139 



Hall and Davis families had been massacred, 
and the Hall girls captiored by the Indians. 
T then came across by Troy Grove and stopped 
over night, and bought a claim of a man 
Qamed Thornton. I then started to hunt up 
the settlers on Bureau Creek, that was known 
as the Yankee settlement. I got as far as 
Lost Grove and night came on; seeing a 
cabin I went to it, but it was deserted. I 
went out on the prairie, tied my horse to my 
wrist, and lay down with my saddle for a 
pillow. In the morning early I resumed my 
search for the Yankees, but all northeast of 
where Princeton now is I could see nothing 
but wild prairie, and so I rode to Hennepin 
for my breakfast. I then came over to work 
on Grifiin & Wilson's Mill on Bureau Greek, 
in now Ai'ispie. I worked here some time; in 
October I was taken very sick — fever and 
ague; the foreman of the mill died in Henne- 
pin, and Griffin's family were all down sick 
and the work stopped. As soon as I was well 
enough to travel, I went south, stopping in 
East Feliciana, La. Here I remained until 
after the 4th of July, 1834, when I returned 
and stopped in Hennepin and built a shop 
and worked at my trade part of 1834-35. In 
the winter of 3834 I bought the Spring Mill 
at Leepertown, which had been built by A. 
W. Leonard. I improved this property, 
making a better house, adding a carding- 
machine. The railroad finally so injured this 
property it was closed, and eventually from 
sparks from the railroad engine or by the act 
of some miscreant, it was lired and burned 
down. Mr. Leonard was the first mill builder 
here, and built about all the first mills in the 
county. Spring Mill was built of round logs, 
clapboard roof, and the chest was made of 
large split, hewn logs (such a mill chest 
would be a veritable curiosity now). 

" In April, 1835, I married Jane Waldon, 
and in May moved into Bureau County, 



where, except six months in McLean County, 
and nearly two years in La Salle County, I 
have been ever since. By my first marriage 
had five children, two now living, both 
daughters, in La Salle County, Mrs. R. W. 
Brower, widow, and Miss Celeste Miller; Mrs. 
Jane Miller died July 26, 1846. In 1847 I 
purchased 500 acres of land in Berlin Town- 
ship, and in October, 1847, was married to 
Mrs. Elizabeth Winslow. I moved into 
Leeper Township, and improved my land in 
Berlin. By this marriage there were three 
children, only one living, Asa F., in Iowa. 
In June, 1856, Mrs. Elizabeth Miller died. 
I then moved to Galesburg to school my chil- 
dren. Lived there one year, and then broke 
up housekeeping and boarded my family and 
gave all my attention to improving my land 
up to 1860. I had rented my farms, but in 
this year I commenced farming them myself, 
although it was my first experience as a 
farmer, and as I was then over fifty years of 
age and alone, you can imagine I had a lonely 
time of it. I then married Mrs. Martha 
Bryan, my present wife, and in the fall of 
1869 quit farming, and for two years 
lived in Ottawa. In September, 1873, came 
to Princeton, and have been here since. I 
was successful as a farmer, more so, no 
doubt, than the average. 

"My family were at the Centennial fair in 
1876. In 1878, with my daughter. Celeste, 
went to Europe." 

Then the notes give many particulars of 
his travels in Europe, the countries visited, 
the celebrated places, persons, etc. , with fre- 
quent quaint and original comments as he 
passed over the world's historic spots. Doubt- 
less the reader will regret that we do not 
give all these, but our space is limited. 

" When I landed in Illinois my total capital 
was $300. I gave my daughters when mar- 
ried 122,000. I own improved farms: 1,040 



140 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



acres, and 1,560 acres in Iowa, 160 in 
Nebraska, 160 acres in Macon County, 111. 
Total cash value about $100,000." 

In the sketch there is much that the intel- 
ligent reader will read between lines. It is 
full of the general story of the actual daily 
life and experiences of the young men who 
footed their,way to this new country over 
fifty years ago. People come now in train 
loads every day, indeed, almost every hour — 
flying across the country upon the railroads 
in coaches, palace, sleeping, dining and 
buffet cars, with no experiences except yawn- 
ing, eating and sleeping — seeing nothing, 
experiencing nothing; hardly able to realize 
that they have stepped out of their splendid 
parlors and dining-rooms in the eastern cities 
or their cottages along the sea-shore. The 
story of their traveling now from ocean to 
ocean across the continent would be as monot- 
onous as mentally counting an endless row of 
sheep jumping an imaginary fence. How 
great a change is here! How insignificent, 
how completely is the individual now swal- 
lowed up in the crowd. Human individuality 
is literally gone, it is merged in the great 
mass, until a man now can only think of him- 
self as the inscrutable atom, a mere protoplasm 
in the body politic. The realization is not 
pleasant, it's like living in a limitless cave 
and peering eternally into the silent gloom. 

The young pioneers were alone in their 
hour of severe ordeals and sore trials — mon- 
archs each and every one, but monarchs of the 
waste and wilderness. They were a part and 
parcel of nature in her grandest aspects, 
fashioned in character and high purposes by 
the play of her supreme forces. Without 
rank, alone, and mostly ' ' without a dollar in 
the world," the story, simple but sublime, 
when contemplated by an intelligent pos- 
terity, then these unlettered heroes of the new 
world will easily take their deserved places in 



the highest niche of fame. Grant it, cynic, that 
they builded wiser than they knew, yet their 
works are here, they will remain forever, 
blessing already millions in this great valley, 
and will grow and multiply in their benign 
influences for the unborn generations to come 
after us. 

Jacob Galer — Now a resident of Seattle, 
W. T., says: "I married my first wife, Miss 
Euth Burson, the 31st of October, 1844. By 
her I had four children, the eldest, now Mrs. 
Lizzie G. Pratt, of Seattle, W. T., was the 
only one that lived to be grown. My first 
wife died of consumption, October 5, 1856. 
On May 8, 1858, I married Lydia Berry, of 
Milo, Bureau County, 111. By her I had two 
children — both died in infancy. My second 
wife died here in Seattle, W. T., June 15, 
1878. I lived in Bureau County, from 
August, 1834, until April, 1860, when I 
moved to Kansas. I was the fii'st Coroner of 
Bureau County after it was organized, and 
my nearest neighbor here in Seattle, was the 
first County Clerk, Thomas Mercer. He has 
been on this coast since 1852. His first wife 
was a daughter of Squire Brigham of Dover. 
She died on this coast, leaving him four 
daughters, three of whom are still living and 
are an honor to their father. He is hale and 
vigorous for a man of his age, seventy-one 
years the 11th of last March. He is well to 
do in this world's goods and has a kindly heart 
ready to respond to the downcast and desti- 
tute." 

John Leeper, son of James Leeper, and 
grandson of Allen Leeper, was bom in Cum- 
berland County, Penn. , August 23, 1786. 
The grandfather, Allen Leeper, was born in 
in County Down, Ireland, where his ances- 
tors had fled from Scotland on account of re- 
ligious persecutions, and he was seven years 
old when he came to America. James Leep- 
er, the father, went to Georgia when John 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



141 



was but a beardless boy. Here he grew to 
manhood, and was married at the age of 
twenty, to Fidilis McCord, October 28, 1806. 
He moved to Marshall County, Tenn., in the 
year 1808, with their first born daughter — 
Fanny — and cleared out a farm in the cane- 
breaks of Rock Creek. Being a very bitter 
opponent of slavery he left the slave States 
and moved to Illinois Territory in the year 
1816, starting April 5, and arriving at Mad- 
ison County May 23, a journey of forty-eight 
days, which can now be accomplished bj' 
rail in ten hours. Remaining here until fall 
he removed to Beaver Creek, four miles south 
of Greenville, Bond County. Mr. Leeper 
remained here until the fall of 1823, when he 
removed to Morgan County, arriving on the 
spot where now the city of Jacksonville 
stands, November 2. Here he opened up a 
farm of 400 acres. The city of Jacksonville 
was laid out in 1825. The county soon be- 
gan to fill up, and Mr. Leeper's family be- 
coming quite large, having nine sons and 
five daughters, there was a demand for more 
land. It was necessary to make another 
move to supply this demand, so on the 10th 
of October, 1831, Mr. Leeper removed to 
Putnam County and settled three miles north- 
east of the present town of Hennepin and 
made a claim of 2, 500 acres of land. Here 
he opened up a large farm, in the summer 
of 1832, in the time of the Black Hawk war, 
building a stockade around his log-house for 
safety, while three of his sons were out on 
the war-path of the Indians. In the fall of 
1833 Mr. Leeper sold his farm and moved 
into Bureau County and bought an unfinished 
saw-mill of Timothy Perkins, on Bureau 
Creek, one and one-half miles northwest of 
Bureau Junction. At the land sales of 1835, 
900 acres of land were entered around this mill 
site, and the saw-mill was finished and a flour- 
ing-mill and other machinery was added, and 



completed in the fall of 1835, and was con- 
sidered one of the finest mills in the State. 
and sawed the lumber and ground the wheat 
and corn, and carded the wool for the people 
for fifty miles around. At this place Mr. 
Leeper died December 14, 1835, aged forty- 
nine years three months and twenty-one days, 
and was buried — his being the second grave 
in Oakland Cemetery. His death was not 
caused by ordinary sickness. By lifting 
heavy timbers in constructing his mills he 
became ruptured, and taking cold in the 
wound an abcess was formed which broke 
and emptied itself inwardly, and mortifica- 
tion set in which soon caused his death. 

Mr. Leeper in size was about five feet, 
nine inches high, weight one hundred and 
sixty pounds. A very energetic, active man, 
a hard worker, kept well abreast with the 
most prosperous of his neighbors in accumu- 
lating property. In politics he was a Whig 
of the Adams type. In religion a Presby- 
terian, for many years a Ruling Elder in 
churches of that order. As a neighbor, one 
of the most kind, generous, and universally 
beloved by all who knew him. It was often 
said that Judge Leeper had no enemies and was 
ever ready to help the needy. His house was 
always open to entertain the weary traveler, 
the pioneer preacher and the polite politician. 
Living as he did most of his life on the fron- 
tier, and before the church was built, his 
house was occupied as a church by the 
preachers of every denomination who chose 
to accept it. Mr. Leeper was always ready 
and the first to move in building up churches 
and schools in every place where he lived. 
At Jacksonville, before any church building 
was erected, the first organization was aifected 
in his barn — the Presbyterian Church — in 
1827. 

About this time a very amusing incident 
occurred, illustrating the variety often met 



143 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



with in frontier life. Old Father John 
Brich often preached in Mr. Leeper's 
house, which was built of hewn logs. The 
chimney was made of sticks and clay and 
near the upper end it receded from the house, 
leaving a narrow space which was always 
warm fi'om the fire below. Here was a warm 
retreat and the hens often sought it as a con- 
venient place to lay, and hatch their young. 
It so happened on a Sabbath day when 
Father Brich, a corpulent, old English bach- 
elor, was preaching, in his prayer occurred 
this sentence, "The Lord bless all the h-ends 
of the earth. " Just at this junctiue two hens 
were dispi;ting about the possession of said 
nest. To decide the controversy promptly. 
Father Brich called a halt in divine service, 
took his cane, stepped out of the door and 
proceeded to remove one of the hens and then 
retui'ned to conclude the exercises. This 
created no little amusement in the congrega- 
tion but did not upset the preacher. MJr. 
Leeper's home having always been on the 
thin edge of civilization, it was never his lot 
to enjoy many of the privileges and luxuries 
of an old settled country, but never was be- 
hind the first in effort to subdue the wilder- 
ness and make it blossom and bud as the rose, 
and to plant the church and the school. 

Possessed of a modest and retiring nature, 
he never sought olSce, but it rather sought 
him. He was a member of the Legislature 
of Illinois as early as 1827; was elected 
County Judge of Morgan County, but refused 
many offers of public honors, preferring the 
quiet of a retired life. Mr. Leeper and all 
his family were radically opposed to slavery 
and to intoxicating drinks and the use of to- 
bacco. Only four of his once large family 
are now living: Charles, Mary B., Harvey B. 
and William H. A modest slab of marble 
now marks the place where his mortal remains 
were buried in Oakland Cemetery. 



John Baggs had married a relative of the 
Thomases. He is a native of Ohio; his sister 
Sally was Mrs. Abram Stratton, and Eliza- 
beth married George C. Hinsdale. Mr. 
Baggs removed to Iowa nearly thirty years 
ago, where he is now living. Another of the 
Baggs girls, Mrs. Avery, also lives in Iowa. 
John M. Gay, the Strattons, the Thomases 
and the Baggses and Hinsdales were all very 
early settlers, all prominent and important 
people, and by marriages were all related. 

Wisivalls. — This family were Elijah Wis- 
wall, the father, and Mrs. John H. Bryant, 
Miss Emily and Noah Wiswall. They came 
to Bureau in 1834, from Jacksonville. The 
family were from Bristol County, Mass., and 
came to Illinois in 1821, first stopping in 
Bond County and soon fi-om there to Jack- 
sonville. Noah and Elijah were each widow- 
ers when they came here. The first year they 
made their home with Mr. Bryant. Elijah 
Wiswall then built a frame business house 
with residence back, on the corner opposite 
—west from the present American House. 
Renting the front to Salisbury & Smith, and 
occupying the rear; and Wiswall, Sr., died 
here in 1840. Emily married Micajah Trip- 
lett, and she and husband kept house for her 
father. After his death they moved to their 
farm, where she died in 1874, leaving 
daughters: Mrs. T. P. Streator, Princeton; 
Mary, now with Mrs. Streator and a son re- 
siding in Wyanet. Triplett was from Ohio, 
and came with his father to this county in 
1834. Stephen Triplett and wife kept hotel 
for a long time in Princeton. Both died 
here. Noah Wiswall married Elizabeth 
Lovejoy, a sister of Owen Lovejoy. They 
had four sons — three now living: Austin, in 
Chicago; Charles, in New York; Edward, at 
Pike's Peak; Clarkson died in the army. 

The Searls — were from Ohio, the family 
originally from Chemung County, N. Y. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



143 



Five brothers came to this county; Brown 
and Job came in 1834; David, 1835; and 
Timothy and John, in 1836. A big family 
of big men, and the live sons were a little 
over a 1,000 pounds of as brave pioneer 
blood and bones as ever gathered on the bor- 
ders. (See John S. Searl's biography). 

T. D. Rackleij— From Orange County, N. 
Y., born December 9, 1829, and came to 
Bureau County in 1838. (See biography). 

The Huffakers. — Israel Haffaker was a 
soldier in the Black Hawk war, and thereby 
came to see the glories of Bureau County. 
He came in 1835 and entered land, and 
brought his family and permanently located 
in 1837. In 1838 Jacob Huffaker came. 
They were from Kentucky, and by marriage 
some of the family were related to Abraham 
Lincoln. They were a hard-working, quiet 
and economical people. 

John Welch was born in New York in 1825, 
of Irish descent. Came to Bureau in 1838. 
In 1866 he was married to Lucy Dunham, in 
Princeton; a daughter of John Dunham. 

John Wise was born in North Carolina in 
1814. His wife, Lucinda Bunch, was a 
native of Kentucky. They came to Bureau 
in 1834, living the first winter in Robert 
Maston's cabin in the forks of Big and Lit- 
tle Bureau; near them was an Indian encamp- 
ment. Wise made many chairs that were 
used in the cabins for years. 

Peter Ellis — A Black Hawk war soldier 
He was known everewhere as Capt. Ellis. 
A native of Ohio, came in 1830, and settled 
near Magnolia. Mrs. Peter Ellis died in 
this county in 1844. 

Reason B. Hall and his brother Edward 
came in 1828, and built a cabin in the east 
part of the county. After occupying it a 
short time, on account of the many Indians 
and the entire absence of neighbors, they 
abandoned the claim and moved south of the 



river. Afterward they returned and occupied 
the place a year or two and removed to the 
lead mines. 

In the fall of 1829, a negro named Adams 
built a cabin at the mouth of Negro Creek, 
and from this circumstance the stream gets 
its name. He was frightened across the river 
by the Indians and never returned. 

Cyrus Langworthy settled in the south- 
east corner of Princeton Township; had five 
children — three sons and two daughters — two 
sons now living. Franklin the eldest is in Wis- 
consin, and Warren is aprinter by trade. Mr. 
Langworthy was the first Sheriff of Bureau 
County. He served in this capacity three 
terms. In 1842 he was elected to the State 
Legislature and served out the term with 
creditable efiiciency. He was a soldier of the 
war of 1812, and was in every respect a man 
much superior to the average of his surround- 
ings. As Sheriff he had to bring the new and 
sometimes wild elements of border life un- 
der the strong arm of the law. The rough 
law-breakers at times made it necessary for 
the oificer of the law to exercise the coolest 
courage in facing these men. Mr. Lang- 
worthy, except a lameness, was a man of re- 
markable physical strength and endurance 
and his courage was equal to his physical 
strength. He was crippled when a young 
man in this way. He was cutting down a tree 
and as it commenced to fall he noticed one 
of his small children inlaying just where the 
tree was going to fall. He rushed forward 
and gathered the child and threw it out of 
danger and saved it, but was caught himself, 
and his thigh broken. It was never properly 
set, it seems, and made him lame through 
life. 



144 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



CHAPTER XII. 

Imhke's Group Picture ok the Old Settlers — Its Value in Af- 
ter Tears— SuGGESTHiNs to the Board of Supervisors— A 
Valuable Chapter in the County's History — Who are the 
REAL Knickerbockers — Etc., etc. 

IN a preceding chapter reference is made 
to the picture of the large group of old 
settlers, made a few years ago, by Mr. Immke, 
of Princeton. As a work of art it is an inter- 
esting study, as a faithful reflex of over fotir 
hundred faces of the men and women who were 
of the band of Bureau Couaty pioneers. It 
is already of surpassing interest, and could 
it be preserved for the people for the coun 
try's second centennial, it would be one of 
the most invaluable contributions to the his- 
tory of the Mississippi Valley that posterity 
could possess. In the small space of about 
thirty inches square are preserved by the 
photagraphic art, at the hands of a master 
workman, the shadowy lineaments of the fea- 
tures of some of the gray -haired fathers and 
the "blessed mothers in Israel," everyone of 
whom of those still left us will probably 
be laid tenderly away during the next decade 
of years, and the records made in this book 
and these shadow reflections will contain all 
the lesson we can know of these remarkable 
men and women. 

As remarked in a previous chapter, the 
form and substance of history is being 
reconsidered by this age, and the former 
judgements as to what history is, the lessons 
it teaches, and the fundamental facts there- 
of, its true science and philosophy, in short, 
are opening new fields of thought and evolving 
the most salutary lessons for our contempla- 
tion and study. The annalist, the chronolo- 
gist and the historian are the order of the 
development. When the real historian comes 
he will give mankind the highest attainable 



type of instruction and wisdom, because true 
history is the cause and effect of the exist- 
ence and growth of the mind, its sweeps on- 
ward, its ebbs backward. 

Let us illustrate the idea we wish to convey. 
The large majority of men have been taught 
to regard Martin Luther as the sole author, 
creator and master of the reformation, and 
therefore, the liberator of the mind and body 
of our race from the thrall of ignorant bigot- 
ry, persecution and illiberality. Whereas, the 
truth is the forces had been at work to this 
end for more than a century before Luther 
was born. The spark had been struck that 
fell upon the ready material to ignite, most 
probably many centuries before he was born, 
and secretly and slowly it extended in the 
dark apartments of the mother church and the 
state until the glow and heat within brought 
the surging force of the wind from without 
that forced open the door and in a moment 
the leaping flames burst from all parts of the 
great structm-e, hot and hissing, licking up 
the long and patient labors of men who had 
builded neither wisely nor well. Luther was 
but the door forced open by a resistless out- 
side pressure, which he no more created or 
controlled than does the cork direct the mad 
torrent of waters as it bobs along on the sur- 
face. Every written or spoken word we have 
of him confii'ms this beyond all peradven- 
ture. There is not a question but that he 
died an old man, wholly ignorant of the ef- 
fects, not upon the church but upon man- 
kind as we have them now, in the liberty of 
conscience, the freedom of body and mind, 
the right to discuss, to think and to act, each 
and every one for himself, and to cast off 
those heavy burdens of oppressive govern- 
ments, to be men, in short; these are a part 
of the slow-coming effects of the Reforma- 
tion that are reaching us and that were form- 
ing and growing through the long centuries. 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



145 



The snrroundings, the conditions, the ripen- 
ing f o)' a great event are always the result of 
a previous preparation and gi-owth as are the 
ripe fruits hanging upon the tree. The twig 
that bears the apple is but the medium 
through which have worked the little fibers 
in the deepi secrets of the soil, as well as the 
swinging leaf that is kissed by the sun and 
drank of the gentle dews of heaven. 

It is the master purpose of the types, when 
fashioned into ideas, to transmit tlie images 
of men's minds to the remotest posterity, and, 
if aided by the photographer's art, the re- 
production of men who have passed away is 
not only made more accurate and easy, but 
far more complete than would otherwise be 
possible. The old, old saying that a prophet 
is not without honor save in his own country, 
was well grounded upon that deep trait in 
the character of all people to feel that it is 
distance that lends enchantment to the view. 

We wish we could impress upon the people 
of Bureau County, especially upon those in 
aixthority, and whose duty it is to care for 
the true interests of the people, the immense 
importance, the historic value of this group 
picture of the old settlers; make them under- 
stand that the people of the county, the de- 
scendants of the noble men and women who 
won this rich heritage, are deeply concerned 
in keeping green their memories, and that 
they regard the keeping of their good names 
and fame as a sacred trust, and that it is 
neither time nor the people's money wasted 
if the proper steps are taken to put this 
monumental picture in such careful keeping 
of the county that at the end of the next 
hundred years it may be found. And that 
from these small portraits life-size pictures 
may be made, a public building erected for 
their keeping, and a public resort; reading 
and social and educational meetings of the 
people will be bad and the central and at- 



tractive portions thereof will be the portraits 
of the old settlers true to life; to each may 
be appended a short biographical sketch, and 
in the whole will be found a historical pic- 
ture gallery more highly prized when all now 
living are dead and gone, than any other one 
thing it is possible for us to hand down to 
the unborn generations. Let the old settlers 
and the new settlers, too, stir this matter up, 
make their demands upon those who are car- 
ing for the public affairs; convince them that 
it is first their business, and that it is your 
imperative wish. If they lag and continue 
indifferent tell them that there are old set- 
tler voters as well as Republican, Democratic, 
Butler and St. John voters; that in the " off 
years," at least, you will vote as old settlers 
and will politically settle every one who is 
ready to vote money for every popular de- 
mand and to pooh pooh at the idea of a pub- 
lic memorial to the memory of the noblest 
race of men and women in the world's history. 

Mr. Tmmke is deserving of great commen- 
dation for the excellence of his work, but 
more for the enterprise and generous public 
spirit with which he performed the diflScnlt 
undertaking. We are free to say this be- 
cause as a financial venture it has paid him 
nothing, and largely, therefore, it is a free 
offering and a most noble and generous trib- 
ute it is on his behalf. 

As the custodians of the county's interests, 
the Board of Supervisors are the proper ones, 
and to whom the people look to more in this 
matter, for the simple reason that it must 
have their official notice in order that the 
work may be properly attended to. The 
total expense that would be incurred would 
be so very trifling that no tax- payer would 
ever feel it. 

We believe the only and one thing needful 
is that this matter be properly brought to the 
attention of the public authorities, to secure 



146 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



prompt and tlie most eflScient action. You 
have an Old Settlers' Society, of long and rep- 
utable standing, composed of the best rep- 
resentative people of the coiinty. Its yearly 
meetings, its large attendance and interest- 
ing addresses are an important part of your 
history, the most interesting part that is now 
being put upon your records. But few of 
the links are left of the venerable men and 
women uf the pioneers, and are visibly di- 
minishing at each of your annual gatherings. 
The larger part of the audience are the chil- 
dren and friends of a noble generation that 
is gone, and their sacred dust, their memory, 
their finger marks and the results of their 
immortal lives is the one great trust in the 
keeping of the people of to-day. You can- 
not remit this noble work to the future, be- 
cause if done at all, it must be done now. 
When the substance fades, the shadow is 
gone forever. 

Lord Bacon, the brightest mind that has 
yet adorned the human race, speaking of that 
natural impulse that characterizes mostly the 
human family, the ambition to be more than 
the insect or worm that perishes and is for 
gotton; to be remembered at least a few 
hours after death, says: "That whereunto 
man's nature doth most aspire, which is im- 
mortality or continuance; for to this tendeth 
generation, and raising of houses and fami- 
lies; to this buildings, foundations, and 
movements; to this tendeth the desire of 
memory, fame and celebration, and in effect 
the strength of all other human desires." 
Yes, the mainspring in life is the ambition 
to be not wholly insignificant, but to be re- 
membered — if not by the world, then by the 
neighbors, and if not by the neighbors then 
by your children, or if yet alone, then by 
your faithful dog, or by some animate thing. 
This is " the strength of all other human 
desires." Ambition has ruled and fashioned 



everything human we see about us. It is 
the spur of all exertion, directly or remotely 
to all action, good or bad. Without it man 
would be wholly worthless; with it in any 
excess, he is generally a selfish, cold-blooded 
monster. It was the " Ambitious youth who 
tired the Ephesian dome," in order to link 
his name with its history, even knowing his 
life would pay the forfeit of his crime. It 
was the ambition of Napoleon that drenched 
Europe in blood. All war, the great crimes, 
as well as the grand heroes and man's great- 
est blessings have this common ori^cin. It is 
deep-seated and wide spread ignorance that 
makes ambition a great affliction instead of 
a blessing. 

Probably no class of men in the world had 
less of that ambition for the applause of men, 
for the pomp and power and notoriety that 
drives so many ambitious men to heroic deeds 
and great crimes, than the early pioneers of 
Illinois. The horizon of their ambition 
closed in at the very doors of their rude cab- 
ins, where were gathered their family idols. 
Here they could get a home, lands for them- 
selves and their children; to be free men and 
women, owing no man a dollar that they 
could not pay, and rear their children with 
no other masters save their parents. They 
well knew the hard trials, the risk, the dangers, 
the suffering and hard toil they had to pay 
for this little boon of life. 

Your school children learn the story of an 
Alexander, a Napoleon, or a Caesar's fame, 
and yet stand up any of these mistaken great 
names of history by the side of the least and 
humblest of the band of Illinois pioneers — 
compare the permanent good coming of the 
life work of one with the other and from 
such comparisons, how little, contemptible, 
and insignificant is the great Napoleon to 
the humble but heroic pioneer in his hempen 
shirt, his well worn wamus, his home-made 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



147 



shoes and hat, his coarse features, unkempt 
hair, his broad teeth and his loud voice and 
rough, uncouth rugged independence. The 
one butchered his thousands and thousands 
and converted the world into a waste and 
house of mourning — the ambitious architect 
of death and desolation. The other wrought 
peace, happy homes, prosperity and joys for 
the blessed millions to come after. Over the 
little hole of a door of the brush cabin in 
letters of living light he blazed the message 
to the poor and oppressed of all the world: 
" I have prepared the way. In thy Father's 
house is enough and to spare. Come and 
partake." But a few years ago, perhaps it is 
there yet, was a wood-cut in the school read- 
ers placed there for the delectation, study 
and admiration of innocent and guilless chil- 
dren. It was called " Napoleon crossing the 
Alps." He is on his customary mission of 
robbery, destruction and death. Beyond the 
background of the miserable picture is burn- 
ing cities, blackened homes, wasted fields — a 
world's great sob of agony. 

In a preceding chapter is an account of 
Abram Stratton, in the fierce storms and 
deep snow of the winter of 1830, with his ox- 
sled and alone, crossing the then dreary 
wilderness between Chicago and Bureau 
County. Depending and at the end of that 
young dauntless pioneer's trip was the laugh- 
ing land. 

"Look on this picture and then on that," 
and true history will reverse the pictures in 
our school-books and in men's minds. His- 
tory must be re-written. The shams and 
frauds will be exposed, and the really great 
and good, no matter how humble their lives, 
how obscure their names, or how little known 
their good work to those who supposed they 
were wi'iting history — in the story of the 
past, they will take their proper places, and 
who will dare say, when the whole field is 



looked over, that among those whose works 
produced the best results, there are any who 
may justly claim the places above the early 
pioneers. 

Silly worshippers at the shrine of these 
false idols and shams of history — these exe- 
crable frauds who are mere buzzards roosting 
in the eagle's nest, may cry out against the 
iconoclast who tumbles over their beatified 
monsters, but the good work will go on, be- 
cause truth is eternal, and because the ulti ■ 
mate truths of history is the highest type of 
philosophy, teaching the grand lessons of life 
by examples. 

Nothing will more aid the historian in sift- 
ing out the grand heroes of history — the best 
type of men and women who have appeared 
and gone in the tide of time, than the work 
of the photographer. This is a modern in- 
vention, but so is the correct idea of true 
history. Everything is grist to the hopper of 
history. Here the biography, the dress, the 
manners, the thoughts, looks, discussions, 
poems, books, songs, the work and the play- 
ing — in short, everything of and concerning 
a people are his materials, that are carefully 
collated, compared, digested and studied and 
understood, and then the results of these 
lives, whether in the field of thought or physi- 
cal walk, are followed out in their immediate 
and remote effects, and thus the great temple 
of imperishable fame will rise, stone upon 
stone, to be seen, honored and revered of all 
men. 

We give the list of faces that are preserved 
in Immke's group, in their alphabetical or- 
der, with the dates of their coming to the 
county, and in several instances such other 
facts of each as we could procure. The list 
includes photographs extending down to the 
year 1844 : 

Anthony, A., 1837. Living in southwest 
part of county. 



148 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Anthony, Mrs. M. M., 1837. 

Ament, John and Sarah, 1830. The 
Amenta were from Kentucky. John died in 
1856, and was buried near his cabin. His 
widow married again and had quite a large 
family. We believe all left the State some 
years ago. There were three brothers came 
together — Edward, Justus and John. They 
built a cabin east of Bed Oak Grove, Section 
1, owned by O. Dunham. 

Ambrose, William, 1840. Living in the 
county. 

Adams, William, 1840. 

Anthony, Dr. William C, 1841. Born 
1807, Vermont. First marriage, 1837; sec- 
ond, 1858; third, 1860, to Lydia Allen, born 
Ellsworth, Ohio, September, 1833. Came to 
Illinois in 1857. Mrs. B. Ripley, oldest sis- 
ter, Mrs. A., now in Princeton, another sis- 
ter, Mrs. Cook, here. Dr. Anthony came 
here an alopath, and for thirty years has 
been a homoeopathic. 

Bryant, Arthur, 1833. Bryant, Mrs. A. 
1833. Full account of the B's elsewhere. 

Bryant, JohnH., 1832. 

Bryant, Cyrus, 1832. 

Boyd, Alex, 1830. Son of Charles S. 
Boyd. Residence, Princeton. 

Boyd, Mrs. Ales, 1834. Native New York; 
died in Princeton, 1882. 

Brigham, Joseph, 1832. (See biography). 

Brigham, Mrs. J E., 1834. 

Brigham, Sylvester, 1829. Sold farm and 
went West. 

Brigham, Mrs. Polly, 1832. 

Bacon, A. W., 1838. (See biography). 

Bacon, Mrs. Julia, 1839. 

Barney, Charles and Asa, 1836. From 
Providence, R. I. ; Asa living in Princeton. 

Brainard, Mr. and Mrs, D. E., 1841. From 
Medina County, Ohio. Alna Brainard, elder 
brother, married A.W. Bacon's sister. He died 
some years ago here, leaving five children. 



Brokaw, I., 1840, southern Ohio. Mr. 
Brokaw died in Kansas, and his widow died 
in Princeton. Left a large family. A daugh- 
ter, Mrs. Chester Smith, living in Princeton. 

Ballangee, J., 1836. 

Ballangee, Mrs. L., 1838. Lives near 
Dover. 

Buchan, F. G., 1839. Lives in Buda. 

Bryant, E W., 1836. 

Bushong, J. A., 1838. Bushong, Mrs. L. 
L., 1837. 

Bennett, George, 1832. Died in West 
Bureau, leaving widow and children. The 
family moved in after years to Iowa. 

Boyd, Charles S. and N., 1830. (See biog- 
raphy and general history). 

Bruce, W. R. and Mrs. E., 1838. Lived 
near La Moille. 

Bacon, H. V., 1838. 

Belknap, Eli B., 1839. Lived north of 
Dover. 

Biddleman, Mrs. M. J., 1834 ; was a 
Triplett; lives in Princeton. 

Benson, A. 1839; living in Tiskilwa. 

Bass, Edward, 1840. Lives near Maiden. 

Barney, Hosea, 1839; living at Providence. 

Ballou, Judge M., 1839. (See biography 
and chapter Bench and Bar). 

Burson, L. A., 1831; lived three miles west 
of Princeton: died some years ago; one son 
living here near Adam T. Galer. 

Brown, George, 1836; died violent death 
two years ago; a son living in North Prairie. 

Clapp, John, 1834. 

Clapp, Mrs. pariah L., 1835. 

Mr. Clapp was for a long time a promi- 
nent citizen of the county. His sister was 
the wife of Caleb Cook. Mr. Clapp died 
1882. His brother's widow living in Pince- 
ton, and his decendents live in La Moille. 
See elsewhere. 

Chamberlain, Dr. W. O. and Mrs., 1832. 
A sister of Mrs. Chamberlain, Sarah ToplifF, 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



149 



now living in Princeton. Dr. Chamberlain 
left two children. About the first physician 
in the county and a good and valuable man. 

Cusic, D. A. Married Eliza Cox. He was 
frozen to death, leaving a widow and thir- 
teen childi'en. 

CoddingtoQ, Sir. and Mrs. James, 1835. 
Natives of Maryland. Children living in 
county (See biography). 

ColtoD, C. D., 1834 (See Colton biogra- 
phy)- 

Colton, Mrs. E. S., 1835. 

Cook. Caleb, 1834 (See sketch in general 
history). 

Corss, C. C. and Mrs., 1833; came with the 
Hampshire Colony; living on West Bureau. 

Cabell, Mrs. A. D., 1836; living in town. 

Corse, Mrs. M., widow of Martin C. ; liv- 
ing in Princeton. 

Campbell, Mrs. S., (" Aunt Susie "); liv- 
ing north of Princeton depot. 

Corss, Henry, 1838; living on West Bureau, 
son of C. C. Corss. 

Clapp, Seth C, 1836; elder brother of John, 
died about ten years ago. Widow lives in 
Princeton; no children living. 

Clark. Andrew, 1841. 

Combs, C. W., 1831; native of Kentucky, 
lived east of Princeton. 

Colton, L. J., 1835; brother of Chancy 
Colton; residing now in Kansas. Married 
a daughter of Deacon Phelps. Was at one 
time partner proprietor in the Republican of 
Princeton (See Press chapter). 

Cummings, Thornton, 1834; native of Vir- 
ginia; reared in Kentucky where he married 
Sylvia Williams, in 1816, and came to 
G-allatin County, 111., and from there to 
Bureau. He settled in French Grove, then 
heavy timbered. He was the first settler in 
what is now Concord Township. He died in 
1872, and his widow died in 1883 (See Will- 
iam Cummings' biography). 



Cummings, F. and T., 1834. 

Crittenden, John and Mrs. B. G., the lat- 
ter now living south of Princeton. One of 
her sisters married Col. Austin Bryant, and 
the other sister married Arthur Bryant (See 
Bryant biography). 

Corss, C. G., 1831. 

Corss, Mrs. Polly, 1832; now living in 
Princeton. Sister of Joe Brigham. 

Cole, John, 1831; a minister in the M. E. 
Church. 

Cole, Jane, 1831 ;widow, still living, very old. 

Carey, Mr. and Mrs. Rufus, 1837; widow 
living in county. 

Corsey, Lemuel P.; his widow, mother of 
H. Reasoner's wife. 

Casing, Caleb, Mrs. P. and G. B. This 
family are relatives of the celebrated Caleb 
Cushiug of Massachusetts. G. B. resides 
near Princeton. 

Drake, William G., November, 1835; set- 
tled in Dover from New Jersey. Had seven 
children. Cyrus Langworthy married the 
oldest daughter, Charlotte; Ann married Rob- 
ert N. Murphy, and lives in Princeton; Mrs. 
Catharine Gregg, is in Iowa; Rachael L. 
Stockton, in LaSalle; Mary J. Clark, de- 
ceased. The sons were: David, Morgan and 
W^illiam C, now living in Princeton (see his 
biography). Mr. Drake died April 29, 1852. 
aged eighty-one years. His widow died De- 
cember 24, 1849, aged seventy-five years. 
W^illiam T. Drake's widow, Mrs. Michael 
Watson, came to the county in 1834. Mich- 
ael Watson was the son of Amariah Watson, 
who came in 1833. Mr. Watson died in Cal- 
ifornia; Amariah died here. 

Epperson, Harrison and Hezekiah, 1830. 

Epperson, Mrs. Abbigail. Harrison lives in 
Iowa, the only one of the family left. 

Emmerson, Judge Jesse, 1836. Living in 
Buda (See biogi'aphy and Bench and Bar 
Chapter). 



150 



HISTORY OP BUREAU COUNTY. 



Edwards, Samuel, 1842. From Massachu- 
setts; removed to Meodota. 

Ellis, Abbott, 1833; living north of Prince- 
ton. 

Fassett, E. W., 1835; married Pamela 
Morton; residing in Ija Moille. 

Flowers, Sophie, May 1831 (?). 

Forristol, James G.,May, 1830 (See general 
history). 

Forristol, Mrs. M. A., 1S36. 

Frankeberger, W., 1837; died 1882; aged 
ninety years; Barrack Mercer married daugh- 
ter. 

Forster, F. and Mrs. E. B., were Miller- 
ites in faith; kept tavern where Buda now 
is. before the town existed. 

Fritchey, M., September, 1838; lives in 
Tiskilwa (See Mr. Dunn's sketch). 

Fay, Sam L., 1834; from Massachusetts; 
living in West Bureau. 

Garten, Robert, 1833; settled in Dover; 
was a prominent and influential man; one of 
his sons is a physician. 

Gilbert, L. C., July, 1840. 

Gunn, Aaron, 1831 (See general history). 

Goodspeed, M. L., 1840. 

Gay, John M. and Mrs., 1830; Gay was 
from Kentucky; he was a thorough, brave 
pioneer. At the organization of Putnam 
County he was elected to office; he lived here 
a long time and removed to Wisconsin, where 
he died; he was married to a sister of Henry 
Thomas. 

Greeley D. P. and D., 1839; from Rhode 
Island; he supposed he was related to Hor- 
ace Greeley until he went to New York to 
claim his kin; the two men looked at each 
other and agreed that they were probably re- 
lated through Adam, but no closer; he bur- 
ied his wife in the Dover Cemetery and moved 
away. 

Gosse, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew, 1839; the 
first German to locate in Princeton; a pros- 
perous, good family (See biography). 



and Mrs., 1834 (See bi- 
M., September, 



Galer, Adam T. 
ography). 

Griswold, J. A. and Mrs. 
1839. 

Gheer, Hiram and Mrs. S. A., 1842 (See 
biography). 

Fifield, Samuel, 1836. Settled near Buda. 

Hinsdale, G. C, 1831, married Elizabeth 
Baggs. 

Hinsdale, Mrs. L., 1828. 

George C. and S. D. Hinsdale were 
brothers, George C. is still living, S. D. died 
about 1880. (See biography). 

Hammer, Mrs. S. , 1838. There is a family 
of Hammers now living in Ohio Township. 
They came, the Hammers, in 1834. 

Horn, W. H. and Mrs. E. D., 1843. 

Heaton. Isaac, Reece and Mrs. Sarah, 1836. 
The Heatons living at Heaton's Point. Har- 
rison Eppersan married one of the girls (see 
Heaton's biography). 

Holbrook, J. T., July, 1834. Died in La 
Moille, in latter part of Seventies; Mrs. King, 
his sister, lives in Princeton. His son lives 
in La Moille (see biography). 

Hills, J. W., May, 1843. 

Hill, J., 1838. 

Hassler, Herman, July, 1834. Large fam- 
ily of Hasslers living at Hallowayville. 

Hughes, Isaac and Mrs. Jane, 1837. Mrs. 
John Elliott, mother of Gen. I. H. Elliott 
was a daughter of Isaac Hughes. The Hughes 
came with Col. John Elliott to this State. 
They lived five miles north of Princeton. 
Another daughter of Mr. Hughes is Mrs. 
Moore, now of Princeton (see Gen. I. H. Elli- 
ott's biography). 

Headly, John M. and Mrs. Ann, 1841. All 
moved out of the county. Now in Nebraska. 

Hentz, Fred, August, 1839. 

Hentz, Mi's., 1836. Living at Halloway- 
ville. 

Hinman, Robert and Mrs. M. A., 1838. 
Lived near Tiskilwa. 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



151 



Hetzler, John, 1834 Settled near Hallo- 
wayville. 

Hetzler, Mrs. H. P., 1839. 

Hoblist, W. C. and Mary, 1813. Lived 
near Wyanet. 

Hall, John and Mrs. E., 1830. Hall Town- 
ship, originally called Bloom, was named in 
honor of John Hall. He first settled in Selby. 
Hallowayville was once Halltown. Mr. Hall 
made very large farm improvements on his 
claim. Before land sales he sold thist.oHass- 
ler for §4,000; he then entered a great deal 
of land in the county. He ^as an illiterate 
but a large-minded and great business man. 
He finally sold out and went to Missouri and 
merchandised very extensively. Among the 
early pioneers he was one of the most valu- 
able citizens. John, William and Reason B. 

Hall were brothers. 

* 

Hinsdale, S. D., 1838. Died ten years 
ago. Has a son, Burrett, in New York. 

Hoskins, William, December, 1830. Judge 
Hoskins was one of the remarkable early men 
of the county. Strong, heavy, big-boned 
muscular man, massive features and very 
large, broad teeth, a large unkempt and bushy 
hair, dressed in his home-made clothes. He 
never dressed up to come to town, and his 
heavy gait and movement, and his whole con- 
tour presented a figure well calculated to 
arrest the strangers' attention. He had not 
much more polish of mind than he had of 
person, but both were on a scale that made 
him a big man in any crowd. He would 
attract the strangers' curiosity, and then 
when he heard him talk, his interest. A man 
of very little of the advantages of school edu- 
cation. He was illiterate, but strong in intel- 
lect. 

Hoskins, J. H., 1832, son of William; 
family moved West; one of the daughters, 
Mrs. Hozier, lives near Trenton. 

How, Rev. D. J., September, 1831; was of 



the Church of the Disciples; had a mill, 
McManus'; died many years ago; large 
family of children. 

Hazard, Oran and Mary, 1839; lived near 
Wyanet. 

Isaac, Ellas, 1834 (See biography of 
W. L.). 

Jenkins, George and Mrs. , 1840-41. Mr. 
Jenkins lived south of Princeton. They 
are both dead; died in 1868-69. 

Judd, Eli P., June, 1835. Lived east of 
Princeton; a son living there now. 

Judd, Mrs. Sarah, November, 1837; liv- 
ing now in Iowa. 

Jones, A. H., September, 1836. From 
New Hampshire; son in Princeton. 

Jones, William and Mrs., 1840. 

Kitterman, M., 1830. One of the oldest 
living settlers in Bureau County. He was 
tirst here in 1828; returned in 1830, and 
brought wife and two children in 1831. 
Had eleven children after coming here — 
thirteen in all, ten of whom, six sons and 
four daughters, are still living. Certainly 
no two old patriarchs ever lived who better 
deserved the respect and love of the 
large family and the host of friends, and 
the fortune in this world's goods that they 
possess, than Mr. and Mrs. Kitterman (See 
biography and sketch in general history). 

Kitterman, Robert, 1831 (see Kitterman 
biography). 

Kendall, A. R., 1840 (See biography). 

Keeries, R. M., 1839. 

Knox, Aaron, March, 1840. 

Knox, William and Mary, 1834. 

Kimball, James M., 1842. 

Langworthy, Cyrus, 1834; Sirs., 1834; 
Dr. A., 1836. Mrs. William Drake, of 
Princeton, was the widow of Dr. A. Lang- 
worthy. (See Drake' s biography and sketch 
of Langworthy, in general history.") 

Larrison, Mrs. L., 1828; now Mrs. John 



152 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Stechell, living in Peoria. She was Henry- 
Thomas' second daughter. This is another 
of the three first born babies in the county, 
Mrs. Sells being another one, and one of 
M. Ketterman's daughters still another. We 
account for their all being girls by the fact 
that the Black Hawk war was near at hand, 
and the boys all thought to wait until the 
fighting was over. 

Landers, Thomas, 1842. 

Long, John and Rebecca, 1836. There 
were several of the Longs lived near Senach- 
wine. Jehu lived in Princeton, was consta- 
ble for many years. Noah and his son Noah 
lived in the south part of the county. 

Limerick, Robert, Mrs. L., George, S. , 
1839. 

Town of Limerick, north of Princeton, 
named after Robert Limerick. This family 
all died near where they settled in the 
county. 

Lomas, Mrs. E. J., November, 1833. There 
were three brothers Lomas. One married 
Roland Moseley's daughter, another married 
a Radcliflfe. 

Lumry, Enoch, 1836. Living near Lim- 
erick. 

Lumry, Mrs. A., June, 1834. 

Lumry, Rufus, 1834. Went west and in 
crossing a stream was drowned some years 
ago. Rufus was a Wesleyan preacher. Left 
a large family of children. 

Leeper, H. B., 1834 (See biography and 
sketch of Judge John B. Leeper). 

Long, Noah, 1838; Mrs. R. A, 1840; Levi 
and James, 1836. 

Lonnon, John, 1837. 

Mason, John W., 1841; Mrs. A. M., 1840. 

Mercer, Dr. W. , living in Princeton; one 
of the oldest physicians in the county. He 
is of the Mercers, from Ohio. 

Martin, P. H., 1843. 

McPherson, Mrs. M., 1838. 



Mowry, Geo. A. and Mrs. Nancy, 1841. 

Matson, Enos and Elizabeth, 1836 (See 
sketch of the Matsons elsewhere). 

Mathis, Eli R., 1841; Mrs. E. R., 1834; 
living at Princeton. 

Merritt. Mrs. E., 1834. 

Mosley, Roland, 1831; W. Noble, 1831. 
Roland Mosely had four sons, all dead. His 
son Roland married a Radcliffe, now living 
with Henry Paddock. 

Mai'tin. W. and Mrs. Jane, 1836; from 
New Hampshire. Mrs. Martin and Benj. 
Newell' s wife were sisters. Mr. and Mrs. 
Martin died here. 

Mason, Dr. S. R., 1841. 

Mason, Mrs. M. A, 1841. 

Munson, A., 1840. 

Munson, Mrs. J., 1835. 

Moore, Mi-s. W. J., 1837. 

Mercer, Ed., 1837; Mrs. J., 1837; B., 
1S34; Moses, 1834; Dr. Joseph, 1834. Joseph 
was born January 11, 1828; died May, 1878. 
Mrs. M. A. Mercer, living in county (See her 
biography). 

Myers, Mrs. Morrella, 1838. 

Miller, H. J., July, 1832. 

Miller, Mrs. M. A., 1831. 

Matson, Nehemiah, 1836; Mrs. E. C, 1841. 
Mr. Matson loved to investigate and write 
about the early settlers of the county and the 
Indians. He was not a literary man and yet 
on this subject he wrote a great deal, and 
deserves great credit for gathering many im- 
portant items. 

Musgrove, ]V[rs. Sarah, May, 1831; widow 
of John Musgrove, came from New Jersey; 
died 1882; children are dead. 

Mohler, Samuel and Mrs. Caroline, 1836; 
living in Dover; Mrs. Mohler was a Zearing; 
died two years ago. 

Miller, H. R, 1833; C. F., 1838; D. F., 
1835; Mrs. Sarah, 1835; E. H. 1832; Mi-s. 
M. E., 1840. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



153 



McArthur, M., 1839. 

Mason, Mrs. A. E., 1834; living in Prince- 
ton. Children dead except one daughter. 

Miller, A. W., 1837; Mrs. E., 1837; S., 
1832. 

Masters, Robert E., 1833; son of Richard 
Masters. Moved to New York. Was Justice 
of the Peace some years in Princeton. 

McCasky, Robert, 1836. 

Matson, Enos C. 1836. 

McDonald, Mrs. M. J., September, 1829. 

Mowry, Jesse, 1841. 

Murphy, Mrs. Ann, 1836. 

Mason, John, 1841; Mrs. Abigail, 1841; 
Cyrus P., 1841; W. H., 1841. 

Norton, George, 1841. 

Newell, Benjamin and Harriet, September, 
1835. (See biography of P. J. Newell). 

Norton, D. E. , 1842. 

Phelps, Ebenezer S., 1838; Mrs. H. M., 
1835; E. S., Jr., 1838; Mrs. E. S., Jr., 1838; 
E. H., 1831; J. R., 1838; Charles, 1836. 

Phelps, George R., 1836; C. C, 1839; B., 
1839. These families trace their lineage 
back over 300 years. (See history of Hampshire 
Colony and general history). 

Piper, P. H., 1836; Mrs. Harriett, 1833. 

Phillipps, John, 1833; Mrs. Betsey, 1833. 

Perkins, Manson and Mrs., 1834; Stephen, 
1834. 

Porter, A. G., 1840; Mrs. C. P., 1840. 

Prutsman, A. and Mrs. G., 1840. (See biog- 
raphy). 

Pierce, Caleb, 1837; Mrs. Martha, 1840. 

Parish, H. R., 1842. 

Perkins, John, 1842. 

Piper, Ezekiel, 1836. 

Porter, B., 1842. 

Reed, Charles T., 1845. 

Roberts, Mrs. E., 1836. 

Reed, J. G., 1834. 

Robinson, David and Mrs., 1835. 

Reeve, L., 1832; Lazarus, 1834; Mrs. Sarah 



L. , 1835. Mr. Reeve is now better and more 
generally known as " Deacon " Reeve (See 
Lucy Reeve's biography). 

Rackley, Nathan and Mrs., 1836; George, 
1836. 

Ross, Mrs. Selina, October, 1830. 

Robinson, S. F. , 1835; widow eighty-nine 
years old, living with her son, Solomon, in 
Princeton. 

Rowell, B. G and Mrs. A. A., 1835. 

Shifflett, Mrs. P., 1844. 

Smith, J. H., 1840. 

Swayne, E. H., 1837. 

Sisler, G. W., 1839. 

Swan, James T., 1833; Mrs. Susan, 1836. 
Lived near Hollawayville; family moved West. 

Stratton, Abram, November, 1829; Mrs. 
Sally Stratton, 1829 (See general history full 
sketch). 

Smith, Mrs. Eliza, 1834; N., 1837; Mrs. 
R., 1837. 

Stephens, Justus, 1842 (See biography). 

Swanzy, Dr. James and Catharine, 1836. 
Both died. Andrew Swanzy, a son, lives in 
Princeton; another son living near Tiskilwa. 

Studyvin, Madison, 1833; Mrs. F., 1834 
(See general history). 

Searle, L. T., 1834; Mrs. R. G., 1843. 

Seaton, J. and Mrs. S., 1835; Miss A., 
1840 (See biography). 

Sapp, Solomon, 1835 (See biography); Mrs. 
Ann, 1835. 

Smith, S., 1836; Mrs., 1834. 

Smart, Mrs. E., 1840. 

Smith, J. and Mrs. Sarah, 1835. 

Sells, Mrs. Mary, January, 1831 (See gen- 
eral history for an accoiint of Sells family). 

Stannard, S. and Mi-s., 1840. 

Studyvin, S., 1836 (See sketch Madison S.). 

Smith, Eli; Mrs. C. C, 1831 (See general 
history of Smiths). 

Searl, J. S., 1834 (See account of Searle 
settlement). 



154 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Spratt, Rev. J. W., 1838; G. W., 1838. 
G. W. Spratt was a tinner and of late years 
lived in the Green River country. 

Smith, Elijah, 1831; Joseph E., 1835 (See 
general history). 

Sutherland, Joseph, November, 1832. 

Smith, D. B. (See biography). 

Smith, Nick, 1830; son "Dad Joe" Smith. 
(See sketch of "Dad Joe" and family). 

Smith, Albert J., 1839. 

Scott, M. A., 1842. 

Spaulding, M. and Mrs., 1836. 

Searle, J. M., 1836. 

Sawyer, Anthony, 1838. 

Sweet, J. L., 1842. 

Sapp, E. and Mrs. M., 1885. (See bio- 
graphy). 

Smith, Eli, 1831 ; married Clarrissa 
Childs, a native of Massachusetts; Eli died 
August 30, 1871, leaving seven grown chil- 
dren — four boys and three girls; Eli Smith 
was born November 15,. 1805, and his wife 
October 5, 1804. They came in an ox wagon 
from Massachusetts to this county. With his 
brother Elijah they lived at first in Foristol's 
cabin. The children are all living except 
Harriet and Lucy. 

Elijah Smith married Sylvia Childs. He 
kept the widely-known "Yankee Tavern," 
one and one-half miles northwest of Prince- 
ton. He was also a Postmaster, and we be- 
lieve among the earliest in the county, except 
Henry Thomas. He kept the postoffice 
in a split basket, and when hung in the loft it 
was all safe. He lived here over fortj' years 
and removed to Sandwich, where he died. 

Thomas, Ezekiel, June, 1830. 

Thomas, Mrs., June, 1830 ; died in the 
county. Maj. Fisher's wife is a daughter, 
and Mrs. Houck and Mrs. Corss are daughters 
of Thomas. 

Thompson, A. T., 1834; settled near Wy- 
anet; Thompson, M. M., 1834. 



Thompson, R. E. and Mrs. M., 1839. 

Thompson, J. ^\., 1840; Mrs. S. M., 1836. 

Trowbridge, Mrs. C. O., 1840. 

Thomas, A. C, May, 1829. 

Temi>leton, R. T., 1836. (See general his- 
tory). This immediate family is now extinct. 

Triplett, A., 1834; Samuel, 1834; Mrs. M. 
A., 1837. The descendants of this family are 
still in the county, i. e. , one of the daughters, 
Mrs. Bidderman, and Mrs. Wills and several 
of the grandchildren. 

Tompkins, M., 1834. 

Trimble, M., 1840. 

Thomson, Col. J. J., 1845. (See biog- 
raphy). 

Wisner, James and Mrs. J., 1840. 

Winship, M., S. W., R. and Mrs., 1835 
(See general history for account of Winship 
family). 

Wallace, Moses and Mrs. J., 1843; J. L., 
1843. 

Williams, S. L. and Mrs., 1834. 

Wells, David and Mary S., 1838. 

Wilson, J. and Mrs., 1842. 

Wells, George, 1841; Mrs. L., 1834. 

Williams, Curtiss, 1832. (See general his- 
tory). 

Warren, W. A. and Henrietta, 1843. 

Winship, E. C, 1837. 

Wies, J. and Mrs., 1834; settled above 
Dover two miles, where the family are now 
residing. 

White, Alvin and Mrs., 1839. 

Wilson, James L., 1833; living six miles 
north of Princeton. 

Wilhite, J., 1835. 

Walters, John, 1837; President of Old Set- 
tlers' Society in 1884; lives at Princeton. 

Williams, S. D., 1834; Sol, 1837. 

Woodruff, Dr. R. J., 1838; S. M., 1838. 

Vaughan, J. H. and John, 1837 ; father 
and son came from Nova Scotia; the father 
died here and the son removed to Oregon. 



HISTORY OF BUEEAU COUNTY. 



155 



Zearing, Martin E. , Miss Louisa, Louis, 
D. S., 1836. (See David Zearing's biog- 
raphy.) 

Hon. John Wentworth, of Chicago, was 
Mayor of that city when the Prince of Wales 
visited it. He gives an amusing account of 
a citizen coming to him a iew days before 
the prince was to arrive, and in a flutter of 
excitement over the great occasion, and in 
anxiety lest the Mayor should not fully ap- 
preciate the importance of the event up 
to the proper point of toadying to the callow 
sprout of royalty, he wanted to suggest how 
to do it. When Wentworth comprehended 
what his visit was for he invited him to 
proceed. His first suggestion was that it 
would be in excellent form to select, say one 
or two representatives from one hundred of 
the first families of Chicago, to receive and 
dance attendance upon his highness. " All 
right," says Wentworth, " Please make me 
out a list of the one hundred of the first 
families of Chicago, so I can select." The 
visitor studied a moment and confessed he 
could not do this. The Mayor then asked 
him to please select ten, that is, nine beside 
his own. In short he was driven to the con- 
fession that he could only really name one 
family — his own, of course. 

Some years afterwards in addressing the 
old settlers of the city, he read off the names 
of the city's early settlers, referred to the 
above anecdote, and remarked, here is more 
than one hundred of the first families of 
Chicago — the real blue-blooded Knicker- 
bockers, the F. F. V.'s of the city, and 
predicted that these men and their descend- 
ants would constitute the names of the " book 
of peerage" of the city, a record that 
would be carefully kept and closely studied 
in the long future by all who desired to es- 
tablish an unquestionable and illustrious 
lineage. 



CHAPTER XIIL 

John H. BRTiNT— A Bbief Sketch or His Life, in which is Con- 
nected Evert Ibiportant Historical Event of the County 
Since His Coming Here— Birth of the Republican Pabtt— 
The Farmer Puet — Etc., etc. 

" And I think, but not with sadness, 
When I in earth am laid, 
How after generations 
Will bless this grateful shade." 

— J. H. Bryant. 

IN the pi'eceding chapters, wherever we 
have been enabled to give in their own 
language, the detailed accounts of the voy- 
aging to this place of any of the pioneers, 
who were young men mostly in their first 
rough experiences in the world, we have not 
hesitated to do so, and to make them as full 
in details as possible. They are full of his- 
tory and interest, and for the rising genera- 
tion are very instructive; they will find here 
food for healthy reflection. 

From the year of the first permanent set- 
tlement here to the present hour, the biogra- 
phy and life of John H. Bryant and his 
three brothers, has been very nearly the com- 
plete history of the struggle into life of that 
feeble band and the record, existence and 
present high standard of the county of Bu- 
reau. There need be no apology then, for 
making this chapter and placing the title 
that is found at the head, nor need we 
further explain that when we have once 
started upon the story of Bryant's life that 
it is consistently followed up, although it 
brings in some of the facts that are of recent 
date, and in the design of the work, except 
for this reason, would have only appeared in 
their consecutive order as the work pro- 
gressed toward completion. 

The facts here given are in nearly every 
instance verbatim as we found them in elab- 



156 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



orate notes of the life of Mr. Bryaot, by Dr. 
Richard Edwards, of Princeton, only in cer- 
tain portions being condensed, and some of 
the details being here omitted, as they are 
given in other portions of this history. 

It is probably true that no human being 
has ever lived, whose record, faithfully 
kept, might not be useful. Even of the hum- 
blest and most obscure this would be true. The 
labors and aspirations, the hopes and disap- 
pointments, the successes and failures of men, 
are an index of the possibilities for good or 
evil, of a human being. For this reason it 
happens that no form of literature is more in- 
structive than biography. In the history of 
another's life each one is reminded of his own 
experiences, and with the reminder comes in- 
struction. 

All this is especially true of those lives 
which have been connected with important 
events. Every man who has helped in a 
marked way to mould the institutions of a 
country, or to conduct its movements, ought 
in some way to leave a record of what he has 
done and sought to do. Institutions, political 
and social movements, are products. They 
spring from the thoughts and deeds of indi- 
vidual men, and nothing can be more in- 
structive than to observe these developing 
processes, to note how the labor of head and 
heart has blossomed into permanent social 
forces. 

The life of John Howard Bryant is cer- 
tainly worth being written, not merely on 
the ground that all lives may be so, but for 
the important events with which it has been 
connected. His birth and early residence in 
New England turn our thoughts to the sturdy 
civilization which has given that part of our 
country so much influence at home and abroad. 
His removal to Illinois will introduce 
the reader to those movements by which 
the Mississippi Valley has been made the 



luxuriant home of many prosperous commu- 
nities. And his concern in political affairs 
will lead to some study of the great move- 
ment by which the country was freed from 
the incubus of slavery. 

Mr. Bryant comes of Puritan stock on both 
sides, both families having emigrated from 
Bridgewater, Mass. His father, Ur. Peter 
Bryant, was a man of considerable promi- 
nence. As a physician and surgeon, his 
standing seems to have been very high, and he 
enjoyed the distinction, not small, of a seat in 
the State Senate. He was a man of large cult- 
ure and excellent literary taste. The moth- 
er's maiden name was Snell, and she was of a 
family that had produced a number of distin- 
guished men. She was a woman of strong 
character, earnest piety and great skill in 
practical affairs. Her ideal of duty was high 
and her code of morals rigorous. The second 
son was the eminent poet and journalist — 
"William Cullen Bryant. 

The subject of this sketch was born July 
22, 1807, in the house, in the town of Cum- 
mington, known as the Bryant homestead. 
Some time after Dr. Peter Bryant's death, 
which occurred in 1820, this estate went out 
of the family, and remained in the possession 
of strangers for many years. But in the year 
1864 it was repurchased by the poet, and 
now belongs to his daughter. It is beautifully 
situated, and surrounded by scenes well cal- 
culated to nourish the poetic faculty. John 
; was the seventh child, the youngest of five 
I sons of his parents. Of the scenes of his 
1 early life not much is recorded. It is noted, 
' however, that the year 1811 there occun-ed a 
I notable eclipse of the sun.* 

I * 8imultaDeously with the eclipse was the great New Madrid 
earthquake, and the passage, iD the midst of the earth's throes, 
oi'tlie first steambuat ever on the Western waters from out the 
Ohio River and into the Mississippi River. The 18th day of De- 
cember, 1811, at least here in the West, is thus signaled as our 
great historic day. The eclipse and the earthquake were but 
manifestations of the forces of nature, the latter by far the 
most remarkable on this hemisphere so far recorded in history; 

j while the steamboat was a human thought fashioned into a 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



157 



This is a well remembered incident, because 
of its indirect influence upon his early school- 
ing. By looking at the sun with unprotected 
eyes, his vision was greatly weakened, not 
until he was about fifteen years of age was 
he able to apply himself continuously to 
reading. Thus it appears that about eleven 
years of his early life were in a large measure 
lost to him. And this was the very period in 
which elementary knowledge could be best ac- 
quired. But the loss seems to have been well 
supplied afterward. As compared with his 
brothers, however, he was decidedly behind in 
his studies at the age of fifteen. 

On the death of Dr. Bryant, the mother 
found abundant scope for her knowledge of 
practical affairs. Her husband, in the ardor 
of his professional enthusiasm, had been 
careless of money matters. The consequence 
was he left the estate involved. Accordingly 
the boys, except Austin, the eldest, and Will- 
iam Cullen, the poet, who had already begun 
life for themselves, were put to work upon 
the farm. Cyrus was the manager and John 
was one of the helpers. In the summer they 
worked together. In the winter the former 
taught school and the latter did the chores. 
The services of Cyrus were considered to be 
sufficiently important, he being of age, to be 
paid for by the mother. But of John this 
does not seem to have been the case. 

At this time it seems that a neighborhood 
club was in operation for the improvement 
of its members in reading and composition. 
It included the family of Nortons, Briggs, 
Porters, Packards, Snells and Bryants. The 

steamboat — the New OrleaDS, Capt. Roosevelt. Comi)ared to the 
awful, the appalline play of nature's forces amid which the ves- 
sel rode out of the lashing waters of the Ohio into the yet worse 
troubled waters of the Mississippi, how insignificant it must 
have appeared, yet like the great inventions and thoughts of 
genius 'growing in good and enduring forever — encircling the 
globe with its blessings, and lifting up and bearing aloft the 
human family. The earthquake, like wars, famines and pesti- 
lences, is but temporary in its ert'ects, and kindly nature covers 
up and hides forever its wrecks and ruins, and their horrors and 
the appalling terrors are forgotten. But the thoughts, the dis- 
coveries and inventions of genius grow and live eternally. In 
the perfect economy of God, tliey alone are immortal. 



meetings were held by turns in the houses 
of the members. The best English litera- 
ture was studied in private, read at the meet- 
ings and commented upon. Mr. Bryant was 
employed in the combination of farm and 
literary work for two years; and he declares 
that during that time he read more good 
English prose and poetry than in any other 
period of equal length. The club was an 
undoubted and permanent benefit to its mem- 
bers. It no doubt had much to do in the 
formation of the correct literary taste which 
has always been a marked characteristic of 
Mr. Bryant. 

In the year 1826-27 he was a pupil in a 
select school taught by the Rev. Mr. Hawks, 
near Cumminofton Meeting-house. The same 
teacher was afteward employed in the acad- 
emy in East Cummington, where he attended 
also, one winter. In the years 1828 and 1829 
he taught school in the winters, in the town 
of Williamsburg. In the spring of 1828 he 
was a student in the Renselaer school, now 
the Renselaer Polytecnic Institute, at Troy, 
N. Y. The principal instructor at that 
time was the able, but somewhat eccentric, 
Prof. Amos Eaton. The studies pursued by 
the young man were chemistry, mineralo- 
gy, geology, natural philosophy (physics), 
botany and zoology. For a period of two 
years, which was the time he spent at this 
school, this seems a formidable list. But a 
young man with a clear head and an earnest 
purpose, with the hunger and thirst for learn- 
ing upon him, and sustained by the vigor 
acquired in a country life, often makes as- 
tonishing progress, accomplishii^g great re- 
sults in a brief space of time. Another 
helpful circumstance in this case was the 
fact that much of the work lay out of doors. 
Collections in botany, and to some extent in 
mineralogy, were a part of the required 
'course. Hills were climbed and woods tra- 



158 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



versed, as a part of the regular school work. 
The country about Troy is especially rich in 
botanical specimens, and the Renselaer 
student, as he trudges about with his tin 
cylinder strapped to his back, is cheered and 
stimulated by the frequent prizes he is able 
to secure. In this way he attains or preserves 
the soundest physical health, and at the 
same time adds most efficiently to his mental 
possessions. Study is made both effective 
and harmless by an abundance of pure air, 
wholesome sunshine and vigorous exercise, 
to say nothing of the benefit derived from 
the charming beauty of the scenery. 

In June, 1829, he took final leave of Troy, 
walking home by way of Williamstown, Mass. 
This place he reached at 9 o'clock at night— 
a walk of forty miles. Here he spent three 
or four days with his brother, Arthur, who 
was then a student in Williams College. The 
succeeding months of November and Decem- 
ber were spent at the same place, in the 
study of geometry and trigonometry, and 
" some Latin." All his time, however, was 
not consumed in these dry topics. He wrote 
poetry for the Williamstown paper and also, 
by invitation, wrote for a paper called the 
Philanthrojnst, published in Boston. These 
poems are now lost, and the most that Mr. 
Bryant remembers of them is, that of one of 
them the subject was "Cohoes Falls." After 
this he seems to have returned to the farm. 
Cyrus had given up his supervision of Lome 
affairs and gone to South Carolina, and Aus- 
tin had taken his place. He worked several 
summers on the farm. In the summer of 
1830 he took the United States census of 
that part of Hampshire County that lies west 
of the Connecticut River. In the winter of 
1830-31 he taught school in Plainfield, his 
compensation being §14 a month and " board 
around." 

And now the young man's eyes began tO' 



turn away from the home of his childhood. 
The valley "of the Mississippi had begun to 
be permanently peopled. Reports came of 
the gorgeous beauty and inexhaustible fertil- 
ity of the Illinois prairies. The stony hills 
of Hampshire County began to seem hard 
and sterile. He resolved to seek a home in 
the new realm, where land was so cheap, and 
the soil so wondrously productive. In the 
spring of 1831 he set out for Illinois. His 
worldly goods, consisting of clothing, car- 
penter's tools, etc., were stowed into two 
chests and a trunk. A tanner in West Cum- 
mington was accustomed to make business 
trips to the State of New York. In this 
man's wagon Mr. Bryant placed himself and 
his possessions, and was carried to Hudson, 
on the river of that name. Leaving the bag- 
gage in that city, he took a trip by river to 
New York, wishing to look at the metropolis 
before emigrating to the far West. He left 
New York on the ISth day of April, 1831, 
touching at Hudson for his goods, and 
passed on to Albany. The Erie Canal, the 
monument of Gov. Clinton, had then been in 
operation over five years. On this "artificial 
river,'' in a "line" boat, a boat for trans- 
porting merchandise, he made the voyage 
from Albany to Buffalo, at an expense, for 
meals and passage, of $4.60. The trip oc- 
cupied seven days. 

But the lake at Buffalo was full of ice, 
which made it necessary to hire a team to 
convey the traveler and his baggage to Dun- 
kirk. His plan was to go by way of Lake 
Erie to Cleveland, and then by the canal to 
the Ohio River. The Dunkirk harbor was 
open, and a boat was about to set out for the 
upper lakes, but Cleveland was not to be one 
of its stopping places. Mr. Gurnsey, of 
Dunkirk, who gave the traveler a letter to 
Judge Lockwood, of Jacksonville, 111., ad- 
vised him to go via Jamestown on Chautauqua 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUXTY. 



159 



Lake, thence down the Conewango Creek on 
a raft or flat-boat, and to the Ohio River by 
way of the Alleghany. After some tribula- 
tion Jamestown was reached, but the Cone- 
wango had subsided; its waters would not 
float a raft or flat-boat, hence recourse was 
had to a wagon, and the Alleghany was thus 
reached at "Warren, Penn. It happened to 
be court week at this place, and the town 
was tilled with people. At that time the 
country was violently divided on the subject 
of Masonry. An exciting discussion was 
going on in Warren, and soon culminated in 
a street tight; the first thing of the kind he 
had ever witnessed. 

The next business was to find a conveyance 
to Pittsburgh. There happened to be at 
that time two families of English people who 
wished to make the same journey, and they 
had moans of conveyance. They owned an 
' ' ark," and had their goods on board of it. 
The heads of the families were elderly men, 
both of whom had lost their wives in Toronto. 
One of them, a Mr. Angell, was accompanied 
by two stout grown daughters. They made 
room on the ' ' ark " for Mr. Bryant and his 
baggage. For a time it floated along the 
stream without any exciting incident. The 
passenger made himself useful by going 
ashore, as occasion required, and shooting 
squirrels for the table, also by putting up a 
mast in the hope of accelerating their speed. 
But one afternoon they struck a rock; the 
ark was turned so as to lie broadside to the 
stream. The force of the current tilted it 
somewhat, the water rushed in and the load- 
ing, among other things a very tine set of 
joiner's tools belonging to the Englishman, 
and our hero's two chests and trunk, were 
thoroughly wet. The owners of the craft 
wereingi'eat tribulation; they supposed they 
were ruined bj^ the mishap. But the boat 
was at last righted and tied up for repairs. 



An attempt was made to dry the wetted 
tools and clothes, but with only indifferent 
success. The disaster happened on Satur- 
day, and the boat was not loosed from its 
moorings until Monday following. In seven 
days they made the trip from Warren to 
Pittsburgh. At this point Mr. Bryant shipped 
on board the steamer Abeona, the largest 
boat then plying the river. An attempt 
was made to dry the wet clothes that had 
been wet in the Alleghany Kiver, on the 
boat's boilers, but the records say " the con- 
tinuous rains made it ditficult.'' At Louis- 
ville he was transferred to another boat for St. 
Louis. On board were 125 slaves, the property 
of a number of Kentuckians emigrating to 
Missouri. The boat was worn-out, leaky and 
unclean, having long before seen its best 
days. Among the passengers was a clergy- 
man and his wife from Kentucky, with whom 
our traveler soon formed a most agi-eeable 
acquaintance. The weather had continued 
wet, and a Franklin stove belonging to these 
good people was a source of gi'eat comfort. 
St. Louis was reached about the 24th of May. 
The young traveler betook himself to a sail- 
ors' boarding house. It sounds strange to 
write this of the now gi-eat city of St. Louis, 
or that it was ever so small a village as he 
found it. Its population was then about the 
same as Princeton now. After a brief stay 
in St. Louis he boarded a steamer for Naples. 
It was called the "Traveler," and plied 
regularly between St. Louis and Naples. On 
the 27th he reached the latter place. His 
objective point was Jacksonville, where his 
brother Arthur had been for some months. 
From Naples to Jacksonville, about twenty- 
two miles, he journeyed on foot, reaching his 
destination before night. In this walk he 
had for a companion a Mr. Harlam, after- 
ward a prominent merchant and a member 
of the Legislature. This long and tedious 



160 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



journey from Cummington to Jacksonville 
occupied five weeks, and the expense of the 
trip was $60; one-tenth the time now, 
and less than one-quarter the cost, with 
incomparably more accommodations and com- 
forts, would make the trip between these 
points. 

The intelligent loader will see at once the 
importance of these details of this young 
pioneer's long and di-eary journey. It is the 
vivid story of thechanges that have so swiftly 
taken place in this broad land. Like the 
stories we give in preceding chapters of 
Strattons, Kittermans, Henry F. JLiller and 
many others; stories that are full of interest 
and history. It is impossible for us to 
realize the increase of value and importance 
these accounts of the travels of the pioneers 
will be to the generations that are to come 
after us hundreds of years from now. Al- 
ready railroads have been so long in opera- 
tion in our country that the younger among 
our people have but slight conception of 
how our fathers lived and traveled. It is, 
therefore, a useful exercise to study the de- 
tails of a journey made by a respectable 
young man who seems to have availed him- 
self of the best conveyances the country then 
afforded. The comparison of then and now 
is full of wholesome instruction, giving 
themes for the painter, the poet and the 
historian. 

He found his brother Arthur domi- 
ciled at the house of Thomas Wiswall, but 
he himself stopped at the house of his 
future father-in law, Elijah Wiswall, at 
$1.50 per week for board, with the 
privilege of paying this in work. The 
autumn of 1831 was spent in the store of 
Henry Wiswall, and the following winter 
he was a clerk in Gillett & Gordon's store. 
In the spring of 1832 he worked upon his 
brother's land near Jacksonville, while 



Ai-thur was East on a mission of marriage. 
In the meantime his other brother, Cyrus, 
had joined him at Jacksonville, and in Sep- 
tember. John and Cyrus started for Bureau. 
They came on horseback. Their attention 
had been attracted here by the knowledge 
that the Hampshire Colony had located at 
Princeton. 

The colony had been dispersed by the 
Black Hawk war. On their way they found 
Elijah Smith's family, in Tazewell County, 
the husband and wife teaching school. Near 
Granville, Putnam County, were John Leeper 
and family. They looked at the country at 
various points, but Cyrus had known Roland 
Moseley in Massachusetts, and having re- 
ceived a favorable impression in regard to 
the land in Bureau, they pushed on to this 
point and arrived at the Moseley house, a 
few miles southeast of Princeton. Among 
others they were introduced to the elder Dr. 
Chamberlain. Their friends directed their 
attention to the spot on which John H. 
Bryant now lives. This was the land Mr. 
Kitterman had ' ' claimed " two years before, 
and which had been jumped by " Curt " 
Williams. The war had run Williams off, 
and as he did not return, up to this time, 
they supposed he had abandoned it and left 
the country. But " Curt" was on hand in 
time. Suffice it to say, that Williams was 
finally bought out, and the Bryants peace- 
ably installed in possession. The two 
brothers took possession of this little cabin, 
with its dirt floor and stick chimney. They 
were their own cooks and housekeepers, and 
most probably did their own washing and 
ironing, such as it was. The table groaned 
beneath pork and corn-dodger chiefly, if it 
had occasion to do any groaning at all. A 
heroic resolve and struggle was directed 
toward the luxury of flour bread of their own 
construction, once a week. This was a 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



161 



darincr dash at the enervating luxuries of the 
day, but the young men made it. Their lot 
was sweetened by the fortunate discovery, in 
the autumn, of a bee tree, so that, although 
there was not any flow of milk in this 
Canaan, yet the honey was not wanting. In 
their work they had the help of three yoke 
of oxen, brought with them. Hay for these 
was cut on the prairie. Cyrus, it seems, 
tended the kine, while John was chief 
housekeeper, and mauled rails while resting 
from the arduous duties of the household, 
making thus one hundred a day. During 
the winter they fenced forty acres each. In 
the spring they began breaking the sod. 
They had an old Carey plow they had 
brought from Jacksonville. When the share 
became dull, it was carried on horseback 
eighteen miles to the Laughlins, in Florid, to 
be sharpened. It was an ugly thing to thus 
carry, and once the perplexed and tired rider 
was hailed by an old pioneer: "Why didn't 
you fill a bag of hay on which to lay it? " 

The two bachelors • had not time to get 
very lonesome, yet sometimes it must have 
occurred to each of them that there was 
something lacking about their establishment. 
Perhaps in the lonely watches of the night, 
when sleep had been for the moment dis- 
pelled by a vivid dream of two bright young 
eyes, and waving curls, or innocent laughter, 
and pearly teeth — ah, precious, guileless 
girlhood, helpless and dependent, yet the 
dush of whose laughing eyes are more power- 
ful over poor, lonesome man, thao an army 
with banners. Perhaps — nay, it is now to us 
quite plain — in the long watches of the dreary 
winter there came to the young men the first 
chapter in that old, old story, that is ever 
new, that is always life's sweetest tryst. 

In June, 1833, John H. Bryant journeyed 
back to Jeffersonville for the purpose of being 
married to Miss Hattie Wiswall, who now for 



more than fifty-one years has been his worthy 
and faithful companion and helpmeet. The 
trip was made on horseback, following the 
trail made by the soldiers of the Black 
Hawk war. He was no laggard on a journey 
so auspicious, as is evidenced by the fact that 
the last day carried him over seventy-five 
miles of the road. On the 17th of June the 
ceremony took place, and the next week the 
happy pair started for their little cabin in 
the lonely wilderness. They came by way 
of Meredosia and the Illinois River to Hen- 
nepin. At this place their goods were placed 
in a warehouse High waters had made the 
river bottom nearly impassable. Young Dr. 
Chamberlain happened to be in Hennepin, 
and he had a saddle-horse, the use of which he 
oifered to the young couple. Mrs. Bryant 
was mounted and the husband trudged along 
piloting the way on foot, only getting up to 
ride where the water was too deep to wade. 
They reached the house of Maj. Chamberlain 
and spent one night, and the next "day they 
arrived at their cabin and housekeeping 
commenced. Here they lived for one year, 
Cyrus remaining with them. That is, he 
remained during the winter, and in the 
spring he went east and was married. 

In the spring of 183-1 Mr. Bryant built for 
himself a cabin on the site where his pres- 
ent elegant residence now stands. All the 
work, except the window sash, wasperfoimed 
by his own hands. At the "raising" no 
whisky was used. This was probably the 
first departure in the county toward temper- 
ance or prohibition. The new house was first 
occupied in June, 1834. 

This year John H. Bryant and Joseph 
Brigham were elected Justices of the Peace 
for Bureau Precinct, Putnam County. 

In 1835 the land came into market and Mr. 
Bryant entered 320 acres. Afterward he pur- 
chased 80 acres at $7 per acre, and in 1859 



162 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



he bought 160 acres, paying therefor 
154,000. 

Mr. Bryant was the prominent agitator of 
the subject of the division of the county. 
His wedding trip across the bottoms from 
Hennepin evidently made a lasting impression 
on his mind. Lobbyists were sent to Vau- 
dalia to push the project before the Legisla- 
ture, but nothing was accomplished at this 
session. At the Legislature of 1836-37 Bry- 
ant and Elston went to Vandalia at their own 
expense, and finally secured the passage of 
the act which led to the formation of Bu- 
reau County. Stephen A. Douglas was a 
member and Chairman of the Committee on 
Counties, and to him these visitors were 
greatly indebted for the success of their mis- 
sion. The vote on the adoption of the meas- 
ure was taken April 1, 1837. The division 
carried by a majority of thirty votes. This 
result was reached and the new county formed 
onlv after overcoming the greatest obstacles. 
The people east of the river and especially in 
Hennepin, were earnestly opposed to the proj 
ect that would rob them of the most of their 
rich territory. The particulars of this strug. 
gle are given in another place. Suffice it to say 
here, that the important work and the respon- 
sibility rested largely on the shoulders of 
John H. Bryant. The completion of the or- 
ganization of the county took place in 1837, 
the year noted in American history as that of 
the beginning of the hard times commenc- 
ing that year and lasting until 1843. The 
poor farmers would haul their wheat to Chi- 
cago and after spending ten days in getting 
there through storms, and sloughs, and mud, 
and mire, have to sell it, if they could find a 
buyer at all, for 37^ cents a bushel and pork 
11.50 a hundred. 

In 1840 Mr. Bryant took the Government 
census for Bureau County. The entire pop- 
ulation was 3,067. In 1842 he was elected 



to the Legislature for Bureau, Stark and Pe- 
oria. In 1839 the State Capitol had been 
i removed to Springfield, and the sessions were 
held in an old stone building on the east 
side of the square, now used for a United 
States court room. At this session of 1842 
Mr. Bryant was an efficient member, com- 
manding the respect and kind attention of all 
his fellow-members. A law relating to Bu- 
reau County — the Dover Road — was passed by 
his influence. This was the original road 
to Chicago from Princeton, and marketers 
had driven straight across the wild country, 
but when the lands were being fenced it 
wouhl compel the road to wind around the 
section lines. The land owners objected, of 
course, but the people who had to do the wag- 
oning wanted it as short and straight as pos- 
' sible. Mr. Bryant was again elected to the 
Legislature in the year of great political ex- 
citement in Illinois — 1858. 

When the county seat was located in 
Princeton, the owners of the land were re- 
quired by law to donate a certain part of the 
ground, and to give bonds and security to aid 
in a large amount in the public buildings. 
Mr. Bryant was the leader in this part of the 
work, and in paying for the ground and ex- 
ecuting a bond to the amount of $7,000, re- 
quired by the Locating Commissioners. His 
I name leads in the list of public and liberal - 
I minded men who put their hands in their pock- 
i ets and furnished the money, as well as the 
' required bond and security. During these 
years and afterward he was a prosperous far ■ 
mer, but not only a farmer. He made roads 
and bridges, manufactured brick, of which 
the original part of the court house was 
built, besides many other houses now stand- 
ing in Princeton. 

In 1847 he became one of the editors of 
the Bui-e.au County Advocate, the first paper 
issued in the county. But of this a complete 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



163 



account will be found in the chapter on the 
Press, in another part of this work. 

Until 1844 Mr. Bryant had always been a 
Democrat, but in the action of that party at 
that time in discarding Van Buren because 
of his opposition to the annexation, he did not 
agree with his party and he left it and at once 
affiliated with the Liberty party, the leader of 
which was John P. Hale in the United States 
Senate. This organization was distinct from 
the original Abolitionists of the Garrison 
school. The Abolitionists claimed that slav- 
ery was a constitutional institution, and they 
therefore attacked the constitution. The Lib- 
erty party said that slavery could be abolished 
under the powers of the constitution; that the 
spirit of that instrument was hostile to slavery 
and that whenever the country should become 
faithful to the spirit, instead of being bound 
by the letter, the evil would vanish. They 
believed as did Henry Clay on the subject of 
slavery, as Jeiferson taught, and as was exem- 
plified in the celebrated ordinance of 1787, 
by Thomas Jefiferson, which prohibited the 
introduction of slavery into all the North- 
west Territory. 

But his faith in political action did not 
prevent him from rendering other help to the 
oppressed. Many times has he entertained 
fugitive slaves, both before and after the fa- 
mous law of 1850, and the cruel "black laws" 
of Illinois of 1853. The unreasoning sever- 
ity of these laws was an attempt to scourge 
men for acts of the highest Christian virtue. 
Their injustice and cruelty made them repul- 
sive to a large majority of our people, and 
like all excessive laws, they were treated gen- 
erally with contempt by good men and spit 
upon. Among the latter were Mr. Bryant. 
In 1854 he had as many as fifteen runaway 
slaves on his place at one time. He aided 
all he could to reach Chicago, sending them 
in broad daylight over the Chicago, Bur- 



lington & Quincy Railroad to Dr. Dyer, of 
Chicago. 

On the 4tb of July, 1854, the anti- 
slavery celebration was held on the ground a 
little southwest of Mr. Bryant's house. At 
this meeting the Republican party of Bureau 
County was organized. Nearly all the Whigs 
entered the organization, as did many Demo- 
crats. The new party carried the county 
that year, and Owen Lovejoy was elected to 
the Legislature. This result was chiefly due 
to the action of Mr. Bryant. 

Previous to this, in 1852, Mr. Bryant had 
been a candidate of the Free Soil party for 
Congress. But at that time this party had 
but few earnest supporters in this district. 

He was a delegate to the Pittsburgh Con- 
vention, February, 1856, for the purpose of 
a general organization of the Republican 
party, as were Owen Lovejoy and Charles L. 
Kelsey. His recollection is that Horace 
Greeley was much disgusted with a speech 
in that convention made by Lovejoy. 

In 1856 a Congressional Convention was 
held in Ottawa. Mr. Bryant headed the 
Bureau delegation in the interests of Love- 
joy. Gen. Gridley, of Bloomington, was in 
favor of nominating Judge Dickey, and he 
fought Lovejoy with all the intensity of his 
intense nature. Mr. Lovejoy was triumph- 
antly nominated and elected, and then com- 
menced that remarkable career that ended 
only with his death, in 1864. The wide re- 
sults flowing out from this nomination of 
Lovejoy are known to the civilized world, 
and it is no detraction to his other and many 
patriotic supporters to say that his nomina- 
tion was in a large part due to his tried and 
constant friend, John H. Bryant. 

Mr. Bryant was a delegate to the Repub- 
lican Convention in Chicago in 1860 that 
nominated Mr. Lincoln for President, and 
in the war of the Rebellion he was among 



164 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



those and the foremost, who gave their time 
and money to the patriotic work of raising 
and equipping armies. He visited Spring- 
Held and "Washington to secure the accept- 
ance of new troops. He advocated and urged 
the appropriation of money by the towns and 
county to pay the expenses for the bounties 
and other purposes connected with" the war. 
In 1862 Mr. Bryant was appointed Collec- 
tor of Internal Revenue for the Fifth Con- 
gressional District of Illinois, and discharged 
the duties ably and well for four years. His 
responsibilities were very great; his duties in 
organizing the most important district in the 
West, under the new and complex law, were 
vast and arduous. He not only had to en- 
force the law, organize its vast and complex 
machinery, but had to teach the people what 
the law was and how to comply with its in- 
tricate windings. The whole idea of the law 
and its enforcement were something so for- 
eign to the American people, a people who 
had never seen or hardly heard of a tax- 
gatherer of their general government, that 
this was not small work, but an increase of 
the responsibilities and labors. Some of the 
heaviest distillers in the nation were in this 
district. An American tax-payer was to a 
tax-gatherer, much like our volunteer soldiers 
who could see no harm in dodging behind a tree 
when the enemy was recklessly shooting in 
front. In short, they had educated one anoth- 
er to believe that there was no serious harm in 
outwitting a tax-gatherer. The Peoria distil- 
lers found him rather too alert and vigilant 
for the whisky smu.ggling operations, and 
they, aided by Congressman E. C. Ingersoll, 
trumped up a long string of charges and alle- 
gations, that of course had their temporary 
effect in discrediting a worthy officer at 
Washington, but the investigation following 
was his most triumphant vindication, and in- 
stead of raining Mr. Bryant it ended forever 



the political career of E. C. Ingersoll, who, 
in an overwhelmingly Republican district, 
was beaten for Congress in the succeeding 
race by Mr. Stevens, a Democrat. 

There is a circumstance connected with 
Mr. Bryant's appointment as Collector that 
deserves to be told. When the office was 
created he wrote to Mr. Lincoln and told 
him he would accept the office with pleasure. 
Mr. Lincoln knew him personally and inti- 
mately, and thus the two men needed no 
middle man between them for " infloo- 
ence." He wrote by return mail, " You shall 
have it." Bat soon the busy politician ap- 
peared, claimed the appointment as a per- 
quisite and had arranged this to " go to a 
friend," etc. Every combination was brought 
to bear upon the President, to use the office 
to "grind the ax" for ambitious politicians; 
a tremendous eifort was made in order to 
promote other interests. Every argument 
about " fixing fences," etc., etc. , were brought 
to bear upon Mr. Lincoln, and all this time 
Mr. Bryant was at home and unconscious of 
what was going on to defeat him. He had 
no reasons in the world to have suspicions — • 
ho had none, and the writer does not know 
whether Mr. Bryant to this day knows any- 
thing about it; certainly no word has escaped 
him indicating that he ever possessed such 
knowledge. He simply trusted Mr. Lincoln, 
and the evidence of Mr. Lincoln's trust in 
him is the fact that his commission was 
promptly sent him, and he entered upon his 
office, and probably all the politicians in the 
world could not have changed this result. 

In 1860 Mr. Bryant was a member of the 
Board of Supervisors of the county which 
voted, by one majority, to build a court 
hou.se. The money was not easy to get. 
Eastern capital was suspicious of Western 
securities. He went to New York and obtained 
$15, 000, but had first to get the bonds secured 





£l<^t^ 





HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



167 



by himself and many leading capitalists of 
Princeton. The cost of the new improve- 
ment was about $20,000. 

The effort to establish in Princeton a high 
school commenced in 1866. The plan as 
ultimately carried out was a new one, and 
involved the necessity of procuring a special 
charter from the Legislatui-e. The law pro- 
vided for high schools in districts, incorpor- 
ated towns and cities, but not for townships. 
He took the most active and prominent part 
in this enterprise. A town meeting was 
called to consider the subject. Although the 
meeting was legal, it was not certain that 
what it agreed upon would be legal. It 
resolved to establish a high school. To this 
there was only one negative vote in the meet- 
ing. Superintendent Bateman was consulted. 
A project promising so much in the line of 
improvements could not fail to enlist that 
gentleman's sympathy. He encouraged the 
citizens to proceed. But in order to remove 
all doubts a charter was secured through the 
Legislature. It fixed the number of Directors 
at five, and provided that no new Directors 
should be elected for three years. The object 
of this was to permit the school to get fairly 
under way before its existence could be 
endangered by opposition. But money was 
needed to erect the building. Bonds were 
authorized to be issued, but capital was afraid 
of this security. Again Mr. Bryant went to 
New York, taking the bonds with him. Again 
he got the money but only on a personal 
guarantee of the leading men of property in 
Princeton. Total cost about $65,000. Mr. 
Bryant was the first President of the Board 
of Directors, and has occupied this position, 
with a brief intermission ever since. So 
complete has been the success of this school 
that by a law of 1874 any township in the 
State is authorized to establish and maintain 
a high school. 



For six years or more Mr. Bryant was a 
member and President of the Princeton 
District School Board, and much credit is 
due to him for the late and marked improve- 
ments in the schools, and especially in the 
south school building. 

Of late Mr. Bryant has been residing 
quietly in Princeton enjoying the comforts 
of life. His spacious house is surrounded by 
stately trees of his own jjlanting, and is 
rendered attractive by many evidences of 
refined taste. It is situated a few rods from 
the southern limits of the city of Princeton. 
Around it extend his broad and fertile acres, 
including not only tine farming lands, but 
also charming scenery. There is a consider- 
able extent of primeval forests, reaching down 
to the banks of the creek. Through this he 
has, at considerable expense, constructed car- 
riage ways, over which the public are always 
welcome to drive. Large numbers avail 
themselves of the privilege. On almost any 
summer's afternoon many vehicles may be 
seen making the circuit of "Bryant's woods." 
Here the lover of nature delights to walk. 
Here children gather flowers. Here picnics 
are held. For the comfort of the frequenters 
of the place the proprietor has been at pains 
to furnish a fountain of pure and cool 
water. 

It is not surprising that amid scenes like 
these, the owner's natural love of poetry has 
been nourished and intensified. His claim 
to distinction as a poet is overshadowed by 
that of his gifted brother, William Cullen. 
But a volume published some years ago cer- 
tainly entitles him to a respectable rank 
among the sweet singers. It is marked by 
great purity of language, a correct knowledge 
of metrical laws, and a severe accuracy in the 
description of natural objects, as well as by 
the worth and beauty of the thought. The 
following is inserted as a mere sample: 

10 



168 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



THE VALLET BROOK. 

Fresh from the fountaius of the wood 

A rivulet of the valley came, 
And glided on for many a rood 

Flushed with the morning's ruddy flame. 

The air was fresh and soft and sweet; 

The slopes in spring's new verdure lay, 
And wet with dew-drops, at my feet, 

Bloomed the young violets of May. 

No sound of busy life was heard 
Amid those pastures lone and still, 

Save the faint chirp of early bird, 
Or bleat of flocks along the hill. 

I traced that rivulet's winding way. 
New scenes of beauty opened round, 

Where meads of brighter verdure lay. 
And lovelier blossoms tinged the ground. 

" Ah, happy valley stream," I said, 
" Calm glides thy wave amid the flowers, 

Whose fragrance round th}' path is shed, 
Through all the joyous summer hours. 

"Oh ! Could my years like thine be passed 
In some remote and silent glen. 

Where I could dwell and sleep at last, 
Far from the bustling haunts of men." 

But what new echoes greet my ear ! 

The village school-boy's merry call; 
And mid the village hum I hear 

The mui-mur of the waterfall. 

I looked; the widening vale betrayed 
A pool that shone like burnished steel. 

Where that bright valley stream was stayed 
To turn the miller's ponderous wheel. 

Ah ! why should I, I thought with shame 

Sigh for a life of solitude. 
When even this stream without a name 

Is laboring for the common good? 

No ! never let me shun my part 

Amid the busy scenes of life, 
But, with a warm and generous heart, 

Press onward in the glorious strife. 

In politics Mr. Bryant has always mani- 
fested a sttirdy independence. In the early 
years of the Republican party, as we have 
seen, he gave that organization a cordial and 
efiScient support. In later years he has felt 
at liberty to oppose it. For this his action 



has been criticised by some, but by none who 
were broad and liberal enough in their own 
natures to comprehend his, or they had built 
conclusions without foundations. Surely an 
American citizen ought to be allowed to dic- 
tate his own politics. Not only has Mr. Bry- 
ant the right to change his party affiliations, 
when in his judgment the good of the coun- 
try requires it, but it is his solumn duty to 
do so. It will be a sad day for the Nation 
when fealty to party becomes stronger than 
fealty to the republic. And it is to be re- 
membered that the discarding of a party 
commonly involves to the individual a loss 
both political and pecuniary. The bolter sel- 
dom secures any outward benefit. As a rule, 
he neither gets office nor makes money by the 
operation. The only possible exception to 
this rule is when the bolt is into the majority 
party, and from the minority, and never 
vice versa. His only reward is the comfort 
that comes from the honest discharge of duty. 
Mr. Bryant-enjoys the distinction of being 
one of the oldest and one of the most promi- 
nent and highly respected citizens of Bureau 
County. He has been the friend of every 
good enterprise, the eager champion always 
of the cause of the people of his county and 
the State, ever giving his time, his talents and 
his money to promote the cause of the gen- 
eral good. Here he has lived and toiled for 
fifty-two years, and his imperishable monu- 
ment shall be the good works of his life and 
the beautiful words he has spoken. Amid 
the surroundings of a pioneer life with all 
its scarcity of the advantages for self im- 
provement and the severest labor of the hands, 
his acquirements are varied and profound. 
He has drunk deeply of the fountains of En- 
glish literature and philosophy, and kept pace 
with the thought of this great age. All his 
writings, in prose or poetry, show the man of 
thought and cultured taste; his bearing al- 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



169 



ways dignified, courteous and polite, with no 
particle of self-assertion in his nature. 
Firm and conscientious in all his views, and 
bold and fearless in their enunciation, he has, at 
the same time, respect for those who honestly 
differed from him on even the most vital 
tenets of his faith. His personal experience, 
his education, and his reason taught him the 
fallibility of human judgment and the lia- 
bility of honest and wise men to disagree 
upon almost every question of political phil- 
osophy in a government constituted as ours 
is; and he claimed no charity for himself that 
he was not ready to cordially estend to others. 
In all the relations of life a sense of duty -stern 
and inexorable — accompanied him and has 
characterized his every act, and disregarding 
selfish and personal considerations, he has 
obeyed its behests.* 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Something abovt a Great Many People — When Different Places 
WERE Settled and by Whom — First Governsient Land Sur- 
veys — The Denhams — Moselets— J. V. Thompson — Judge R. 
T. Templeton — Rev. E. Scudder High, and Doughnuts — To 
Market to sell a Pig — Walnut and Ohio Townships. 

"Again we stray, far. far away, 

The club-moss crumbling 'ueath our tread, 
Seeking the spot by most forgot, 

Where sleep the generations dead." 

— J. H. Bryaxt. 

WARREN SHERLEY came, in 1829, 
with Sylvester Brigham and made his 
claim at Heaton's Point. His was the first 
settlement in this part of the county. Eli 
and Elijah Smith married two sisters and 

*The editor would say, in addition to Dr. Edward's account of 
Mr. Bryant, that in compiling this history of Bureau County 
he has patiently gone over tlie records, considered the details of 
every important movement either political, social, or educa- 
tional, as well as the public enterprises, the economic move- 
ments, and the moral, social and intellectual interests of the 
people, and it is no figure of speech to say that everywhere and 



their wedding tour was a journey to Illinois. 
They and Dr. Chamberlain came in company 
and were a part of the Hampshire Col- 
ony. The three men had bought a wagon 
and two yoke of oxen and Dr. Chamberlain 
had the only horse in the crowd. A single 
instance of this journey will serve as a suf- 
ficient illustration. They had nearly reached 
their journey's end and were trying to find 
Foristal's cabin, where they expected to stop. 
They left Spring Creek timber; with no road 
to guide them, they took a northwest direc- 
tion. In a stream on the prairie (Brush Creek) 
their wagon stuck in the mud, and as night 
was coming on and it seemed impossible to get 
it out, it was abandoned and they proceeded 
on their journey. Dr. Chamberlain took 
Mrs. Eli Smith on his horse behind him; Eli- 
jah Smith and wife were mounted on an ox. 
Night overtook them at East Bureau, near 
where Maiden now is, and it was so dark 
they could not proceed further, so they dis- 
mounted and went into camp. Their only 
chance was to get brush enough together to 
sleep on. The next morning they mounted 
and pursued their journey, only reaching 
Foristal's late in the afternoon. 

Elijah Smith was born in Conway, Mass., 
November 7. 1806, and died March 2, 1882. 
He settled in Princeton, 111., in July, 1831. 
Epperson was the only man living in the 
township when Smith and his company came. 
Dr. W. Chamberlain settled one-half mile 
south of Princeton. Eli and Elijah Smith 
built a double log-cabin on the Bureau Bluffs, 
three miles north of Princeton. Among the 
young men of the Hampshire Colony were 

in every way the foremost name, the one name that was upon 
every foundation and upon every column has been that of ,lohn 
H.Bryant. Indeed, so much is this the case, that the history of 
tlie man and the history of the advancement of the people and the 
county are much one and the same thing. Therefore, the read- 
er will understand tliat in the general history of the county is 
constantly recurring Mr. Bryant's name, and that this sketch is 
but a small part of the record of fact^ that will some day be the 
material for the construction of a complete biography of a life, 
the moral of whose history will be one of great interest and 
instruction. 



170 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUXTY. 



C. G. Corss, George Hinsdale, Aaron Gunn, 
John P. Blake, E. H. and E. S. Plielps, Jr. 
Aaron Gunn made a claim on the Doolittle 
farm, and afterward at LaMoille. Mr. 
Corss made a claim two and one-half miles 
southeast of Princeton, on which he lived 
until his death, which occurred a few years 
ago. John G. Blake made a claim where 
Arthur Bryant lived, but soon afterward 
went east of the river, where he settled. 
Mr. Blake now lives in Putman County, and 
for many years was County Judge. E. H. 
Phelps is now living in Princeton, and is 
one among the few original membere left of 
the Hampshire Colony Church. E. S. Phelps, 
Sr.. died in Princeton. E. S. Phelps. J)'., 
lived in Wyanet, and is now in Nebraska. 

The settlement made by the colonists was 
called Greenfield, and Elijah Smith was ap- 
pointed Postmaster. 

John Griffith, who owned Griffith's Mill, 
was one of the rangers, and traveled much 
over what is now Bureau County, before its 
settlement. Matson says there were seven 
young men belonging to the same company 
of Rangers that Griffith was in, and of whom 
Matson says: " Seven young men, belonging 
to this company of rangers, among whom 
were Madison Studyvin, John Griffith, Ira 
Ladd, and Jonathan Wilson, being desirous 
of seeing the country, continued their jour- 
ney westward, and stayed over night at 
Henry Thomas'. Next day, as they were re- 
tiu^ning home, they saw, while on the Prince- 
ton prairie, three men on horseback, traveling 
westward, and being fond of sport, galloped 
their horses toward them. These three men 
proved to be Epperson, Jones and Foot, who 
were on their way to Epperson's cabin. Mis- 
taking the rangers for Indians, they wheeled 
their horses about, and fled in the direction 
of Hennepin. The panic was complete, and 
the fugitives urged their horses forward \inder 



the whip, believing the preservation of their 
scalps depended on the fleetness of their 
steed.s. Saddle-bags, blankets, and other 
valuables were thrown away to facilitate 
their speed. On they went, at a fearful rate, 
pursued by the rangers. In the flight. Foot's 
horse fell down, throwing the rider over his 
head; but Epperson and Jones made no halt, 
having no time to look after their unfortunate 
comrade, but leaving him to the tender 
mercies of savages, they continued on their 
way. When the fugitives arrived at the 
Hennepin ferry, they were exhausted from 
fright and over exertion, their horses were in 
a foam of sweat, while loud pufis of breath 
came forth from their expanded nostrils. 
Above the snorting of the horses and clatter- 
ing of their feet were heard the hoarse 
voices of the riders, crying at the top of their 
voice, "Injuns. Injuns." On the west side 
of the river were a number of people looking 
after their cattle, which had been driven 
from their claims, and on hearing the cry of 
"Injuns," they, too. ran for their lives. Epper- 
son and his comrade sprang from their horses 
and ran for the ferry-boat, saying they had 
been chased by a large body of Indians, who 
were but a short distance behind them. As 
quick as possible the ferry-boat pulled for 
the opposite shore: one man being left behind 
jumped in and swam to the boat. Soon the 
pursuers arrived, and the joke was laughed 
off and the scare was over." 

Foot and Jones were single men and be- 
longed to the Hampshire Colony. Foot made 
a claim two miles north of Princeton, now 
occupied by Shugart, and Jones made a claim 
where James Garvin's family now live. 

Land Sun-eyed. — In the spring of 1819 
John C. Sullivan began surveying under the 
direction of Graham and Phillips, Commis 
sioners appointed by the President of the 
United States for the purpose of locating 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



171 



the old Indian boundary line running from 
Lake Michigan to the Mississippi at th§ 
mouth of Rock River. This runs a few de- 
grees south of west, passing through the 
northern part of Bureau County. This was 
the standard line in the surveys of the coun- 
ty, causing fractional tracts north and south 
of it. 

The surveys south of the Indian boundary 
were commenced in 1816, and completed in 
1822. The last were made in this part of 
Illinois by Thomas C. and Stephen Rector. 
Their returns bear date November 6, 1822. 
The surveys north of the Indian boundary 
were commenced in 1834 and completed in 
1843. The land south of this boundary came 
into market in August. 1835, and north of it 
in 1844. The land office in this district was 
at Galena until 1841, when it was moved to 
Dixon. 

The northern boundary of the Military 
District is a line extending from the great 
bend in the Illinois River at the mouth of 
Lake De Pue, to the Mississippi River, a 
short distance below New Boston. The 
towns of Wheatland, Milo, Macon and Nepou- 
set, were in part in the Military District, 
which could not be entered, and for many 
years settlements could not be made in this 
reserve. Indiantown, Leepertown and Aris- 
pie were settled on lands without Govern- 
ment title. 

Settlements. — In the spring of 1836 there 
was no one living in the towns of Fairfield, 
Manilas, Mineral. Neponset, Macon, Gold, 
Wheatland, Greenville, or Westfield. There 
was but one family in Milo, one in W'alnut, 
one in Ohio, four in Berlin, five in Bureau, 
five in Concord, and sis in Clarion. The 
dwellings were log-cabins, built mostly in 
the edge of the timber by the side of springs. 
There was but one meeting-house, two or 
three schoolhouses, only two surveyed roads. 



and not a stream bridged. The land then 
under cultivation was a small field here and 
there adjoining the timber, and the prairies 
of the county were in a state of nature, a part 
of which had not been surveyed. 

In the spring of 1830 Daniel Dimmick 
made a claim at the head of Dimmick's 
Grove, and in the fall of the same year Will- 
iam Hall made a claim near him, on the pres- 
ent site of Lamoille. In the spring of 1834 
Leonard Roth. G. Hall and Dave Jones made 
claims in the Grove, and in July of the same 
year J. T. Holbrook, Moses and Horace 
Bowen, also settled in the Grove. In the fall 
of 1834 Enos Holbrook, Joseph Knox and 
Heman Downing came. In the spring of 
1835 Tracy Reeves and Dr. John Kendall 
came here and laid out the town of Lamoille. 

In 1834 Timothy Perkins and his sous 
claimed all of Perkins' Grove, and sold claims 
to those coming in afterward. The first 
cabin built in the Grove was on a farm now 
owned by John Hetzler, and occupied by S. 
Perkins and E. Bevens. The second house 
stood near the present residence of A. G. 
Porter, and was occupied by Timothy Perkins. 
In 1836-37 a number of persons came here, 
among whom were Joseph Screach, Stephen 
Perkins, J. and A. R. Kendall, J. and E. Fas- 
sett. In 1842 a postoffice named Perkins' 
Grove was established, but was discontinued 
some few years afterward. 

In the summer of 1828 Reason B. Hall 
built a cabin on Section 34, town of Hall. 
In the fall of 1829 a black man named Adams 
built a cabin at the mouth of Negro Creek, 
and from him the stream took its name. In 
the summer of 1831 William Tompkins, 
Sampson and John Cole made claims on the 
east side of Spring Creek. In August, 1832, 
Henry Miller, William and James G. Swan 
made claims in the town of Hall. In 1833 
Robert Scott, Martin Tompkins and A. Hoi- 



172 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



brook came. Other settlers came in soon 
after, among whom were Ranson and E. C. 
Hall, Mr. Wixam, Mr. Wilhite, N. Apple- 
gate, Dr. Whitehead and C. W. Combs. 

In 1831 Thomas Washburn made a claim 
adjoining the county farm, west. He sold 
out to Benjamin Lamb, and in 1834 Lamb 
sold to James Triplett. In 1833 John Phil- 
lips, E. Chilson and Thomas Finley came; 
in 1834 Isaac Spangler, George Coleman, 
Edward and Aquilla Triplett. They settled 
in Center Grove. William Allen, C. C. 
Corss, Lemuel and Rufus Carey, Solomon 
Sapp, Adam Galer, George Bennett, and 
Rees Heaton were among these early settlers. 

In the spring of 1834 Thornton Cummings 
made a claim on the north side of French 
Grove, and J. G. Reed at Coal Grove, and 
built a cabin on the present site of Sheffield. 
In 1835 Paul Riley, Caleb and Eli Moore, 
and James Laughrey built cabins in French 
Grove. A. Fay settled at Menominee Grove, 
and Benjamin Coal at Bulboua Grove. 

In 1836 William Studley made a claim at 
the south end of Barren Grove, and in the 
following year William and George Norton, 
AV. P. Batlerill and James Tibbetts came. 
In 1836 Curtis Williams, Thomas Grattidge, 
John Clark, Dr. Hall, George Squiers and 
E. D. Kemp settled in the north end of Bar- 
ren Grove. 

In 1850 a settlement was made in the 
towns of Gold and Manlius, and among the 
first settlers were Samuel Mather, S. Barber, 
T. Rinehart, A. Lathrop, and James Martin. 

In 1837 a settlement was commenced at 
Black Walnut Grove, in the town of Macon, 
and among the early settlers were William 
Bates, T. Matheral, James B. Akin, Lewis 
Holmes, and John and Charles Wood. 

The country along Green River remained 
unoccupied for many years after settlements 
had been made in other parts of Bureau 



County, and was visited only by hunters and 
trappers. It was known at that time as 
Winnebago Swamp, but took the name of 
Green River about the year 1837, about the 
time a settlement was commenced hero. 

In the Spring of 1837 Cyrus Watson built 
a cabin near the present site of New Bed- 
ford, and occupied it a short time. Soon 
afterward Francis and William Adams, D. 
Brady, Milton Cain, Daniel Davis, Lewis 
Burroughs, George W. Sprall, T. and N. 
Hill settled here. 

The land on Green River north of the 
Indian boundary did not come into market 
until 1844, and some of the settlers held 
their land by pre-emption right. But when 
the land came into market they were not pre- 
pared to pay for it, and to prevent others 
from entering their farms they organized a 
" Settlers' League," with a constitution and 
by-laws, signed by all those interested. 
From this Settlers' League originated the 
once common phrase, " State of Green." 

In the north part of the county, except the 
one cabin at Red Oak Grove, and one at 
"Dad Joe" Grove, there were very few set- 
tlers until 1850. James Claypall occupied 
the Ament cabin in Red Oak Grove from 
1833 to 1836. Soon after this Luther Den- 
ham moved to this place. He died in this 
county September 1, 1856, aged fifty-two 
years. His wife, Eliza, died November 19, 
1854, aged forty- eight years. They were 
buried in Oakland Cemetery, Princeton. 

A. H. Jones, G. Triplett, T. Culver and 
Richard Brewer settled in an early day at 
Walnut Grove. 

In 1841 F. G. Buchan built a cabin at 
East Grove, on the north line of Ohio Town- 
ship, and in 1846 William Cleavland built 
a cabin on the prairie near the middle of the 
township, but in a little- while he abandoned 
his claim. The prairie really began to settle 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



173 



up about 1852. Among the settlers were 
the celebrated Esq. Falvey, John Kasbeer — 
to-day one of the most prominent men in 
that part of the county — William Cowan, S. 
Wilson, John and Andrew Ross — the Ross 
family being now one of the largest and most 
prominent families in the county. The read- 
er is referred to the Ross biographies for 
further particulars. Also Daniel P. Smith, 
whose father is fully spoken of in another chap- 
ter, and Dwight Smith were the earliest set- 
tlers in this part of the county. 

In 1841 there were only a few families in 
the south part of the county south of Boyd's 
Grove, among whom were D. Bryant, B. 
Hagan, John A. Griswold and Isaac Suther- 
land. Soon after this a settlement was made 
at Lone Tree, in Wheatland Township — John 
and T. Kirkpatrick, J. Larkins, J. Merritt, 
Henry and R. Rich, and the large family of 
Andersons, to one of whom the property now 
belongs on which once stood the noted Lone 
Tree. Ferrell Dunn (see Dunn's biography), 
A. Benson and Elder Chenoweth were the 
tii'st settlers in Arispie. 

The Sac and Fox trail passed by Lost 
Grove. This part of the county was slow in 
being taken up by actual settlers. As late as 
1837 the Grove was the headquarters for 
some rather large and tierce looking wolves. 
In 1837 a traveler named Dunlap from Knox 
County, Ohio, was murdered at this grove, 
by, as supposed, a man named Green, whom 
he had hired to pilot him over the country in 
looking for land. 

In the spring of 1831 Mason Dimmick 
made the first claim at Lost Grove, and com- 
menced a cabin where Arlington now stands, 
but soon abandoned it. 

In the fall of 1835 two young men, Blod- 
gett and Findley, made a claim here, and 
while they were disputing about their claims, 
Benjamin Briggs entered the land. In 1840 



he sold it to Michael Kenedy, who made a 
large farm here. He finally laid off the town 
of Ai-lington on his land. 

In 1840 David Roth, who was a railroad 
contractor, built a house east of the grove, 
and afterward sold it to Martin Carley, who 
made a farm here. Soon after this Daniel 
Cahill, D. Lyon, James Waugh, Peter Cassa- 
day, Mr. Okley and others came in here and 
settled. 

The first German to settle in the county 
was Andrew Gosse, who is still one of our 
most respected citizens. He resides in Prince- 
ton. 

Butler Denham, a native of Conway, 
Mass., born July 25, 1805, and died in 
Princeton, August 8, 1841, was one of the 
large family of Denhams who were among 
the early settlers in the county. 

Jonathan Colton died December 11, 1854, 
aged seventy-three years. His wife, Betsey, 
died October 4, 1846, aged sixty-two years. 

The large Mercer family came from Ohio 
in 1834. William Mercer died here Decem- 
ber 22, 1844, aged seventy-seven years. His 
wife, Ann, died July 21, 1844, aged eighty- 
four years. Aaron Mercer died October 6, 
1845, aged fifty-three years. Jane, his wife, 
died June 8, 1849, aged fifty-five years. Dr. 
Joseph Mercer died May 30, 1878, aged fifty 
years. 

Roland Moseley, a son of William and 
LydiaMoseley, was born in Westfield, August 
20, 1788; died September 19, 1855. He came 
to Princeton in 1831. His first wife, Aghsah 
G. Pomeroy, was born in Northampton, 
Mass., February 6, 1792; died October 2, ^ 
1837. His second wife, Caroline H. <Jabara, 
was born in Pennsylvania in 1803, died Octo- 
ber 23, 1855. F. Moseley died November 
3, 1865, aged forty-eight years. Dwight 
Moseley died September 11, 1870, aged forty- 
four years. W. N. Moseley, born in Stephen- 



L .-', 



,0 b a 



174 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



son, N. Y., April 11, 1822, died May 6, 1872. 
Roland P. Moseley died April 29, 1850, aged 
thirty -four years. 

Joseph V. Thompson was born in London, 
October 31, 1814; died May 13, 1871. His 
wife, Mary E. Kent, was also a native of 
London; born 1810, died September 15, 1847. 
Mr. Thompson was one of the leading men 
of the county for many years. He tilled 
many of the county offices; was Sheriff at one 
time. Was noted for his good sense, genial 
nature, and pungent wit. 

Judge Robert T. Templeton was born 
October 20, 1811; died February 4, 1865. 
He was buried in Oakland Cemetery. Look- 
ing at the monument over his grave the 
writer's attention was arrested and deeply 
interested in a sentence on one side of the 
stone, where it was the only mark. It was, 
" The Grave of My Dear Papa." There was 
here a great deal of the story of life, love 
and inexorable death. Could a book tell 
more of the story of the babe, the little girl, 
the child and the strong, doting father and 
the tender aifection and love of one to the 
other. The writer had never seen either of 
them, yet this short, simple inscription deeply 
interested him, and in imagination he could 
not but go over the sweet story that it spoke 
of a high and holy love that was stronger 
than death, so strong and so pure that he 
frankly confesses that it impressed him as 
the strongest plea for a union and a recogni- 
tion beyond the grave that he had ever met. 
She was buried by the side of her " dear 
papa's grave." Surely in death they are not 
separated. 

Leonora, wife of Judge Templeton, was 
born July 11, 1824; died May 19, 1883. 

Mr. Templeton was the pioneer merchant 
of Princeton, and he built the first commerce 
of the county. He was a man of large busi- 
ness capacity, and active in body and mind. 



For his day he accumulated quite a fortune. 
He was a member of the State Constitu- 
tional Convention of 1862, was a mem- 
ber of the County Court in 1848, and also 
Swamp Land and Drainage Commissioner 
for the county, and in 1839 he was elected 
County Treasurer. In the building up of 
Princeton, the organizing the new county and 
putting its machinery in motion, he was con- 
stantly a prominent and efficient actor. He 
was widely known and universally respected. 
Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Templeton 
there was but one child — a daughter — Mary 
Ross Templeton, who was just three years 
old when her father died. She never mar- 
ried, and died in Princeton in 1878. It will 
be seen that with the death of Mrs. Tem- 
pleton recently, the immediate family of 
Judge Templeton became extinct. 

Caleb Cushing was born August 12, 1795, 
in Seekonk, Mass. Died January 12, 1877, 
in Providence, Bureau County. He was a 
son of Charles and Chloe (Carpenter) Cush- 
ing, natives of Massachusetts. Their chil- 
dren were Christopher C, Charles C, Chaun- 
cey, Polly and Caleb. 

Rev. E. Scudder High, who resided near 
Tiskilwa, was among the early and heroic 
preachers of the Presbyterian faith. He was 
full of the severe, intense and dogmatic doc- 
trine that BO marked his day and age. He 
was not ashamed to own his Lord and Mas- 
ter, and it never occurred to him to stop and 
inquire whether this sentiment was duly re- 
ciprocated or not. He believed that religion 
was a solemn, serious and awfully severe 
thing, and he loved God exclusively on the 
ground that a few, only a few, were to be 
saved, and all else were to be damned, as they 
richly deserved to be. His God was always du- 
ly angry and jealous and He gave the great 
mass of mankind the hot end of the poker. The 
beauties of heaven were beautiful only by the 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



175 



reflex of the eternal and exquisite tortures of 
heJl. He was severely good, heroically pious 
and very long-winded in his sermons of love 
and goodness. He vpas a bachelor, and who 
can blame him. He rode long distances over 
all this part of Illinois, and preached long 
sermons, and received but short pay. His 
sermons were so long and dry that it was a 
serious matter, especially with the young 
folks who had to sit them out. It is said 
that one real old benevolent Christian was so 
moved by the discomforts of the children 
that he provided himself with a lot of dough- 
nuts, which he passed about among the nr- 
chins, to their infinite relief, and without in 
the least attracting the holy man's attention 
or distui'bing his " eighteenthly" or breaking 
the thread of his brimstone sermon. 

Going to Market to Sell a Nice Pig. — It is 
not so long ago but many yet living can well 
remember when the only market for all this 
part of Illinois was Galena — the Lead Mines 
— as it was once called. With no roads, no 
bridges, no places of shelter or retreat from 
" the night and storm and darkness," no 
guiding track except the chance Indian trail, 
or the sun and stars, and hundreds of miles 
to haul or drive to market and then get $1.50 
for pork, or 50 cents for wheat, it now 
seems incredible that people would work and 
struggle to make farms with only such a pros- 
pect as this before them. The farmers usu- 
ally had to form little companies and thus go 
together, as this was necessary to help each 
other along over the long slow trip and as a 
protection against a sort of banditti that 
made it often unsafe for a man to travel 
alone. Many are the tales told of the 
dangers and fatigues between here and 
Chicago and Galena. We give one instance 
as a curious circumstance of the times. 
Bobert Caultass, an Englishman living 
near where Sheffield now is, had arranged to 



join three men from Stark County and take 
his drove of hogs with theirs to Galena. 
These three men from Stark were Robert and 
William Hall and W. W. Winslow. When 
the drove from Stark County reached Caul- 
tass' place he joined them and all started for 
Galena. They moved along slowly but with 
no great difficulty until they struck the great 
prairie beyond Edwards River, which was 
then a stretch of sixteen miles without a 
halting place. By this time provisions were 
growing scarce, and they dispatched William 
Hall ahead with a wagon to obtain some, and 
have them in readiness at their next camp- 
ing spot beyond the prairie. But hardly had 
he left them when the wind changed and 
blew a gale directly iu their faces; a driving 
snow tilled the air and almost blinded them, 
and the hogs most positively refused to face 
the storm. And these were no lubberly pen- 
bred hogs, but long-legged "graziers," fat- 
tened in the woods, that had good use of 
their legs when pat to it; they were travel- 
ers from the word go. So the drovers had 
hard work to prevent a general stampede 
back to the Bureau timber. To advance a 
step was impossible. Here they were on the 
open prairie, in the driving, blinding storm. 
W^hat were they to do? A council was held 
and they came to the conclusion that they 
must either perish or follow the hogs home 
again. But just at this juncture the Peoria 
and Galena stage, drawn by four stout 
horses, came dashing along cutting a path 
through the snow, and for some reason known 
only to themselves, the hogs took after the 
stage, fairly pursuing it for miles, squealing 
furiously, and running at a rate that almost 
kept them abreast of the horses, to the great 
relief of the drovers who thereby soon 
reached a shelter for the night, and glad to 
think that " all's well that ends well." In 
the course of time they aiTived at Galena 



176 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



with their drove, and made arrangements for 
doing their own slaughtering, as was then 
common. Some man furnished them yard, 
board and fire and all conveniences for the 
work, and in return took the rough fat. 
And the bold venture turned out very well. 

John Musgrove was one of the important 
early settlers. He was from New Jersey, and 
to this fact Princeton owes its name, as he 
was one of the first proprietors of the town, 
that is, he was one of three that platted and 
laid off the town, and when they came to 
select a name for it Musgrove wanted it 
named Princeton. The others wanted some 
Massachusetts name, and finally the difierent 
names were put in a hat and to Musgrove's 
joy Princeton was drawn. Mr. Musgrove 
died October 16, 1839. 

In the civil history of the county in other 
parts of this workthe nameof Justin H. Olds 
frequently occurs. He was a native of 
Belchertown, Mass. Boi-n September 4, 
1806; died in Peoria, to which place he had 
removed, November 30, 1878. He was Cir- 
cuit Clerk, County Treasurer of Bureau 
County and County Surveyor, besides other 
positions of honor and trust. His wife, 
Louisa G., was a sister of the Bryants. She 
died December 13, 1868, aged sixty-one 
years, eleven months and twenty- three days. 
Their children, Lucy Wood and Bryant, 
sleep by their side in Oakland Cemetery. 
The family reside in Peoria, to which place 
Mr. Olds removed in consequence of his ap- 
pointment as Inspector in the Revenue Serv- 
ice. 

Cyrus Bryant died February 19, 1865, 
aged sixty-six years, seven months and seven 
days. Julia E., his wife, died April 25, 1875, 
aged sixty-seven years. 

Austin Bryant died February 1, 1866, aged 
seventy-two years, nine months and fifteen 
days. 



Mrs. Sarah Snell Bryant, widow of Dr. 
Peter Bryant, of Cummington, Mass, was 
born in Bridgewater, December 4, 1768; died 
in Princeton May 6, 1847. Her illustrious 
children are the fitting crown to her noble 
and devoted life. 

The settlement in Walnut Grove com- 
menced in 1837. Among the first were 
Thomas Motheral, William Bates, James B. 
Akin, Lewis Holmes, Charles Lee, T. J. 
Horton and Charles Wood. 

Matson in his Reminiscences says: "On 
the 19th of May, 1830, Daniel Dimmick made 
a claim a short distance south of Lamoille, 
on what is now known as the Collins' farm, 
and from that time the head of Main Bureau 
timber took the name of Dimmick's Grove. 
In the fall of 1849 William Hall made a 
claim and built a cabin on the present site 
of Lamoille, and occupied it about eighteen 
months. In April, 1832, Mr. Hall, having 
sold his claim to Aaron Gunn, moved to 
Indian Creek, twelve miles north of Ottawa, 
were himself and part of his family were 
killed by the Indians a few weeks afterward. 
At the commencement of the Black Hawk war 
Dimmick left his claim and never returned 
to it again, and for two years Dimmick's 
Grove was without inhabitants ; the cabins 
and fences went to decay, and the untilled 
lands grew up in weeds. When Dimmick 
fled from the grove he left two sows and pigs 
which increased in a few years to quite a 
drove of wild hogs, that were hunted in the 
grove years afterward, and from them some 
of the early settlers obtained their supply of 
pork. 

In the spring of 1834, Leonard Roth, 
Greenberry Hall, and Dave Jones made 
claims in the grove, and for a short time 
Timothy Perkins occupied the Dimmick cabin. 
In July of the same year, Jonathan T. Hol- 
brook, Moses and Horace Bowen settled in 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



177 



the grove. Mr. Holbrook and Mosea Bowen 
bought Gunn's claim and made farms. In 
the fall of 1834 Enos Holbrook, Joseph 
Knox and Heman Downing settled in the 
grove. In the .spring of 1836 Tracy Reeve 
and Dr. John Kendall bought Moses Bowen's 
farm and laid oflf Lamoille. Mr. Bowen 
had previously made a survey of the town, 
but made no record of it when he sold to the 
above named parties. The town was origin- 
ally called Greenfield, but was afterward 
changed to its present name, on account of 
obtaining a postofifice. 

Joseph Knox on leaving Dimmick's Grove, 
located at a point of timber which was after- 
ward known as Knox's Grove. One night, 
while Mr. Knox and his sons were absent, 
two young Indians came to his house, prob- 
ably without any evil intentions, but it 
frightened the women so they fled on foot for 
Dimmick's Grove, eight miles distant. Next 
morning these two young Indians, accom- 
panied by their father, came to Dimmick's 
Grove to give an explanation of their visit to 
the house the night before. There were 
present Leonard Koth, J. T. Holbrook and 
Dave Jones. With the two former the explan- 
ation of the Indians was satisfactory, but 
with the latter it was different; Jones whip- 
ped one of the Indians severely. 

In the summer of 1831 William Tompkins, 
Sampson and John Cole made claims on the 
east side of Spring Creek, and for some time 
they were the only permanent settlers in the 
east part of the county. In August, 1832, 
Henry Miller with his family settled on the 
farm now occupied by his son, Henry J. 
Miller. About the same time William Swan 
made a claim in this vicinity, and the next 
year James G. Swain made a claim where he 
now lives. In 1883 Eobert Scott became a 
resident of the settlement, and about the 
same time Martin Tompkins and Alexander 



Holbrook made claims near the east line of 
the county, where H. W. Terry now lives. 
Other settlers came in soon after, among 
whom were Reason and E. C. Hall, Mr. 
Wixam, Mr. Wilhite, Nathaniel Applegate, 
Dr. Whithead and C. ^Y. Combs. 

In 1834 Timothy Perkins and sons claimed 
all of Perkins' Grove. The first house built 
in the grove was on a farm owned by John 
Hetzler. This was originally occupied by 
Solomon Perkins and Elijah Bevens. The 
second house was built near A. G. Porter's, 
and was occupied by Timothy Perkins; this 
house was covered with deer skins. Joseph 
Search, Stephen Perkins and Mr. Hart set- 
tled in the spring of 1835 on the west side of 
the grove; J. and A. R. Kendall, J. and E. 
Fassett were among the eafly settlers. A 
postolfice was established here in 1842 and 
called Perkins' Grove. 

In 1834 Isaac Spangler, George Coleman 
and Aquilla Triplett settled on the east of 
Center Grove; William Allen and C. C. Corss 
north of it. 

Providence Colony. — in 1836 a colony was 
organized in Providence, R. I., for the pur- 
pose of colonizing some place in Illinois. 
There were seventy-two stockholders in the 
company, who owned from one to sixteen 
shares each, and each share was to draw eighty 
acres of land, which amounted in all to 
17,000 acres. Com. Morris, Col. C. Oak- 
ley, Asa Barney, L. Scott, S. G. Wilson, 
Edward Bailey and Caleb Cushing, were ap- 
pointed a committee to select and enter the 
lands for the colony. This committee, after 
exploring the country in different parts of the 
States selected Township 15, Range 8 (now 
Indiantown), for their future home. The 
land in this township was then vacant, except 
a few tracts in the southeast corner, and it 
was without inhabitants, with the exception 
of Martin Tompkins and Mr. Burt. All the 



178 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



vacant land in this township, and some in the 
adjoining one, was entered by the colony, and 
a portion of which was soon after made into 
farms. The colony committee, after entering 
the land, laid off a town, and in honor of 
Roger Williams, named it Providence. Two 
of the committee, Asa Barney and Caleb 
Gushing, remained until fall for the purpose 
of erecting a building on their new town site; 
this building was a large frame structure, 
built out of the funds of the colony, and in- 
tended to be used for a hotel. 

In the spring of 1837 about forty persons 
belonging to the colony arrived at their fu- 
ture home, all of whom found quarters in the 
house built by the colony until other dwell- 
ings could be erected. With this colony 
came many of the enterprising citizens of 
this county, and they received a hearty wel- 
come from the early settlers. 

This colony, like all others, did not meet the 
expectations of its projectors, nevertheless, 
it added much to the wealth and population 
of the county. Among the members of this 
colony who settled here were Alfred Anthony, 
Hosea Barney, J. Shaw, James Harrington, 
James Pilkington, John Lannon, Thomas 
Doe, Mathew Dorr, James Dexter, EliasNick- 
erson and Thomas Taylor. 

The first claim made on Chenoweth Prairie, 
which lies between Senachwine and Main 
Bureau was in 1834, by Ferrell Dunn, on the 
farm now owned by Alanson Benson. In 
the early part of 1835, Elder J. B. Cheno- 
weth (a sketch of whom appears in another 
chapter), Elisha Searl, H. Sheldon and P. 
Kirkpatrick, settled here. Hosea Barney came 
here in 1837. He had a 160-acre interest in 
the colony. He was from Taunton, Mass., 
born November 11, 1801. He was a mill- 
wright, and had gone South and in South Car- 
olina had built dams and locks on the canal. 
In 1835 he went to Cuba and put up for a 



man in Rhode Island, the first steam-mill in 
Cuba. He married Hannah Nicholas before 
coming West. She was a native of Plymouth, 
Mass. She died here in 1869. Two of her 
children — Howard E. and Herbert now liv- 
ing on the old homestead. 

Edward Dana was born in Providence, R. 
I., March 19, 1804. He commenced his bus- 
iness, a tailor. Married Mary Lockwood. 
Came to the county in 1837; settled in Prov- 
idence. Portions of the colony had preceded 
him. On his arrival, he found an unfinished 
hotel, and there was at work for the company 
Samuel Morse, Anthony Luther, John Lon- 
non, Darius Wheeler, George Rose, Caleb 
Charles and Albert Haskel. Mr. Dana built 
a log-cabin and moved into it. On May 8, 
some of the members of the colony arrived. 
The most of them in a sorry plight: foot- 
sore, worn-out and badly homesick. Mr. 
Dana had heard they were coming and his 
wife had prepared supper for them. They 
fed them well, but many were wretched and 
dissatisfied, and Mrs. Cameron declared she 
would not change her dress until she went 
back East. As it was fully three months be- 
fore she could return, and she kept her word 
about changing her dress, the reader can im- 
agine it was literally worn off by the time she 
got back home. Mr. Dana soon moved into 
Tiskilwa and followed his trade. In 1846 he 
commenced farming. Mr. Dana was married 
the second time to Mrs. Sarah Beaumont {iiee 
Sarah Douglas). 

An old soldier of the war of 1812 was 
Thomas Doe, born April 11, 1818, in Lincoln 
County, Me., and died here December 1, 1868, 
a carpenter by occupation. He was several 
years Clerk of his township. 

Robert Hinman came to Wyanet in 1838. 
He was born September 5, 1804, in Vermont. 
He followed the sea for years and in 1826 he 
was an humble fisherman, "where fishers gang 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



179 



to fish for cod." He man'ied December 4, 
1828, in Vermont, Mindwell A. Bartlett, who 
is the mother of eight children. 

A Menonite Church was built in Indian- 
town Township in 1873, costing $2,600. 
Joseph Burckey, John Burcky, John Albright 
and Peter Baufman are the leading members 
of this church. 

George E. Dorr was an early tavern-keeper 
at Bulbona's Grove. He was in his day one 
of the celebrated landlords along the Galena 
stage road. He was a native of Chatham 
County, N. Y. His father was born Novem- 
ber 5, 1821. He came to Illinois in 1837 
and improved what is yet known as Dorr's 
Hill. He was one of the first Po.stmasters at 
this place, a position he tilled for eight years. 
He was for a loug time a Justice of the 
Peace. 

The Hunters. — There were fourteen of this 
family came together to Bureau County, of 
these, Enoch Hunter was born in the mount- 
ains of Vermont in 1824. He came here 
with his father and has been one of our most 
successful and enterprising farmers. In 1S47 
he was married to Miss Adeline M. Baker, a 
native of Chautauqua, N.Y., born November 2, 
1829; a daughter of Almon and Julia Baker. 
Of this union have been born six children. 

David Chase came here in 1834, a native 
of Roylston, Mass., born April 30, 1811. He 
married Lucy Brigham in New Hampshire 
and at once started to Illinois (see sketch of 
Joseph Brigham). Mrs Chase lived with 
her son, David Vi'., until her death July 1, 
1882. Mr. Chase was a very quiet, good 
man and always avoided noisy politics. They 
had three children — Lucy Abagail married 
Oscar Mead. She died in 1879. David 
Warren lives on the old homestead, and 
Mary Ellen is the wife of Arthur Fruett. 
David W. was born January 11, 1844. and 
except six years he spent in Iowa has lived 



all his life in the county. In 1862 he mar- 
ried Miss Mary Coddington, daughter of 
James Coddington, deceased. She was born 
December 23, 1840. 

Walnut mid Ohio Tovmshixys. — These are two 
of the choice portions of the county, and yet 
they remained vacant land mostly until 1850. 
We Lave had frequent occasion to name the 
Ament families. They were the lirst in this 
part of the county. In 1833 James Claypool 
settled here and in 1836 he sold to the Deu- 
hams, who looked at the country and con- 
cluded it would some day be an excellent 
stock country, and they bought with a view 
of making a stock-farm — a place to produce 
improved stock. 

In the summer of 1836, a man named Martin 
claimed Walnut Grove; built a cabin, broke 
and fenced some prairie, but next year A. H. 
Jones and Greenberry Triplett jumped his 
claim and made farms here soon after, others 
settled around the grove, among whom were 
Truman Culver, Richard Brewer, Peter Mc- 
Kuitt, Thomas Sanders, Richard Langford, 
E. Kelly, and the large family of Wolf. 

In the spring of 1830, Dad Joe (Joseph 
Smith) located at Dad Joe Grove, and lived 
here for six years without neighbors. In 
1836 T. S. Elston came in possession of this 
claim, and for many years it was occupied 
by different renters, who kept here a house of 
entertainment. In 1841 F. G. Buchan built 
a cabin on the north line of the county, and 
it was afterward occupied by IVIr. Abbot. 
In 1846 William Cleveland built a cabin on 
High Prairie, three miles south of Dad Joe 
Grove, but he abandoned it the nest year. A 
year or two afterward John and Andrew Ross 
settled on the prairie, and soon afterward 
others made farms in this vicinity, among 
whom were Squire Falvey, John Kasbeer, 
William Cohen, Stephen Wilson, Mr. Hun- 
ter, Daniel P. and Dwight Smith. 



180 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



CHAPTER XV. 

THE CHURCHES OF THE COUNTY. 

Ours be meanwhile the cheerful creed. 

That leaves the spirit free to roam, 
By mount and river, wood and mead, 

Till Heaven's kind voice shall call it home. 

—J. H. Bryant. 

A NATION'S destiny is shaped by its 
religious faith more than by anything 
else. The Christian religion, as we believe 
it, is the true God-given system of faith, 
and the one which this Government recog- 
nizes as a divine emanation. "In God we 
trust," is stamped on our dollars. We 
accept it, therefore, in its teachings and its 
practices, as that mighty, moral force which 
has impelled us onward and upward in our 
career of unexampled prosperity in civil, 
moral, intellectual and commercial advance- 
ment. We are but one hundred years old, 
and yet we stirpass all other nations on the 
globe, in these respects, although most of 
them are older than America by a thousand 
years or more. 

Compare the people who now dwell in 
this county, with those whose ancestors 
occupied these rich prairies for a thousand 
years before, we having had it but fifty. 
There is no comparison. We affirm that 
our superiority comes from our under- 
lying religious faith. Their poverty and 
heathenism came from the want of it. 
This is without doubt true of all other 
nations and kingdoms of the world. The 
Christian religion lifts men and nations 
into light and knowledge, and into the pos- 
session of all the good that distinguishes 
them from other peoples. What nation or 
people now on the globe, except a Christian 



nation, ever had a railroad, telegraph, tele- 
phone, steamboat, or any of the ten thousand 
desirable possessions of civilization, until 
carried there by a Christian people? 

When a people become permeated with 
Christian principles then a superior energy 
impels that people onward and upward, into 
everything grand and ennobling, like a divine 
impulse. Hence the wisdom of the early 
settlers, as they came to this wilderness 
country, here to make happy homes and a 
prosperous State. They planted first the 
church and the school. Here is a nut for 
infidelity to crack. Mark what a change 
came over these prairies in one short fifty 
years. Instead of the filthy wigwams of 
the red man, along the marshy bottom-lands, 
these prairies are dotted all over with splen- 
did mansions, and these limitless land 
scapes are one broad field of waving corn 
and wheat. The wild deer and the uncouth 
buffalo have given place to the fleet horse, 
the faithful ox, the patient cow, the profita- 
ble hog. The useful wagon, with glossy 
bays attached, take the place of the pony 
and his rider. We have the cooking stove, 
comfortable furniture, the piano and organ, 
and ten thousand other conveniences and 
comforts unknown to the heathen dwellers 
on this soil fifty years ago. Why the differ- 
ence? The answer is at hand. They had 
no chiu'ch or schoolhouee. We have. They 
had no underlying religious faith. We 
have. This solves the problem, and points 
the way from poverty to prosperity. 

Let us, then, cherish our Christian faith, 
knowing by delightful experience the truth- 
fulness of the promise of our great Bene- 
factor, when He said: " Seek ye first the 
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and 
all these things shall be added unto you." 

In the light of these facts we can see the 
propriety in giving due prominence to an 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUXTY. 



181 



account of the rise and progress of the 
Christian churches in Bureau County. 

CongreyationaC Church. — The old Hamp- 
shire Colony Church or First Congregational 
Church, of Princeton, was organized in North- 
ampton, Mass., March 23, 1831. Sermon 
preached on the occasion by Rev. Ichabod S. 
Spencer, from the text: ' ' Fear not little flock 
for it is your Father's good pleasure to give 
you the Kingdom." The following named 
persons joined the church at this time: E. S. 
Phelps and wife, Amos C. Morse and wife, 
Elish Wood and wife. Samuel Brown. David 
Brown, Dr. Nathaniel Chamberlain, Levi 
Jones and wife, Alva Whitmarsh and wife, 
Elijah Smith, Sylvia Childs, Clarissa Childa, 
Jonn Leonard and Maria Lyman. After 
farewell meetings were had, and the prelim- 
inaries all completed, the little colony church 
commenced their journey to the land of 
promise. 

The Hampshire Colony had been organized 
the year previous, and had sent forward two 
or three of their number, to the West to recon- 
noiter aud to locate the colony. The main 
body did not start until May 7, 1831. They 
embarked on a canal boat at Albany, with Cot- 
ton Mather as Captain. The first Sabbath 
found them in Buffalo. From here they took 
steamer for Detroit. They hired teams to 
take them from here to Chicago, starting 
May 25. 

Mr. Jones had preceded the colony the 
previous fall and located temporarily at 
Bailey's Point, eight miles south of LaSalle, 
near the Vermillion River, where he had built 
a large double log-house to receive the colony, 
which arrived June 9, just five weeks and two 
days from the commencement of their jour- 
ney. They all remained here some time to 
rest. Finally, on the evening of July 4, they 
reached the camp of James Foristol, one 
mile North of Dover. 



Thus far we have seen the church in the 
wilderness. Now they reach the promised 
land, and the first formal meeting the church 
held in Illinois was October 20, 1831, at the 
house of Elijah Smith, a little north of the 
present city of Princeton. The first business 
done was the election of Dr. Chamberlain as 
clerk in the place of Mr. Morse, deceased. 
This little colony was soon reduced in num- 
ber by death and removal until there were 
but four members left, and these were soon 
constrained to seek safety in the older settle 
ments from the scalping-knife of the Indian. 
Both the colony and the church were now re- 
duced very near the point of extinction. This 
was indeed the day of small things. It was 
the only church in Illinois at this time of the 
Congregational order. They were cast down 
but not forsaken. After about two years mem- 
bers began to return, and others coming in 
joined, and in February, 1834, the church 
held its first communion season, at which 
time six persons joined: Joel Doolittle, Laz- 
arus Reeve and Nathaniel Chamberlain, Sr., 
and their wives. 

Lucien Farnham became their pastor about 
the close of 1833, and he reports that at their 
above meeting the house was full, and that 
Methodists, Presbyterians and others com- 
muned with them. 

From this time on the church grew rapid- 
ly. In 1835 they began to build a meeting- 
house, 32x44 feet, two stories high, and used 
the lower story for a schoolhouse. This was 
called the Princeton Academy, and com- 
menced its first term in the summer of 1886, 
under the care of Alvin M. Dixon, who is still 
living in Edgar, Clay County, Neb. Mr. 
Farnham was a devout and able minister, 
but in the fall of 1838 he was obliged to de- 
sist from preaching on account of chronic 
laryngitis. During his ministry of four 
years the chm-ch increased to 141 members. 



182 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Rev. Owen Lovejoy was called to take the 
place of Mr. Farnham and commenced his 
labors as pastor of the church in the fall of 
1838. Wo need not here speak of Mr. Love- 
joy, or his labors at length, as his fame be- 
came worldwide. He was a man of clear, 
strong convictions. As a public speaker he 
was logical, energetic, impressive, magnetic 
and eloquent. As a platform orator he had 
no equal. lu social life he was genial and 
attractive. He early espoused the anti-siav- 
ery cause and preached an anti-slavery gospel 
until the people liked it, and then continued 
preaching it because they did like it. His 
pastorate continued until the close of 1855, 
after which he was elected to Congress, and 
continued to hold that position until his 
death, March 25, 1864. In 1848 a new 
church was erected, of brick, and larger, cost- 
ing $4,000. Mr. Lovejoy was succeeded in 
his ministry by the following persons in or 
der of time: N. A. Keyes, S. D. Cochran, W. 
B. Christopher, Samuel Day, H. L. Ham- 
mond, D. H. Blake, F. Bascom, R. B. How- 
ard and Richard Edwards, LL. D., who has 
just resigned and accepted a position with 
Knox College, and Rev. S. A. Norton, the 
present pastor. In 1869 the church was re- 
paired, and added to at a cost of $8,000, and 
supplied with a line pipe organ. A success- 
ful Sabbath -school has been kept up from the 
beginning of the church; also a weekly 
prayer- meeting. The pastor's salaries have 
increased from time to time from 1400 to $3,- 
000 a year. Present membership, 300; Sab- 
bath-school, 200. In October, 1837, twenty- 
four members were dismissed to form the 
Second Congregational Church of Princeton — 
now the First Presbyterian Church of this city. 
In March, 1838, seven members were dismissed 
to join the Dover Congregational Church; 
and in May, 1840, a number took letters to 
the Congregational Church of Lamoille. 



Methodist Episcopal Church, Princeton. — 
In the year 1832 Rev. Zadock Hall organ- 
ized a charge called the Peoria Mission. 
His appointments in Bureau County were at 
the house of Joseph Smith, north of Prince- 
ton, on Bureau Creek; Samuel Williams', in 
Hall Town, at John Hall's in Shelby 
Town, and at Abraham Jones', two miles 
northwest of Princeton. The names of the 
members of this class were: James and 
Betsy Hayes, Abraham and Mary Jones, 
Barton and Susanna Jones, Robert and 
Mrs, Clark, Joseph and Mrs. Smith and 
Eliza Epperson. All of the above persons 
have gone to the better land. 

In 1833 Rev. William Royal became the 
preacher in charge of the northern division 
of Peoria Mission called the Ottawa Mission. 
In 1834 this Mission was divided and the 
west part called the Bureau Mission, and the 
Rev. S. R. Beggs took this charge and re- 
mained through the following year. 

There were three appointments in the Bu- 
reau Circuit: At Abraham Jones', at John 
Scott's, Tiskilwa, and at John Hall's, Selby 
Town. His cash report this year was: Re- 
ceived $70 from 100 members. Rev. Den- 
ning arrived in Princetou in 1836, and be- 
came class-leader and remained so up to 
1842, at which time he joined the Rock 
River Conference. The class meetings were 
held at the house of Abraham Jones until 1838, 
when they were afterward held at the house of 
Brother Deming.s, in Princeton. In 1836 
an attempt was made to build a church, but 
the brick was spoiled in the making and the 
pledges were lost, so ended this e£fort. Will- 
iam Cummings was pastor this year. In 
1837 the old pioneer, Zaddock Hall, was ap- 
pointed to the Princeton Circuit. A church 
was finally built and occupied about Christ- 
mas, 1838. Thepreachers on the circuit at this 
time were Rufus Lumry and George Smith. 



A'- 




^yrSi/Tto^^^ (y^.^^^ 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



183 



Liimry remained during the year 1839, in 
which time the church was finished and dedi- 
cated by Elder John Sinclair. 

In 1840 the Conference was divided and 
Princeton became a part of Rock River Con- 
ference, and Jonathan M. Snow placed in 
charge, assisted in 1841 by Wesley Bachelor. 
In 1842 Harvey Hadley and S. F. Deming 
were appointed. The latter filled the office 
of County Clerk during his pastorate. In 
1843, Harvey Hadley and Simon K. Lemon; 
in 1844, J. G. Whitcomb; in 1845-46, Leon- 
ard Whittaker. At this time the brick church 
was built, now Union Hall. O. A. Walker in 
charge in 1847-48; in 1849, George Levisee; 
J. H. Moon, in 1850; Martin P. Sweet, in 
1851-52. Then followed John W. Stagdill, 
J. O. Gilbert, Silas Searl, Charles French, 
Thomas G. Hagerty, W. C. Willing in 1862- 
63. During Brother Willing's pastorate 
the beautiful hou.se now occupied was built 
on the northwest corner of Peru and Church 
Streets. The Board of Trustees at this time 
was Joseph Shugart, John Wartield, George 
H. Phelps, W. H. Jenkins, George Bacon, 
A. Swanzy, William Carse, H. A. Starkweather 
and Darius Fisher. The corner stone was 
laid with Masonic honors July 24, 1863; ad- 
di'ess by Rev. CLarles H. Fowler at the court 
house. The builders were Allen Morse and 
W. W. Winters. Dedicated January 23, 
1864; services conducted by Rev. F. M. Eddy, 
D. D., assisted by Rev. J. M. Vincent; cost of 
ohui'ch, $12,000. Preachers in charge after 
this time were: N. H. Astell, W. A. Smith, 
S. U. Griffith, J. M. Caldwell, W. D. Skel- 
toD, J. C. Stoughton, W. H. Gloss, John 
Ellis, James Baum and W. D. Atchison, the 
present pastor. Present membership, 150. 
Sabbath-school, 120. The parsonage cost 
$2,000. 

Presbyterian Church, Princeton, was 
organized October 20, 1837, at the] house of 



Rev. A. B. Church. Twenty-four persons — 
originally members of the Hampshire Colony 
Congregational Church, formed this the sec- 
ond Congregational Church of this city. Of 
these only two are now living — Philinda 
Robinson and Henrietta R. Bryant. The 
first year they occupied the upper story of 
Epperson's store, the next year a church was 
built near their present building, of wood. 
This was occupied for a house of worship 
until their present commodious brick house 
was built in 1856. In 1844, by an unani- 
mous vote of the membership, the church 
changed its name to the Presbyterian Church, 
and was received under the care of the 
Schuyler Presbytery. The first Board of 
Elders were Daniel Ralinson, Austin Bryant, 
Isaac Brokaw and Samuel Carey. The first 
pastor, A. B. Church, remained seven years, 
or until the church became Presbyterian, 
Ministers who succeeded him were: John 
Stoker, one year; William Pekins, two years 
and six months; Ithamer Pillsbui'y, seven 
years; Mr. Carson, a short time; I. C. Barr, 
eighteen months; I. Milligan, fifteen years and 
six months; I. C. Hill, eighteen months; D. 
G. Bradford, five years. The present minis- 
ter. Rev. M. C. Williams. Present member- 
ship about 200. Cost of present church edi- 
fice about $15,000. The Sabbath-school 
numbers 150. The membership are mostly 
farmers living from three to five miles in the 
country. 

The Baptist Church, of Princeton, was 
organized in 1836, with thirteen members, 
as follows: Stephen and Polly Triplett, 
Aquilla Triplett, Elizabeth Triplett, W. H. 
and Lucinda Wells, Isaac and Rebecca 
Spangler, Edward and Lucinda Triplett, Mr. 
Bagley and wife, and James Hamrick. The 
first meeting house was built in 1844, now 
occupied by the African Methodist Episcopal 
Church. Prosperity attended the labors of 



184 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Rev. F. B. Ives from 1856 to 1858. Up to 
this time the membership reached 160. For 
a time after this the members decreased in 
number, owing, in part, to the ■want of a 
suitable house of worship, frequent change 
of pastors, removals, and other causes, so that 
they were reduced to only thirty-five mem- 
bers. Their present house of worship was 
commenced in 1871, and on November 23, 

1873, the next house was dedicated, free from 
debt, costing $10,000. Kev. Ives was again 
the pastor during these years of prosperity, 
and when he closed his labors, November 17, 

1874, the membership had increased to 
eighty. Under the labors of Isaac Fargo the 
number increased to 106. The Sabbath- 
school numbers at present 125, and church 
membership 180. Ministers serving the 
church after Elder Fargo were: D. W. Rich- 
ards, M. H. Worral, and R. Wallace, the 
present pastor. 

The Christian Church, Princeton, was or- 
ganized March 8, 1840, by John M. Yearn- 
shaw. The original members were: James 
and Catherine How, Daniel R. and Rachel 
How, Jonathan and Eliza Ireland, Daniel 
Bryant, Clark and Mary Bennett, John M. 
Yearnshaw, Rachel and Juliett Radelifie, El- 
mira Elston, Sarah Minier, Mary Hayes, John 
W. M. How and Margarett McElwain — 
seventeen. In October four more members 
were added: John How, Sarah Radcliffe (now 
Lomax), Mrs. Alice Yearnshaw and Charles 
S. Boyd. Their meetings were first held in 
a building near the present court house, 
called the County Commissioners' House. 
In 1846 they built a brick house on'tbe south 
side of the court house square, and occupied 
this until 1870, when the congregation built 
their present fine house on Main Street, 
costing $11,000, and dedicated by Rev. 
Isaac Errett, of Cincinnati. The following 
are the names of ministers who have labored 



with the church since its organization, for a 
short time, in protracted efi'ort; P. G.Young, 
George W. Minier, Daniel R. How, John 
Errett, G. W. Mapes, C. W. Sherwood, J. Z. 
Taylor. The following labored as regular 
ministers for a definite time: John M. Yearn- 
shaw, George McManus, Daniel R. How, 
Charley Berry, J. C. Stark, T. Brooks, James 
E. Gaston, Daniel R. How, T. Brooks, I. G. 
Waggoner, T. V. Berry, G. W. Mapes, A. 
W. Olds, A. J. Thompson, J. T. Toof, G. F. 
Adams, L. R. Norton, George Radelifi'e, 
William Trimble. The church has been 
without a pastor for some time on account of 
the divided state of its members. Present 
membership about ninety. Sabbath-school, 
fifty. 

Methodist Protestant Church of Princeton, 
was organized in 1837, by Rev. P. J. Strong. 
The organizing members were: Aaron Mercer 
and wife, Thomas Mercer and wife, Ellis 
Mercer and wife, Samiiel Triplett and wife, 
Daniel Young and wife, William Mercer, 
Elizabeth Mercer, Barric Mercer, Thomas 
Mercer, Moses Mercer, Enos Matson. Present 
membership 100. Pastors after Rev. P. J. 
Strong, were: W. H. Miller, R. Miller, B. 
Johnson, Mr. Paterson, R. Wright, E. Sel- 
lon, F. D. and. W.W. Williams, J.M. May- 
all, C. H. Williams, W. H Jordan, V. H. 
Brown, S. G. Lamb and F. Stringer, the 
present pastor. The church building is of 
brick, and cost $11,000, and was built in 
1867, under the pastorate of Rev. Mayall. 
The Sabbath-Bchool numbers 100. The first 
church was built in 1838, under the pastor- 
ate of Rev. P. J. Strong, and cost $2,000. 

The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran, of 
the Augustana Synod, of Princeton, was 
organized June 16, 1854, by Rev. Larspaul 
Esborn. The original members were: P. 
Fagercranse, E. Wester, N. Linderblad, S. 
Frid, Niles P. Linguist, Jacob Nyman and 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



185 



Larse Anderson. Present number, 415 com- 
municants. Whole population attending 
chui'ch, 625. Names of ministers since the 
first : John Johnson, Aaron Lindholm, 
John Wikstrand, S. A. Saodahl, the present 
pastor. The church building is wooden and 
cost $3,500. A Sabbath-school of seventy- 
five members and fourteen teachers. Within 
the congregation are a Ten-Cent Society, a 
Five-Cent Society, and a Pauper's-Aid 
Society — all for benevolent purposes. Lov- 
ers of intoxicating drinks and members of 
secret societies are not allowed as members 
in this church. The church is in a prosper- 
ous condition. 

The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Mis- 
sion Church of Princeton, was organized 
Deceraber 13, 1871, by C. P. Mellgren. The 
corporate members were: C. G. Swanson, 
Andrew Johnson, Rapp and John Pierson. 
Present number of members, 200. Minis- 
ters since the first, were: P. Wedin, A. E. 
Eckerbery, C. O. Sahlstrnm and A. A. Mon- 
genson. The meeting-house is of brick, and 
cost $7,000. A Sabbath-school of seventy- 
five. The church is in a flourishing condi- 
tion. In 1882 Eev. C. O. Sahlstrom changed 
his views somewhat on some of the doctrines, 
and he, with some seven or eight others, 
withdrew or were expelled, and are now 
worshiping in a small hall south of the 
court house. 

The First Swede Baptist Church of Prince- 
ton, was organized February 15, 1877, by 
Eev. John Ongman. Present membership 
thirty-six. Ministers' names since the first, 
as follows: C. Silene, A. B. Orgren, J. M. 
Flodin, A. P. Hanson. 

The chiu'ch building is of wood, and 
cost $1,800. The Sabbath -school numbers 
fifteen. 

The Roman Catholic Church of Princeton, 
was organized in 1865, by Eev. F. Fitzpat- 



rick. Corporate members were: Michael 
Dolen, John Dolen, Pat Quinn, Edward 
Bunning, Michael Connery, John McGrath, 
James Bunning, John Glinn, Michael Mc- 
Grath, John Neagle, John Connery, John 
Smythe, John Quinn, William Griffin, 
George Eider, Michael Dorin, James Col- 
lins, Andrew Gosse, John Griffith, Pat 
Eow, Edward Eow and P. H. Griffith, 
twenty-two, all living in the corporation, and 
taxpayers. 

Ministers since the first: F. O'Garry, F. 
Fitzpatrick, Eev. Murphy, Eev. Sweedberth, 
Eev. O'Farrel, Eev. Cobirn, Eev. Eyan, Eev. 
Smith, Eev. Lyons, Eev. Sheedy, present 
pastor. Church edifice of wood, and cost 
$2,000. A Sabbath-school of forty pupils. 

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of 
Princeton,called the St. John's Church, was or- 
ganized in 1874 by Rev. Meier. First members 
of the church were: William Eickneier, Hoff- 
man, Pultz, Schulz, C. Pempke, Warming, 
Lohman, H. Torbeck, Geldermeister, C. 
Becker, C. Praefke, C. Schmidt, Frank Strah- 
lendorf and others. The membership at 
present are: Families represented, 21; mem- 
bei's of the chiu'ch, 45; cost of meeting-house, 
$3,000. Ministers since the first are: E. 
Hantel, — Meier, Eeinhardt and John Haer- 
lin, the present pastor. The corporate mem- 
bers of this church were formerly members 
of Salem Church, of Princeton. Differing 
about some matters they withdrew and 
formed this church. 

The German Evangelical, Salem's Church 
of Princeton, was organized in 1856 by Eev. 
C. Hofifmeister. Names of corporate members 
as follows: H. Oberschelp, H. Dremann, W. 
Dremann, F. Altholf, Dav Goetz, Jul. 
Schroder, Chr. Schroder, W. Kastroup, F. 
W. Pottcamp, W. Bruer, Charles Wolf, J. 
Schaefer. Present membership, 12. Names 
of ministers since the first: J. Eies, J. Zim- 



186 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



merann, C. Q. Haack, F. Meier, H. Hueb- 
schmann, M. Otto, F. W. Campmeier, G. 
Becker, H. Schmidt. Church building is of 
wood and cost $1,400. 

The African Methodist Episcopal Church 
of Princeton, was organized in 1861 by Rev. 
Joseph Perkins. Present neoibership about 
eleven. Ministers who have labored with 
this branch of Zion are the following: J. M. 
Darrich, J. W. Lewis, S. F. Johns, H. C. 
Burton, R. Knight, W. M. Williams and 
Rev. Roberts. The building is wood and 
cost $650. A Sabbath-school of twenty 
scholars. Their present pastor is Rev. L. M. 
Fenwick. 

The English Lutheran Church of Princeton, 
was organized February 27, 1858, in Bascom 
& White's Hall. Twenty-five persons were 
admitted to membership. Lorenzo Kaar and 
J. S. Miller, Deacons; and George Kaar and 
J. Boyer, Elders. Rev. J. Richards and D. 
Harbaugh preached to them before the formal 
organization, after which Rev. A. A. Trimmer 
was pastor. Mr. Trimmer was succeeded by 
Revs. S. Ritz, D. Harbaugh, D. S. Altman. 
In 1864 a church was erected at a cost of 
$1,800, Pastors following this time were: 
J. W. Elser, C. A. Gelwicks, J. W. Elser, W. 
L. Remeburg and A. J. B. Kast. A parson- 
age was purchased costing $1,200. They 
have a present membership of seventy and a 
Sabbath -school of eighty pupils. Since their 
purchase the church has been repaired at a 
cost of $1,200, and a parsonage at a cost of 
$1,800. 

The Redeemer's Church of Princeton, Ill- 
inois, Protestant Episcopal, was organized 
February 20,1856. Rt. Rev. H. I. Whitehouse, 
Bishop of the Diocese, gave his official con- 
sent June 3, 1856, of the formation of the 
parish. The corporate members were : Will- 
iam Bacon, Robert J. Woodruff, Thomas M. 
Woodruff, James Thompson, John Cottell, 



Henry A. Smith, John C. Smith, F. W. Wal- 
ler, Lewis Gray. Present number of com- 
municants, ten. Ministers serving the church 
were: Revs. F. B. Nash, Charles P. Clark, 
George C. Street, George F. Cushman, R. F. 
Page, R. N. Avery, Theodore L. Allen. 
Church building is constructed of wood and 
cost $5,000. No minister or Sabbath-school 
at present. 

Churches in Clarion Township. — The Ger- 
man Evangelical Church of Perkins' Grove, 
organized in 1850. Jacob Pope was leader 
of the first class. Meetings were held from 
1843 to 1850 in the houses of some of the 
members; in the house of John Tauble, by 
Rev. S. A. Tobias; in 1848 in the house of 
Jacob Betz, who was an eshorter. In 1851 
two classes were organized, and J . C. Anthes 
preached. The Sunday-school was formed 
in 1852. In 1853 the first church was erected 
and dedicated in 1854 by John Seybert, Bish- 
op. The present church was built in 1865, 
at a cost of $8,000, and the parsonage was 
built in 1876. The membership comes from 
about twenty families, the Sabbath-echool 
about one hundred. 

The German Evangelical Church of Clarion, 
stands three miles east of Perkins' Grove. 
Organized in 1850, with twenty members. 
Their house of worship was built in 1851. 
Church organized by Rev. Young. His pas- 
torate was followed by Rev. George Gibnor. 
Some of the early members were G. C. Betz 
and wife, John Betz and wife, Jacob Kepper, 
Charles Bitne. Daniel Erbes and their wives. 
There are now nearly seventy members. 

The German Lutheran Church is three 
miles south of the last-named church. It 
was organized in 1857. Their house of wor- 
ship is quite commodious. Some twenty- five 
families are in communion. The Rev. John 
Wittig is the present pastor. 

Churches in Lamoille Township. — The 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



187 



Methodist Episcopal Church of Lamoille, 
was organized in 1850, by Rev. George C. 
Holmes; present membership 125, and the 
Sabbath- school numbers about 12-5. The 
first church edifice was buiit in 1852. The 
present house was built in 1883, at a cost of 
$3,200. The names of pastors of this church 
are as follows: D. A. Falkenburg, J. S. Wil- 
son, P. S. Golleday, J. S. David, Thomas H. 
Hagerty, A. S. W. McCansland, W. M. For- 
man, T. G. Young, Stephen Roberts, E. 
Smith, W. H. Haight, J. S. David, W. A. 
Cross, R. CongdoQ, B. Close, E. Brown, P. S. 
Scott and John H. Bickford, the present pas- 
tor. The church is in a prosperous con- 
dition. 

The Baptist Church of Lamoille was or- 
ganized May 5, 1838, by Rev. Thomas Par- 
nell, Rev. Henry Headly, Aaron Gunn and 
James Graw. The original members were 
John Hetzler, Timothy Perkins, Adam and 
Mary Spaulding, Joseph and Mary Fassett, 
Moses and Eliza Bowen and J. T. Holbrook. 
They worshiped in the schoolhouse until 
1850, when they erected a brick church, cost- 
ing 12,000. In 1867 they built a new church 
at a cost of $12,500, and will seat 450 per- 
sons. The old church is now used as a smith- 
shop. Ministers serving the church after 
Henry Headley were: B. B. Carpenter, S. S. 
Martin, W. D. Clark, A. Angier, N. G. Col- 
lins, J. Winters, I. Fargo, William Green, 
Henry Llewellen and the present pastor. Rev. 
E. P. Bartlett. The membership is nearly 
200, with a Sabbath-school of 100. There 
have been additions to this membership since 
the first of 767 members altogether. 

The Congregational Church of Lamoille, 
was organized May 12, 18-10, by Rev. Owen 
Lovejoy, with fourteen members, viz. : Zenas 
Church, Julia Church, Benjamin Mather, 
Mrs. Francis Dodge, David Lloyd, Timothy 
Edwards, Mrs. Catharine Edwards, David 



Wells, Asaph N. Brown. Lyman and Mar- 
garet Eastman. T. P. Rust, Hannah Dodge 
and Mrs. Maria Clapp. Their church was 
erected in 1849, at a cost of $1,500. The 
lower story was used for some time for a 
school room. In 1863 this building was 
taken cTown and another and more commodious 
one put up at a cost of $5,000. On Sunday 
morning, February 10, 1867, this building 
was burned to the ground, but with com- 
mendable zeal the congregation rebuilt a very 
good house costing $9,000. The membership 
is now nearly eighty. The pastors have been: 
Revs. Morrell, John Crep, Adams, L. E. 
Sykes, G. B. Hubbard, George Colman, Fitch 
Burns, L. Gore, Lightbody, M. Willett, L. 
F. Brickford, W. T. Blenkarn, N. H. Burton 
and Rev. Byrne, the present pastor. 

The United Brethren Church, in the vil- 
lage of VanOrin, Lamoille Township, was or- 
ganized in 1860, with the following members: 
V. O. Cresap, John and Barbara Keel, Joel 
Shirk, Elizabeth Williams, Daniel and Maria 
Shirk and Mary Wiley. Rev. J. K. M. 
Lucker organized the church in the school- 
house in District No. 6, where the meetings 
were held until 1866, when the present church 
was built in the village at a cost of $2,000. 
The membership is nearly fifty, and the Sab- 
bath-school nearly eighty. Ministers preach- 
ing to the church since its organization were: 
Revs. J. M. K. Lucas, Isaac Stearns, Ezra 
Palmer, G. B. Walker, William Jackson, R. 
L. Jameson, John Dodson, John Grim, J. W. 
Bird, C. Wendal, Gardner, and the present 
pastor is C. K. Westfall. The church has 
been repaired at a cost of $500 this year. 
They have a parsonage worth $1,200. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church, located 
on the southeast quarter of southwest qiiarter 
of Section 9, no report. 

Churches in the Town of Ohio. — The Ro- 
man Catholic Church, called the Immaculate 



188 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Conception Church of the B. V. M., was or- 
ganized in 1868, by Rev. M. McDermott, Dan 
O'Sullivan, Michael Doran, John Murtogh 
and Hugh Johnson Corporate members: 
Michael Dunn, Thomas Sheehan, Richard 
Fanton, Hugh Johnson and Dennis Driscoll; 
present membership, 750; names of the minis- 
ters since the first: Revs. P. J. Gormley, S. 
O'Brien and John A. Tanneng. The church 
building is of wood and cost $15,000. The 
Sabbath school averages ninety-three. 

The Christian Church of Ohio, was organ- 
ized January 24, 1852. Meetings had been 
held previous to organization in schoolhouses 
in the southern part of the township. The 
church was organized in Schoolhouse No. 2, 
and twenty-six members united. Joseph and 
John Ross wei'e elected Elders, and Andrew 
Ross and Rodolphus Chikls, Deacons. In 
1854 they built a chm-ch on the farm of John 
Ross, at a cost of $1,800. This house was 
occupied until 1871, when they built a good 
house in the village of Ohio, costing $5,000. 
Elder Andrew Ross has ministered to this 
church most of the time since its commence- 
ment. The church is without a pastor at the 
present time. The membership at the close of 
Elder Ross' labors was about 100, and the 
Sabbath-school about the same. 

The Methodist Protestant Church of Ohio, 
was organized in 1871 with twenty members. 
This same year they built a church, the pas- 
tor being Rev. W. H. Jordan. He was suc- 
ceeded by C. Gray, W. H. Robertson, T. 
Kelly, H. S. Widney and the present pastor, 
Rev. V. H. Brown. The church is in a 
flourishing condition. 

The North Prairie Methodist Episcopal 
Church, on Section 24, Ohio Township, was or- 
ganized December 10, 1859, by Rev. P. S. Lott. 
Corporate members were George Hammer, H. 
F. Cory, George Stephenson and others. 
Present membership, forty-two; average at- 



tendance of Sabbath- school, fifty. Ministers 
serving the church since the first are: A. AV. 
McCausland, B. Lowe, T. C. Young, M. H. 
Plump, P. Horten, G. Levessee, Clement 
Combs, T. H. Haseltine, M. H. Averill, P. 
S. Lott, G. L. Bachus, James Bush. This 
church has been blessed frequently with 
spiritual outpourings. The church building 
is of wood and cost $3,000. 

Churches in the Town of Walnut. — The 
Baptist Church was organized in June, 1858, 
by Rev. N. G. Collins, at the house of J. H. 
Sayers, with a membership of sixteen, viz. : 
W. H. Mapes, J. H. Sayers, E. F. Sayers and 
their wives, John Nelson and wife, and 
others. They worshiped in private houses 
and schoolhouses until 1871, when they built 
and dedicated a house of worship costing 
$3,800. Some of those who preached to this 
chiirch were Rev. Mr. Sealey, C. First, J. 
B. Brown, B. F. Colwell and others. The 
membership is over fifty. The Sabbath-school 
numbers over seventy. 

There is a Methodist Episcopal Church in 
"Walnut Village which has been in successful 
operation for some years, even before the 
village was started a class existed here. They 
number somewhere near fifty, and have a 
Sabbath-school. 

The German Evangelical Church of Red 
Oak Grove, in Walnut Township, was organ- 
ized in 1863 by Rev. W. Goesele. Corporate 
members, C. Meishsner, Henry Nauman, Ed- 
ward Genther, H. Genther, John Baumgard- 
ner. Present membership, 114; Sabbath- 
school, 165. First church building cost 
$1,000. The second one, built in 1880. cost 
$4,000, and is situated on northwest quarter 
of southeast quarter of Section 2, in Red Oak 
Grove. The ministers names who served 
this church have been: J. C. Shielman, C. 
Gagstether, George Messner, A. Knobel, T. 
Alberding, L. B. Tobias, F. Busse, M. Eller, 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



189 



C. Lackhart, A. Strickfaden, and the present 
pastor, B. C. Wagnnr. 

Churches in the Township of Oreenville. — 
The Methodist Protestant Church of New 
Bedford, was organized in 1839 by Rev. Dan- 
iel Young. Corporate members were: John 
Whittington, J. M. Draper, John Vaughn, S. 
N. Davison, F. Jackson, Daniel Dixon. 
Present membership, six. Ministers serving 
the church since its formation, viz. : T. Rack, 
John Breck, S. M. Davison, W. S. Stubles, 
Isaac Wood, George Briden, Isaac Fraden- 
burg and Joseph Duckworth, the present 
pastor. The church is a frame building, 
costing $2,000. The parsonage, $300. A 
Sabbath-school of fifty-five members. The 
church has been repaired this year at a cost 
of $120. 

The Greenville United Brethren Church is 
situated about one mile South of New Bed- 
ford and was organized in 1852 by Rev. Clif- 
ton. Corporate members were Jacob Sells, 
Merrit Lathrop, Robert Gibson, Lucy McUne, 
and others. Present membership about 
forty, and a Sabbath-school of about thirty. 
The church is a wooden structure and cost 
$1,100. The principles of this church are 
anti-slavery, anti-rum, anti-tobacco, anti-se- 
cret society. The names of the ministers 
since the first are: Revs. Lugger, Starnes, 
Diltes, Boenwell, Lambert, Dunton, Brown, 
Bird, William Pope, J. H. Young, Chitty, 
Ezra Parmer, Bender, J. Lewis, Margeleth, 
Franc, and the present pastor. 

The Free Methodist Church of New Bed- 
ford. 

The Churches of Fairfield Township. — The 
Swede Baptist Church, west of New Bedford, 
was organized February 18, 1881, by Rev. A. 
B. Orgeren. The members were N. Pierson, 
O. Johnson and John Nyman. Present num- 
ber twelve. Ministers preaching to this 
church since its organization have been C 



Celene, N. Pierson. The building is of wood 
and cost $800. Average Sunday-school of 
fifteen. 

Church of St. Paul, Fairfield Township, 
three miles south of York Town. The de- 
nomination is Evangelical Lutheran German, 
and was formed in 1876, by Rev John Wit- 
ting. Names of first members are Fred Ba- 
renthin, Jacob Mathies, Casper and George 
Luckhard, Casper Ackermann, Jacob Wolf 
and others. Present number is eighteen 
families and some young men. Names of 
ministers since the first, viz: William Rein- 
hardt, John Herlein, who is the present pas- 
tor. They have no church edifice yet, but 
meet in a schoolhouse. Have a Sabbath- 
school of twenty -five. 

The Swede Lutheran Church is situated 
about two miles west of New Bedford, in the 
township of Fairfield. It was organized 
September 17, 1874, by the pastor Rev. 
Malmsbery. The corporate members were 
G. R. Carlson, A. Johnson, F. A. Wyberg, 
S. Youngdohl, Carl Anderson, J. Heurlin. 
Membership, 101. Ministers since the first, 
N. Nordling, P. J. Kallstrom. The church 
is of wood, and cost $925 The Sabbath- 
school averages twenty-five. 

The Methodist Episcopal of Yorktown 
Village, in Fairfield Township. 

The Township of Gold.— The Methodist 
Episcopal Church in Pleasant Valley, was or- 
ganized by Rev. A. Beeler in 1876. The 
church building cost $2,000. They keep up 
a Sabbath-school. The pulpit is supplied by 
the minister from Shefiield. 

The Townshij} of Manlius. — The Free 
Methodist Chui-ch in the village of Manlius, 

The Township of Bureau. — The Wesleyan 
Church connection of America on West Bu- 
reau, was formed in the winter of 18-44, by 
Rev. Rufus Lumry. The corporate members 
were George Hinsdale, George Bennet, and 



190 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Mary Bennet, Samuel L. Fay, Mary Fay, 
Sarah Stratton, Flavel Thurston and Elanor 
Thurston. Present number, fifty. Names of 
ministers — Milton Smith, Simeon Austin, 
John M. Ford, J. Pinkney, William Whittin, 
B. B. Palmer, R. Baker. H. T. Bessie, H. 
Hawkins, A. R. Brooks, William Pinkney, E. 
S. Wheeler, G. P. Riley, William Pinkney, 
present pastor. Church building is of wood 
and cost $2,625. A Sabbath-school of lifty. 
This church was founded in love for the slave 
and in hatred to slavei-y and rum and the 
lodge. 

They disfellowship secret, oath-bound or- 
ders. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church of West 
Bureau was organized in 1832. At the time 
of its organization there were nineteen mem- 
bers. Some have since moved their connec- 
tion to Wyanet. Death and removal have 
reduced their numbers materially. 

The organization, as it now exists, oc- 
curred in 1855, by Rev. Gilbert and T. L. 
Pomeroy. Names of the first congregation: 
Abram Stratton, S. S. Newton, Elizabeth 
Newton, William Carter, Susan Carter, Elias 
Carter, Rebecca Carter, Michael Carl, John 
Withington and wife, Nicholas Smith and 
wife, Lacey Belknap and wife, and Lyman 
Smith and wife. Present membership num 
bers twenty-two. Names of ministers since 
1855: T. L. Pomeroy, 1856-57; A. S. W. Mc 
Causland, 1858; J. S. David, 1859; Rev, 
Himebaugh, 1861, two years; J. W. Lee, 
1862; William Foreman, 1866; N. Stod 
dard, 1868; Thomas Chitterfield andH. Lat 
imer, 1869; J. E. Ribble, 1871; E. Gould 
1872; G. Chaivly, F. G. Davis, 1875; C. C 
Lovejoy removed and charge supplied by T 
L. Pomeroy, 1876; W. F. Meatz, 1878; M 
Hurlburt, 1879; J. I. Clifton, 1880; A. B 
Metier, 1881; A. Newton, 1883; J. B. Mc 
Guffin's Sabbath-school numbers forty. 



Rev. C. C. Lovejoy as appears by church 
minutes was appointed in 1875, was trans- 
ferred to educational institution in the East, 
and Rev. T. L. Pomeroy supplied the work. 
In 1883 Rev. J. B. McGuffin was appointed 
to this charge in connection with Wyanet, but 
his health failing. Rev. Pomeroy was again 
called, and he is now in charge. In a note 
inclosing the above facts, Bro. Pomeroy adds 
the following interesting church items: 

"Perhaps you will allow me to make some 
statements in regard to my connection with 
some of the early history of church work in 
this region. In the autumn of 1854 I 
preached the first Methodist sermon ever 
preached in Wyanet, and in the following 
spring I assisted Rev. Gilbert (then pastor 
of Princeton Circuit) in organizing the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church of that place, being 
the fii-st church there. In the fall of 1855 
■Princeton was erected into a "station," and 
I was appointed to this region as pastor, to 
organize and care for "Wyanet Circuit." 
Bishop Janes, of precious memory, in giving 
directions to my Presiding Elder, Rev. C. C. 
Best, said, ' 'tell Brother Pomeroy to preach at 
Wyanet, West Bureau, Carter's Sehoolhouse 
and the regions beyond." In penetrating the 
"regions beyond," I found Walnut Grove 
and delivered the first Methodist sermon ever 
preached there. During the following win- 
ter I held a protracted meeting and organized 
the Methodist Episcopal Church of that place. 

The Friends' Church (Quaker) of West Bu- 
reau, is still in existence, and have occasions 
preaching. Old Father Mowry is the father 
of that branch of Zion. 

Churches in the Township of Dover. — The 
North Prairie Baptist Church was organized 
in 1859, in the Holliday Sehoolhouse with 
about twenty members. They continued to 
worship in schoolhouses and in private 
houses until 1865, when they erected a 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUXTY. 



191 



church, costing $1,200. The church in- 
creased up to 1870, when it numbered 162. 
Since then death and removals has reduced 
their number to not far from sixty. Their 
ministers have been: Revs. J. G. Johnson, S. 
Hulroyd, I. Wilder, J. D. Pulis, H. C. First 
and J. B. Brown. They do not now sustain 
a continued pastor. 

The Protestant Methodist Church of Lim- 
erick make no report. 

The Baptist Church of Dover, was organ- 
ized April 28, 1841, at the sehoolhouse. 
The original members were: John Durham, 
Silvester Brigham, George Puffer, Mary 
Bass and Lucy Brigham. Elder H. Hedley 
presided. They completed a church building 
in 1848. The ministers have been: Solomon 
Morton, G. W. Benton, Thomas Reese, F. 
B. Ives, L. L. Lansing, J. C. Berkholder, J. 
B. Brown, D. S. Donegan and Elder Prunk. 
This church is connected with the Baptist 
Church in the south part of Westfield Town- 
ship, in the support of a minister. The 
membership is not far from seventy, and 
their Sunday-school will number forty. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Dover, 
was formed in the house of Dabney Ellis, in 
1834, with sis members^Dabney Ellis and 
wife, Peter Ellis and wife, Joseph Brigham 
and wife. For seven years meetings were 
held in private houses. In 1841 they erected 
a frame chui'ch. This was superceded in 
1857 by their present church of brick. This 
church is connected with the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, at Maiden, in the support 
of a minister. Among their first ministers 
were: Stephen R. Beggs, Linslay Smith, Mr. 
Leman and Zaddock Hall. The church 
building was repaired in 1874. This people 
has enjoyed a usual share of prosperity since 
the first. 

The Congregational Church of Dover, was 
organized March 24, 1838. Rev. Lucien 



Farnham presided at the meeting. Nine 
persons constituted this church, having taken 
letters from the Congregational Church of 
Princeton, as follows: Eli O. Thorp, Lydia 
Thorp, Lyman Stowell, Amanda Stowell, 
Sylvester Brigham, Eliza Brigham, Joseph 
H. Brigham, Wealthy Pool, Oramel A. 
Smith. The first minister was Rev. Asa 
Donaldson, who commenced his labors next 
year after organization. For ten years this 
church worshiped in a sehoolhouse. The 
present building was put up in 1850, and 
dedicated November 7. After Asa Donald- 
son their ministers were: Ami Nichols, Allen 
Clark, E. G. Smith, F. Bascom, S. G. Wright, 
O. F. Curtis, W. T. Blenkarn, W. E. Hol- 
yoke, A. Ethredge and Rev. Brown, the pres- 
ent pastor. First Deacons: Sylvester Brig- 
ham, Isaac Delano and Robert A. Deeper. 
Present membership, about 125. The entire 
additions to this church from the beginning 
has been over 400. It has always borne faith- 
ful testimony against slavery, rum, and other 
popular evils. 

The United Brethren in Christ Church of 
Dover, in November, 1882, by Rev. William H. 
Chandler. Corporate members were: A. L. 
Williamson, Susan Williamson, Jacob Wyble, 
Elizabeth Wyble, Daniel Wyble, Laura 
Wyble, Mrs. Van Tress, Clara Van Tress, 
Jacob Miller, Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Stoner, I. W. 
Keel, Mi-s. Keel, Mrs. Forestall, W. H. Mason. 
Mrs. Mason. Present number is 74 in the 
charge. Rev. W. H. Chandler is still the 
pastor. They worship in the chapel room of 
the Academy. A Sabbath-school of thirty. 
The chiu'ch began work in connection with 
the Dover academy, where excellent advan^- 
tages are offered at very reasonable rates. The 
church takes advanced positions on questions 
of moral reform, refusing membership to dis- 
tillers, users and venders of intoxicants, and 
adhering members of secret societies. 



193 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Churches in the Township of Berlin. — The 
Congregational Church of Maiden, was organ- 
ized March 2, 1857, and is the oldest church 
of the place. The first meeting to consider the 
matter of forming a church was held at the 
house of George I. Porter, December 15, 1856. 
This meeting was attended by Albert Ross, 
Henry D. Steel, Pascall P. Turner, Orasmus 
C. Belden, Edward N. Page and George I. 
Porter. Twenty-seven persons united to form 
this church. The first meeting was held in 
Benjamin Smith's warehouse. The sermon 
was by Edward Beecher, D. D., of Gales- 
burg. In 1857 Owen Lovejoy preached to 
this church. The church has grown to over 
100 members and the Sabbath school is 
large. Rev. Mr. Brown is the present pas- 
tor. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Maiden 
was organized in 1850 by the pastor Rev. 
Forrest, six persons united. They held their 
meetings in a schoolhouse until 1867 when 
they built their present house of worship, 
which cost about $6,000. This church has 
been blessed from the first with an increase, 
and has never been without the preached 
word. Its present pastor is Rev. W. A Willi- 
son, who also preaches to the Methodist 
Episcopal Church in Arlington. 

There is a Presbyterian Church in Maiden. 
They have not had regular meetings for some 
years, and they have not furnished any sta- 
tistics of their organization. A committee 
of Rock River Presbytery — Rev. J. C. Barr 
and Rev. Josiah Milligan organized this 
church September 19, 1857. Fourteen per- 
sons united, and James Blclntyre and Sam- 
uel Corbett were chosen Elders. Their first 
house of worship was built in 1858, costing 
$1,500. The second house was built in 1866, 
and cost |7,000. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Arling- 
ton, was organized in 1856 in a schoolhouse. 



by Rev. U. P. Golliday and E. S. Ballard, 

supply. The mission was part of a circuit 
including Ai-lington, Maiden, Dover, La- 
moille, Sublette and North Prairie. The cor- 
porate members were: Lydia Ann Simpson, 
H. Marie Simpson, Julia A. Larkin, Tristram 
Foss, Sarah Glasenor, Julia A. Berry, Re- 
becca Brumback, Benjamin Parks, Charity V. 
Pearson, and James Simpson class-leader. 
Present membership thirty-eight. Ministers 
since organization: J. S. David, Thomas H. 
Hagerty, A. S. McAusland, William M. For- 
man, T. C. Youngs, Septer Roberts, T. L. 
Pomroy, E. Smith, \V. H. Haight, W. A. Crogs, 
J. S. David, R. Congdon, B. Close, E. Brown, 
T. L. Pomroy and W. A. Willison, the pres 
ent pastor. The present church was built in 
1859 at a cost of $2,250. A Sabbath-school 
of fifty members. The church is now in a 
flourishing condition. 

The Presbyterian Church of Arlington, 
was organized February 21, 1859, with twenty 
members. The first Elders elected were 
William Morrison and J. S. Carrick. Meet- 
ings were first held in the old schoolhouse, 
afterward in Joseph Vanlan's carpenter-shop 
until the winter of 1859 and 1860, they 
completed their present house of worship, 
costing 84,000. The congregation grew and 
flourished for some years, but after a while 
began to decrease until regular service was 
discontinued for a few years. Regular 
preaching is now kept up under the pastorate 
of Rev. McGee, a resident minister. 

The Roman Catholic Church of Ai-lington, 
is quite a strong church in wealth and num- 
bers. No special report of it has been for- 
warded. 

The Berean Baptist Church, located on 
the southeast corner of Section 31, in West- 
field Township, is a flourishing church, and 
has many live men and women in its member- 
ship of over forty. The church was organ- 



HISTOEY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



193 



ganized in 1859 by Bev. F. B. Ives, thirty- 
two persona uniting. About one-third of the 
original members still remain. Death and 
removal has caused some diminution in their 
congregation. They have a Sabbath -school 
of thirty-live members. A church was ded- 
icated in 1866, costing $3,250. Ministers 
since the first: L. L. Lansing, J. C. Burk- 
holder, G. B. Bills, J. B. Brown, D. S. 
Donigan. The church is harmonious and 
prosperous, but is now without a pas- 
tor. 

Hall Township Churches. — The Methodist 
Protestant Church of Hall Town, is situated on 
the west side of Section 27. Their house of 
worship is called Union Chapel. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church main- 
tained a class for some time in a church 
building in Ottville, on the northwest corner 
of Section 29. They do not keep up regular 
service at the present writing. 

Churches in the Township of Selby. — The 
St. John's Evangelical Lutheran German 
Church of Holwayville, was organized in 
June, 1854, by the first German settlei's in 
Selby Township, whose names were Rudolf 
Hassler, H. Hassler, Charles Hassler, Sr., 
T. Hassler, A. Wagner, C. Wessenburger, 
T. Schneider, Ch. Stadler, L. Leh- 
rest, T. G. May, T. Hopler, Sr., G. 
Heitz. Present number is forty-six. The 
church building is of brick, and cost $6,000. 
The names of the preachers since the organi- 
zation have been, viz.: Kev. Frederking, 
Tobius Ritter, John Haerdsell, and L. E. 
Nabholry, the present pastor. 

The German Lutheran Reformed Church 
of Selby, on the southwest corner of Section 
14, Rev. Albert Bithob, pastor, is not re- 
ported in particulars. They have a good 
brick church on a high point of land. The 
church can be seen for many miles. 

German Evangelical Protestant Church of 



Hollowayville, was organized in 1858, by 
Rev. H. Zimmermann. Names of corporate 
members: Lor. Heintz, Fried Heintz, Lud. 
Merkel, Jac. Genzlinger, William Croissant. 
Present membership about sixty families. 
The ministers since the organization have 
been: Rev. Haak, Rev. B. N. Buhrig (was 
here four years). Rev. W. Jung (was here 
three years), Rev. F. Woelfle (was here two 
years and a half), Rev. Albert G. R. Bueton 
(has served nine years). The church building 
is of brick, and cost $2,200. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church has a 
house of worship called Ridge Chapel, in 
Selby town; a very neat and new building, 
near the residence of John Searl. Regular 
meetings were held in this house for some 
years, but deaths and removals have reduced 
the class so much that they now fail in keep- 
ing up regular preaching. 

The Township of Wyanet. — The Methodist 
Episcopal Church of Wyanet, was organized 
in 1859, by Dr. Forman. Corporate members 
are : Willi am Fran kerberger, Mr. Youngson, 
John Blake, Mr. McGififord, Mr. Hale, Solo- 
mon Sapp, William Waller, Amos Fisher, 
Obediah Weever and others, in all, about 
fifty; present number about forty. Names 
of some of the ministers serving the chm'ch 
are as follows: Revs. Forman, Yates, 
Fisher, Pomroy, Newton and John McGuffin, 
the present pastor. The church building is 
of wood, and cost $1,100. A Sabbath-school 
from the first, and now numbers nearly sixty. 

The Congi'egational ^ Church of ^V'yanet, 
was organized September 27, 1S66, by Rev. 
L. H. Parker, of Galesbm-g, who was sent 
here by the Home Missionary Society; Rev. 
F. Bascom, Moderator. Twenty- four per- 
sons, from ten different denominations, united 
to form this church. The original oflScers 
were: Rev. L. H. Parker, pastor; S. C. 
Sparks and O. W. Gills, Deacons; John 



194 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Latty, L. T. Cobb and F. Crittenden, Trust- 
ees; Hiram Hunter, Treasurer; and E. S. 
Phelps, Clerk. The chureh joined the Bu- 
reau Association October 9, 1866. Meetings 
were held in the Methodist Church for one 
year. When the new school building was 
completed they held their meetings in the 
hall. A church was erected, and dedicated 
June 14, 1868; sermon by Rev. J. E. Roy. 
Cost of the building §5,000. A Sabbath- 
school was organized February 10, 1868, J. 
O. Craid, Sui^erintendent. Ministers serv- 
ing the church were: Revs. L. H. Parker, 
E. H. Baker, S. F. Stratton, J. D. Baker, 
H N. Baldwin, A. Doremus, Henry Wilson, 
Mr. Denny and their present pastor, Rev. 
N. T. Edwards. The church is in a prosper- 
ous condition. 

The Swede Lutheran Church of Wyanet, 
has a good commodious house of worship, 
costing about $2,000. 

Churches in the Township of Concord. — 
Hickery Grove Wesleyan Church. The de- 
nominational name being the Wesleyan Meth- 
odist Connection of America, was organized 
January 28, 1877, by Rev. G. P. Riley. The 
corporate members were: Ebenezer Strong 
Phelps, Ancil W. Phelps, Otto C. Phelps, 
W. J. Houghton. Mrs. A. Houghton, Mr. A. 
Houghton, S.W. Houghton, Mrs. S.E. Hough- 
ton, Miss Adelaid Houghton, Mrs. M. A. 
Maddison and Mrs. Abba Cook. Present 
number is seventeen. William Pinkney is 
the present pastor. The church is of wood 
and cost $1,600. Sabbath-school averages 
thirty-five. The church is located on the 
southwest quarter of Section 2. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Shef- 
field, was organized in the fall of 1854, by 
Rev. William Smith. The present member- 
ship is forty-nine. Sabbath-school num- 
bers sixty-three. Names of ministers who 
served the church since it was organized are: 



Revs. William Smith, Wright, John T. 
Whitson, Harris, George M. Mowry, Link- 
torn, B. F. Kaufman, Theodore G. C. Wood- 
ruff, G. W. Brown. Jameson, S. S. Gruber, 
Williamson, A. E. Day, A. Beeler, T. L. 
Falkner, J. W. Cor, J. Hart, A. Brown and 
R. W. Ames, the present pastor. This is an 
active, growing, prosperous church. 

The Danish Lutheran Evangelical Church 
of America, is located in Sheffield, and was 
organized by Rev. C. S. Clausen, October 
24, 1869. The corporate members were: 
Christian Peterson, M. Peterson, Fredric 
Larson, Simon Peterson, John Jacobson. 
The church was reorganized March 22, 1879. 
Their house of worship was built and dedi- 
cated, September 12, 1880, at a cost of 
$2,700. The congregation contains aboiit 
150 confirmed members. The Sabbath- 
school has about eighteen pupils. The pres- 
ent' pastor is Rev. V. A. M. Mortensen. 

The Congregational Church of Sheffield, 
was organized July 15, 1S54, by Rev. L. H. 
Parker, Asa Prescott and Addison Lyman. 
This meeting was held in the Sheffield 
House, there being no meeting-house at this 
time. Nine persons constituted the church. 
Rev. Lyman remained with the church as its 
pastor for thirteen years. During this pas- 
torate the church received aid from the 
Home Missionary Society. In time of the 
next pastorate, that of Eev. John Adams 
Allen, the church became independent. The 
meetings of the church were held at first in 
private houses, and in the railroad depot. 
After the winter of 1854, they were held in 
the schoolhouse. In 1857 a church was 
built and dedicated, at a cost of $1,800. 
The Rev. W. I. Baker supplied the church 
pulpit three years — to 1876; then Rev. G. 
W. Colman; then came Rev. Abbot. The 
present pastor is Rev. Akeman. This church 
is a power for good in the community. It 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



195 



has a good Sunday-school of 120, and a 
chnrch membership of 101. 

There is a Free Methodist church, a Uni- 
tarian church, a Baptist and a Catholic 
church, in Sheffield, but their history has not 
been given to the writer. 

The Congregational Church of Buda, in 
Concord Township, was organized at the 
house of Joseph Foster, October 17, 1856, 
by Eevs. Pierne, Todd, Prescott, Lyman, Bas- 
com and Vaill, with delegates Goodrich, 
Sargent and Ensign. The first members 
were but five, as follows: Joseph Foster, 
Mr. and Mrs. William T. Randall, Franklin 
Foster and wife. This church was sup- 
plied with preaching from the Congrega- 
tional pastor of Sheffield, more or less, for 
many years. The following are the names 
of some of the ministers who have preached 
to this church: L. F. Waldo, L. H. Parker, 
S. H. Kellogg, J. J. A. T. Dixon, C. Sel- 
don, C. Hancock, H. L. Boltwood, S. Webb, 
A. E. Ai-nold, J. A. Allen, G. W. Colman. 
The church is now in a prosperous condi- 
tion. It has always stood firm and radical 
against all the evils of the day, such as 
slavery, intemperance and other immoralities. 
Cost of the church, $1,700. Church member- 
ship, fifty. Sunday-school, seventy. 

The Union Church of Buda was formed 
at the house of Joseph Foster, in 1858, by 
the present pastor, Elder Covell, who has 
been its pastor to the present time. They 
built a chui'ch and dedicated it in 1859. The 
congregation has grovra to nearly 200. The 
Sabbath-school numbers nearly eighty. This 
church holds no ecclesiastical connection 
with any sect. 

The Baptist Church of Buda, was organized 
in 1856, by Eev. William McDermond, in a 
schoolhouse. The same year they built a j 
church costing $3,000. Some of the early 
members were: William H. and Mary Patter- j 



son, J. W. and Mrs. Lewis, Thomas and Mrs. 
McMurry, William and Mrs. Crisman. The 
membership is now nearly seventy, and the 
Sabbath-school is larger. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Buda, 
was organized in 1851 in a schoolhouse. 
Among its early members were: Joseph Green, 
John Mason and wife, Thomas and Mrs. 
Stinson, Samuel and Mrs. Zink, George 
Kriger and wife, Elizabeth Stinson, Cathar- 
ine Zink and Emeline Herbert. The church 
was completed and dedicated March 2, 1865. 
The full cost was .|-t,000. The present mem- 
bership is ninety-five. The church supports 
a good Sabbath-school. The following have 
been pastors of this church: William Smith, 
C. W. Wright, James Linthicum, R. Kinney, 
William Leber, Elliott, A. A. Matthews, D. 
M. Hill, J. E. Rutledge,N. V. B. White, H. 
Tiffany, J. J. Fleharty, A. Fisher, B. E. 
Kaufman, R. Wood. The present pastor is 
Rev. Millsap. 

The Church of God of Buda, sometimes 
called the Winebrennarian, was organized 
about fifteen years ago. They built a meet- 
ing-house and dedicated it December 12, 
1875 — a very commodious church. They 
now have about sixteen members and a good 
Sunday-school. They are at times without a 
minister. Some of the first members were: 
George Thomas and wife, David Diltry, Sr., 
and wife, and David Diltry, Jr., and wife. 
The first preacher was Elder George W. 
Thompson, then J. M. Cassel and J. E. Boyer. 
George Thomas and Mark Anderson were 
Ruling Elders, and John Berkstresser, Dea- 
con of the society. This branch of the 
church had its rise in 1830 at Harrisburg, 
Penn., by the followers of John Winebrenner, 
a German reformed minister. They are evan- 
gelical, and practice immersion, and believe 
in carrying out literally the command to 
wash each others' feet. 



196 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



The Free Will Baptist Chnrch of Mineral, 
was organized in the schoolhouse in 1868. 
The first members were viz. : Thomas and 
Ann Conibear, Joseph and Minerva Johnson, 
Robert and Manda Price, James De Maran- 
ville and Mrs. C. Oehler. Rev. William 
Bonar preached the sermon at the organiza- 
tion, and was the pastor until 1870. This 
year they jjurchased and fitted up the school- 
house for a church. Rev. A. F. Taylor, S. I. 
Mendell, E. E. Tibbott and others have 
preached for this church. There are times 
now when the church does not have a regular 
supply. The Sabbath-school is quite pros- 
perous. 

The Free Methodists have an organization 
in Mineral, but no house of worship. They 
have made no report of their church. 

The United brethern in Christ have a 
church on Section 22, Mineral Township. 
This congregation is very small. No report 
comes in from them. 

Churches in Neponset. — The Congrega- 
tional Church of Neponset, was organized 
April 21, 1855, and reorganized December 
4th 1856. The first organization was at 
Kentville, three miles south of Neponset. 
The second organization was in the village 
of Neponset. Of the eight who first united, 
none live in the village. But two retain their 
connection with the church. Hall S. and 
Margaret Wright, who now reside in Lom- 
bard. The church was organized by Rev. S. 
G. Wright, Ebenezer Kent, Charles Kent 
and Hall G. Wright, Trustees. The first 
members were: H. G. Wright, C. D. Wright, 
S. C. Dorr, C. C. Latimer, W. P. Bunnell, 

C. P. Blake, L B. Blake, John Atwood and W. 

D. Whaples. Present membership is eighty. 
Meeting house is of wood, and cost $2,000, 
and was built in 1863. The Sabbath-school 
numbers 100. Names of ministers who have 
served this church are: Revs. Loren Robbin, 



C. H. Price, C. M. Barnes, Samuel Ordway, 
S. G. Wright, G. W. Colman, I. E. Loba, 
W. E. Holyoke, A. A. Robertson, and S. L. 
Hill, the present pastor. 

The Baptist Chui'ch'of Neponset was organ- 
ized March 26, 1864, under the ministerial 
labors of Rev. C. A. Hewitt. Names of cor- 
porate members are: Dr. J. L. Pashley, J. O. 
Weed, Levi Lewis, Benjamin Bogart and 
wife, Sarah Weed, Julia Shoap, Harriett 
Barett, S. P. Russell, and R. M. Russell. 
Present number of resident members, 35. 
No Sabbath-school at present. Names 
of ministers who have served the church 
are: Rev. E. L. Moon, O. P. Bestor, B. F. 
Colwell, J. Kissell, J. D. Cole. The church 
has been without a pastor since 1881. The 
church building is of brick, and cost $6,000, 
and is the most capacious meeting house in 
town. Will seat 300. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Ne- 
ponset organized a class a few miles north of 
the village. The members were: John Nor- 
ton (the leader), Sarah (his 7?ife), Mary Nor- 
ton, George Norton and Mary Hall, and some 
others. The meetings were held here four 
years or more, when the}- were moved to 
George Norton's, half a mile south of town. 
Here the meetings continued until 1855, 
when a church was built in Neponset. This 
house was changed to a parsonage in 1864, 
whea the present house was finished. The 
church has grown from its small beginning 
to over 100 members, with a Sabbathvschool 
nearly as large. 

A note from George Norton says: A class 
organized in 1841 of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church, by Brother Walter. It was named 
Brankley, afterward Brawby and now Nepon- 
set. When organized in 1841 there were but 
two houses in the township, and these were 
William Studley's and William Norton's log- 
cabins. The first members were John Nor- 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



197 



ton, class-leader; Sarah Norton; George 
Norton; Robert Norton; Mary Norton; Da- 
vid Bartram, local preacher; Elizabeth Bar- 
tram; Mary Ann McElroy; William Moor- 
croft, local preacher. They had no church 
building at that time, and held their meet- 
ings in private houses for four years, and 
then for nine years in the house of George 
Norton, a log-cabin. When Neponset was 
located, a church, the first, vras built, cost 
$800. In 1866 it was changed into a par- 
sonage and the present building erected, cost- 
ing $4,500. 

The preachers were in their order, com- 
mencing in 18-40 /Brothers Walter, Whitcomb, 
Anthony, Wm. C. Cummings, David Oliver, 
P. C, and B. F. Bestor, A. P. ; H. J. Humph- 
reys, P. C, Brother Day, A. P. ; A. Woolis- 
croft, P. C; William Fildler, A. P.; Rev. J. 
M. Hinman, H. J. Humphrey, C. Lazenby, P. 
C; William Bremner, A. P. ; S. B. Smith, 
P. C; Robert Hoover, A. P.; W. J. Smith, P. 
C. ;'.rielden Smith, A. P. ;' Rev. C. M. Wright, 
J. T. Whitson, J. S. Cummings; W. P. 
Graves, W. J. Giddings, J. D. Smith, G. W. 
Gue, Elijah Ransom, J. E. Rutlige, M. C 
Bowling, Thomas Watson, J. J. Flehaiiz, 
William Wooley, M. V. B. White, J. T. Wood 
and D. T. Wilson. 

In 1868 a church was organized in Nepon- 
set, called the Second Advent Church, with 
thirty members. J. S. Heath, Samuel'Beetel, 
Stephen Carpenter, Mr. Guile and Mr. Tur- 
ner were chosen Trustees. Services were 
held in the old schoolhouse and other places 
until the present house was built. Elder 
Heath has been the minister from the first 
organization. 

Churches in the Township of Macon. — The 
Bunker Hill Church was organized in 1856, 
and worshiped in a schoolhouse for three 
years and then erected a house of worship 
costing $2,200. The original members were 



Mr. and Mrs. Berkstresser, Elizabeth Berk- 
stresser, John Casper, Catherine and Eliza- 
beth Casper, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Anderson, 
Mr. and Mrs. Celover, Mr. Thomas, Mr. and 
Mrs. Longnecker and Mrs. David Fisher. 
For some years this church grew rapidly, but 
death and removals have diminished its mem- 
bers, until now not sixty remain. They call 
themselves the Church of God. The church 
is built on the northeast quarter of Section 
16. 

The Mount Pleasant Methodist Episcopal 
Church was organized in 1866, and built a 
house of worship the same year. It is lo- 
cated on the southwest quarter of Section 
33. About twenty persons united with this 
church when organized. 

Old School Baptist Church. — The father of 
this pious and sincere branch of the Church 
of God, in this portion of Illinois, was the 
venerable and holy man, Elder James B. 
Chenoweth, who was born in Berkeley County, 
Va., June 27, 1800, and who died in Tis- 
kilwa near the close of the war. Mr. Fer- 
rell Dunn, father of the Tiskilwa Postmaster, 
was the instrumentality, in the hands of 
Providence, of bringing Father Chenoweth 
here. Ferrell Dunn had been a ranger, and 
had become perfectly familiar with all this 
portion of the country; and in 1835 was vis- 
iting friends in Danville, 111., and here he 
had many conversations with Elder Chen- 
oweth about this part of Illinois and the 
great wants of his church here, and he finally 
prevailed upon him to come. They started 
from Danville May 12, 1835. 

In 1836 the church. Baptist, was organized 
in Indiantown; Elder J. Root, Peoria, making 
a visit for the purpose of organizing and or- 
daining Mr. Chenoweth Elder. The members 
present at the ceremony of organization 
were: Sampson and Rebecca Cole, Stephen 
Triplett (formerly of Loudon County, Va.), 



198 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



William Wells and wife, from Zanesville, 
Ohio. Jesse Sawyer and James Mason. 
The next morning after the organization, 
Elder Root ordained Mr. Chenoweth "by im- 
position of hands" as Elder, who at once 
entered upon the duties of his sacred office. 

A young man named Henry Headley had 
come in company with Elder Eoot, and he laid 
claim to great piety, and professed to only 
desire that he might learn grammar enough 
to preach. He was sent to Princeton to be 
taught grammar, but the tii-st thing the good 
Elder knew Headley had had himself ordained 
Elder, and claimed himself to be pastor of 
the Princeton Church, and co-pastor all 
around the country. Elder Chenoweth at- 
tended meetings in Princeton, and Headley 
marched into the pulpit and preached. Mr. 
Chenoweth was much surprised and humil- 
iated. He asked for letters of withdrawal for 
himself and wife, and some of his members. 
This was refused. The end was a sjalit, and 
the Princeton branch took Elder Headley, 
and attempted to build a church of their own. 
The effort failed. Elder Chenoweth then 
went to Ox Bow, and was made pastor of 
that church, where he met with the greatest 
success. 

For years he was a member of the Spoon 
River Association. In 1850 a new associa- 
tion was formed in which were united the 
following chm-ches: Sandy Creek, Pleasant 
Grove, Crow Creek, Zion Hill and Bureau. 
The Elders in this association were Ezra 
Stout, James B. Burch, Zachariah M. Masters 
and James B. Chenoweth. 

Elder Chenoweth had many friends, and 
no minister of the gospel ever drew from his 
flocks and friends generally more sincere love 
and respect, or was more widely or deeply 
mourned than was this good man when the 
call from his great Master came for him to 
join the silent multitude, and go sleep in the 



city of the dead. When all of us who are 
now here shall have passed away and perhaps 
be forgotten, then may a remote and grateful 
posterity read this, and not forget that his be- 
loved and noble memory is a sacred keep-sake, 
handed to them by this page of Bureau 
County's history. 

The Churches of the Township of Indian- 
town. — The Baptist Church of Tiskilwa was 
organized April 18, 1858, in the Methodist 
Episcopal Chui'ch, twenty-three persons 
joining. It wa? formed by the Rev. F. B. 
Ives, who was their pastor for eleven years. 
He was followed by Revs. W. R. Webb, C. 
F. Nickolson, E. James, and others. The 
following are the names of some of the 
original members: B. F. Allen, Mrs. L. 
Allen, Mrs. M. A. Owen, Mrs. Joel Colby, 
Mrs. J. M. Pratt, E. A. Sawyer, W. W. 
Carpenter, Alexander Benson, J. E. and Mrs. 
J. Williams, A. W. Blake, Mrs. J. F.Blake, 
Isaac Tebow, Mrs. D. Reigle and MJrs. 
Sarah Tebow. This church occupied the 
Methodist Episcopal Churcli for a short 
time, and then the Union Schoolhouse. 
Here they remained until they built and 
dedicated a house of worship, in 1859, at a 
cost of 82,300. The membership at this 
time was about seventy five. In 1867 the 
church was repaired, costing $3,000. They 
have usually maintained a large and flour- 
ishing Sunday-school. 

The Catholic Chui'ch of Tiskilwa has a 
house of worship. It is not strong and 
does not have continuous Sabbath service. 
Occasionally priests from other j)laces come 
and hold services here. 

The Mennonites have a chui'ch organiza- 
tion and a house of worship, about four 
miles southwest of Tiskilwa, on the south 
side of Section 26. They have a flourishing 
church, and their preachers use the German 
language. 




IM. 



'i^^^^i/^^/ 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



201 



The Methodist Episcopal Union Church 
is located in the county, on the north side of 
Indian Township, three miles north of Prov- 
idence. Its pulpit is supplied by the minis- 
ter from Wyanet, at present the Rev. John 
McGuSin. Present membership, eighty. 
The church was built in 1855. Names of 
ministers since the first: in 1856, Rev. W. 
Shepherd; in 1857, Rev. J. T. Linthicum; 
1858, J. Kerns; 1859-60, A. H. Hepperley; 
1861, G. M. Irwin; 1862, W. Leber; 1863-64, 
J. L. Ferris; 1865, W. A. Gumming; 
1866-67, A. A. Matthews; 1868-69, Jose- 
phus Collins; 1870, R. A. Cowen; 1871-73, 
A. K Tullis; 1874-75, D. T.Wilson; 1876, 
W. Wooley; 1877, B. C. Dennis; 1878, E, C. 
Wayman; 1879-80, N. T. Allen; 1881, W. K. 
Collins; 1882-83, and part of 1884, J. Hart. 

The church building is of brick and cost 
S5,000. The Sabbath-school membership, at 
present, is an average of 110. 

The Congi-egational Church of Provi- 
dence, in the township of Indiantown, was 
organized June 22, 1841, with fifteen mem- 
bers. This church has had nine different 
pastors, including the present one, Rev. 
Paddock. Rev. David Todd served the 
church longer than any one other preacher. 
He preached to this church twenty five 
years. Their present house of worship was 
dedicated October 23, 1870. The church 
having been formerly connected with the 
Wyanet Church in the support of a minister, 
is now self-sustaining. Rev. Paddock, who 
has been their pastor for two years, has 
been greatly blessed in his labors. The 
church has received to its communion, in 
the last eighteen months, over 100 members, 
making it one of the strongest churches in 
Bureau County. Tbey have a flourishing 
Sabbath-school, and have enlarged their 
house of worship this summer. 

The Episcopal Church of Tiskilwa — 



called St. Jude's Church — was organized by 
Rev. G. C. Porter, in 1853, with a member- 
ship of twelve persons. The present mem- 
bership is thirty-two, with a Sabbath-school 
of eighty. The parish is reported to be in 
a more flourishing condition — financially, 
morally and religiously — than it has been 
for many years. In 1857 a rectory was 
erected, at a coat of $1,000, and in 1869 
they commenced building a meeting-house 
(which was dedicated in 1870), at a cost of 
$5,500. The present pastor is Rev. Robert 
C. Wall. The following persons have 
preached to this church since its formation: 
Revs. G. C. Porter, F. B. Nash, G. C. 
Streat, Jo McKim, J. Cornell R. N. Avery 
and J. S. Chamberlain. 

In 1843 Bishop Philander Chase visited 
this county and organized a church about 
four miles southeast of Tiskilwa, calling it 
the Church of Christ of Errondale. Some 
years after this church was disbanded and 
merged in the Tiskilwa Church. Another 
church of this order was formed in Provi- 
dence, and after a brief existence it also 
was disbanded, and merged in the Tiskilwa 
Church. 

Churches of the Toivnship of Milo. — The 
Christian Church of Milo, located at Boyd's 
Grove, was organized A^sril 23, 1855, by 
Elder George McManus. The names of the 
corporate members were :R. M. Keerns, Joseph 
Sutherland, George S. Downing, Caroline 
Downing, Margaret Sutherland, Matilda Suth- 
erland, Darius Sutherland, and others. Pres- 
ent number is twenty-five. Names of minis, 
ters since the first are: Hiram Green, G. W. 
Sears, Phelps, Herman Reeves, Dr. J. Hough, 
J. L. Thornburg, L. Ames, A. Curb, J. W. 
Harvey and J. F. M. Parker. The church 
building cost $1,800. They maintain a Sab- 
bath-school of thirty-five. Since the organ- 
ization of this church 175 persons have been 

12 



202 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



added. Mr. Joseph Sutherland has held the 
office of Elder eighteen years. This chiirch 
seems to be a power for good in this commun- 
ity. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church of Mile, 
located one mile south of Boyd's Grove, was 
organized in 1851 by Rev. J. L. Wilson. 
Names of corporate members are: T. N. Shep- 
herd and wife, W. W. Macklin and wife, T. 
R. Capperoone and wife, Rufiis King and 
wife, Harvey Bacon and wife, Horris Berry 
and wife. Present number is fifty-four. The 
Sabbath-school averages fifty. The church 
building cost $2,100. A Bible society was 
organized here in 1850, and is in a flourish- 
ing condition. 

Names of ministers since the first are: J. 
L. Pinkard, William Cummings, Mr. Erasure, 
William Calhoon, J. F. Whitson, J. Mat- 
thews, T. Watson, J. T. Linthicum, S.B.Smith, 
William Stuble, James Cowden, H. Tifney, 
G. J. Luckey, T. Hogland, J. W. Anterman, 
S. Wood, R. N. Morse, W. H. Hitchcock, H. 
K. Metcalf, E. C. Wayman and J. A. Riason. 
This church is doing a good work. 

The Baptist Church of Milo has a church 
in Boyd's Grove. It is not known at this 
present writing that this church now keeps up 
any regular services. No report has been 
received. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church keeps up 
a class in Hunter's Schoolhouse on the south- 
east quarter of Section 13. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church in Wheat- 
land Township is located on the southeast 
quarter of Section 31. Called Whitefield 
Corners Church. 

French Grove. — Going back a little in 
time we find the following interesting items 
in reference to the first church movements in 
this place as follows: 

July 26, 1841, at the log schoolhouse at the 
east of French Grove, a church was organized 



and was to be known as the " First Church of 
French Grove." This was composed of mem- 
bers of various denominations, and Rev. S. L. 
Julian was the first pastor. They adopted a 
constitution August 21, 1841. By consent of 
all, Article 7: "We will not drink ardent spir- 
its ourselves, nor allow them to be drunk in our 
families, nor furnish it to those in our em- 
ploy, and will discourage its traffic in our 
community;" was adopted. They also agreed 
to immersion. Were neither Unitarian nor 
Trinitarian, but on the middle-ground, and 
the agitation of either subject would be a 
violation of the covenant. First members 
who signed the covenant, were : Jabesh Pierce, 
James Carroll, John Mason, Elizabeth Pierce, 
Abigail Mason, Elizabeth B. Foster, Mary 
Stevens, Malinda Stevens, Abraham Fry, 
Nathaniel W. Stevens. Rev. S. L. Julian 
and wife did not sign the articles till Novem- 
ber 13, 1841. June 9, 1842, at a business 
meeting of the church, they voted to do away 
with the previous church organization, and 
also gave letters of dismission to all who 
requested the same. June 14, 1842, a num- 
ber of those who had been members of the 
previous church met and organized the " First 
Free- Will Baptist Church of French Grove," 
and the following subscribed to this organi- 
zation: Rev. S. L. Julian and wife, John 
H. Stevens and wife, John Mason and wife, 
Augustus Lyford, Charlotte Lyford, Mary 
Emerson and Florinda Stevens. December 
24, 1843, is the last record of this organiza- 
tion. 

French Grove Sabbath-school Society was 
organized August 23, 1843, and constitution 
adopted and signed by the following: S. L. 
Julian, D. E. Brainard, Shallor Brainard, 
William H. Mason, Nathaniel W. Stevens, 
Joseph Foster, John Mason, Andrew Julian, 
Charles Townsend, John W. Mason, Jesse 
Emerson, D. E. Stevens, Albert R. Brainard, 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



203 



Franklin Foster, N. L. H. Julian, Abigail 
Mason, Harriet Foster, Elizabeth Foster, 
Sally Brainard, Mary Stevens, Mary F. Julian, 
Angeline Brainard, Abigail Rowell, Julia 
Brainard. Soon after this the name was 
changed to Union Sunday-school, and has 
continued under the same form of organiza- 
tion to the present day, with an enrollment 
of about 100. 

Perkins Grove Church (Zion Church). — 
German Evangelical. In 1843 Johannes Fau- 
bel came to the county from New York. S. A. 
Tobias preached in Faubel's house. In 1848 
the meetings were held in Jacob Betz's house. 
In 1850 the members increased. Jacob Popp 
was elected class-leader and Jacob Betzaa ex- 
horter. In 1854 the circuit was divided. T. C. 
Anthes was the minister and Conrad Spiel- 
man was class-leader. In 1853 they built a 
brick church 28x36. ■ In 1859 fifty persons 
were joined to the church. 

In 1864 the Zion Church was built — a 
frame, 32x42— costing $1,700, and the old 
church was torn down and rebuilt 36x50, 
costing S3, 000. Both houses were dedicated 
by Bishop J. J. Escher. 

In 1870 at a church meeting it was decided 
that Kuntel Bauer was not a witch as her sis- 
ter charged her to be. 

The present minister is Charles Gagstaet- 
ter, a native of Germany. The present mem- 
bership is sixty. 

Clarion Toionship Zion's Church. — Ger- 
man Evangelical Lutheran Church (only foiu-- 
teen members.) It was founded September, 
1857, by Rev. Johannes Koch. It was a 
branch of the German Evangelical Zion's 
Church built in 1851 by Unions and Luther- 
ans. The number of members was twenty: 
Frederick Stanberger and wife, Nicholas 
Gross and wife, Adam Geuther and wife, Se- 
bastian Puehlhorn and wife, John F. Meier 
and wife, George Schaller and wife, Hen- 



ry Truckenbrod and wife, Peter Faber and 
wife, Adam Grosch and wife, Mrs. M. Bar- 
bara Heiman, John Waid and wife, John 
Bauer and wife, Pancratz Gross and wife, 
George Platsch and wife, John Gruber 
and wife, John Schmidt and wife, Casper 
Fetzer and wife and Frederick Herr. 

In September, 1858, a chmrch was buiJt— 
a frame — costing $1,200; now, since improved, 
$2,200. It was remodeled about 1874, and 
cost $2,200. The following is a list of min- 
isters: John Koch in 1857; George Guebner 
1858-60; Henry Ehlers of Bremen Seminary, 
1860-67; George Schieferdecker, Saxony, 
1868-74; John Wittig, 1874-84; the latter 
is a native of Hessen, Germany. He was 
educated in St. Sebald, Iowa. Most of the 
members are Coburger and Bavarians; all 
natives of Germany. 

There is a German school attached to the 
parsonage, where they are taught all branches; 
also has a German Sunday-school. Present 
members about fifty. 

There is a branch of this church at Van 
Grin, in Lamoille Township, which was 
founded about 1876 by Rev. John AVittig. 
The meetings are held in the schoolhouse 
every month. It is called the St. Johns 
Church — nine members. 



204 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Obioin of the Anti-Monopoly Movement— John H. Bryant's 
Connection with the S.vme — Birth ofthe Republican Party 
— Judge Lawrence Defeated for Supreme Judge — Judge 
Craig Elected — The Beginning of the Great Contest of the 
People Against Corporations — Its Effect on the Whole 
Country — How Bureau County Has Kept in the Lead in 
All Great Movements — TheXIIIth Article of the State 
Constitution and its Coksequemces— The Laws Enacted and 
the Court's Decision Founded Thereon — Illinois the Birth- 
place OF Every Modern Great Political Revolution — Some 
Corrections in History — The Facts in this Chapter Will 
Some Day be a Great Chapter in .\merican History— etc. 
etc. 

And as it is with money-getting, 
So with life, 'till life is o'er, 
Man seldom has so much of it, 
But he wants a little more. 

— J. H. Brtant. 

TpNGLAND'S Magna Charta has now for 
-' — ' centuries stood as one of the most prom- 
inent landmarks in the gi'eat highway of 
National and civil liberty. And well it may. 
It was the victorious assault upon " the di- 
vine right of kings," and that monster heresy 
that the " king can do no wrong." It was a 
sure foundation on which to build the liberty 
of the people and check the tyranny of rulers 
— to give the people some voice in the asser- 
tions of their plainest rights. Nothing could 
be more interesting to the student of politi- 
cal economy (a subject of which every voter 
in free America is, by a terrible legal fiction, 
supposed to understand) than the study of 
the history of charters and charter rights, 
and the growth of their abuses in this coun- 
try. In the United States the interesting 
chapter dates its commencement from the 
argument of Daniel Webster in the Dart- 
mouth College case. This great forensic 
effort, from the master of American consti- 
tutional law, became a national era, and the 
gi'eat argument was a settled fundamental 
law of the country for half a century. But 
at that time we had no great and rich rail- 



roads, no powerful private corporations, and 
no chartered privileges were sought, except 
for religious, educational and, perhaps, in a 
few instances, social bodies. Mr. Webster 
was the father of the idea of " vested rights" 
— that a charter was " a contract " by which 
the State gave a portion of its powers to a 
company, and that it could not resume pow- 
ers it had granted away. Hence, at the time 
of Mr. Webster's argument in the Dartmouth 
case it could not be foreseen what the future 
of this country would bring forth. The his- 
tory of the sudden rise of great charter cor- 
porations is so recent that it must be famil- 
iar to the reader. These rich corporations 
sprang into existence like the growth of the 
mushroom, and so numerous were the calls 
upon the Legislatui'es for acts of authority 
to incorporate that finally a general law was 
passed authorizing everybody that might de- 
sire it to apply to the Secretary of the State 
and procure license therefor. The rapid 
building of railroads, especially after Senator 
Douglas' bill in Congress which resulted in 
the completion of the Illinois Central Rail- 
road, started up an era of prosperity and 
rapid development of the country never be- 
fore equaled. Men who were paupers one 
week became often millionaires next week, 
and the people rejoiced and showered their 
favors upon these and all other corporations 
without stint, and they voted all the 
money and all the privileges they 
asked for without question. Voters did not 
look ahead — they never stopped to think, and 
they could not comprehend how evil could 
come of institutions that were so rapidly de- 
veloping the wealth of the country. As said 
above, a history of this general frenzy that 
seized the voters, which permeated the remot- 
est frontier cabins in the land and extended up 
through the smallest local municipalities to 
and including the General Government itself 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



205 



until the financial agent of the United States 
in official publications announced in flaming 
headlines that " A Public Debt is a Public 
Blessing," and its equally swift development 
of gigantic evils, would be a most interestiug 
and instructive chapter for the rising gener- 
ation to contemplate and study. Internal 
improvements, credits, vast speculations and 
inflation were the national South Sea bub- 
ble, that ran like a prairie fli'e over the coun- 
try. In the meantime the vast corporations 
were being gathered into the hands of the 
big and little Jay Goulds of the Nation, and 
while the people were lured by the rush of 
prosperity, these schemers were sapping the 
public substance, piling up fortunes that 
would individually run into the hundreds of 
millions, and were commencing to subsidize 
and control little ignorant and feeble munic- 
ipalities rapidly, and from here extended 
their vision until they boldly and success- 
fully captured States and then the General 
Government itself. They elected members 
of State Legislatures, State Senators, Con- 
gressmen, United States Senators; and Judges 
and courts and lawyers were their ready and 
■willing minions. The principal men of the 
smallest villages filled their pockets with free 
passes, and the lawyers all over the land an- 
swered any grumbling complaint by simply 
saying, " Here are vested rights, and you 
people must endure it the best you can." 
State Supreme Courts, especially the Illinois 
court, and the United States Supreme Court, 
had either expressly decided or had tacitly 
conceded that the charter of a railroad com- 
pany in which was granted the right to fix 
tolls, there was no power in the State or peo- 
ple to modify or change it. In other words, 
the roads could form their syndicates or pools 
and there was no limit to their powers to 
extort and oppress the whole people. 

In order that the reader may look behind 



the curtains and see something of the real 
doings of these great corporations, we ex- 
tract briefly from the evidence before a com- 
mittee of the late State Constitutional Con- 
vention of New York. The entire testimony 
may be found in the reports of the committee, 
Vol. V, No. 150: 

Edwin D. Worcester, sworn : — I am 
Treasurer of the New York Central Railroad 
Company, and have been for two years; was 
Assistant Treasurer for two years previous. 

Question. — Do you know of the New York 
Central Railroad Company paying out con- 
siderable amounts of money during the ses- 
sions of legislation ? 

Answer. — Yes, considerable amounts of 
money. 

Q. — I think you have succeeded in procur- 
ing legislation for two or three years past? 

A. — Yes, we succeeded in getting the legis- 
lation. 

Q. — Were the expenses attending the ap- 
plication paid by the President of the road? 

A. — I can state the qmount of money he 
had; the whole amount of money paid was 
$205,000. 

Q. — Did he ever state to you any purpose 
for which it was to be applied ? 

A. — Well, I don't remember that he did. 

Q. — How are the items or entries made in 
your books with reference to the expenditures 
of this $205,000? 

A. — There were no entries made with regard 
to those disbursements. 

Q. — Was authorization given before or 
after the advances or disbursements were 
made? 

A. — It was after that the Board confirmed 
the advance, but did not state what should 
be made of the item. 

Q. — What is the condition of the item on 
your books? 

A. — It is charged to the Treasurer's office 



206 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



and remains there. The action of the Treas- 
urer in advancing the money was confirmed 
by the Board. 

Q — The year previous about what money 
was expended ? 

A. — I think it was something like $60,000, 
that was charged to expenses pertaining to 
the Legislatui'e. 

In 1873 a bitter quarrel between the rail- 
road magnates brought about an investiga- 
tion by a committee of the State Legislature 
of New York, before whom Jay Gould testi- 
fied and coolly informed the people that 
through his manipulations and by the power 
and influence of his money, they had been 
wrestling with one another for years past, as 
Democrats and Republicans, with no other 
result and no other purpose but the election 
of his creatures to ofiico. Here is his testi- 
mony: 

" I do not know how much I paid toward 
helping friendly men. We had four States 
to look after, and we had to suit our politics 
to circumstances. In a Democratic district 
I was a Democrat; in a Republican district 
I was a Republican, and in a doubtful district 
I was doubtful; but in every district and at 
all times I have been an Erie man." 

The state of things unearthed by this in- 
vestigation was officially described in the re- 
port of the Legislative Committee as fol- 
lows: 

" It is further in evidence that it has been 
the custom of the managers of the Erie Rail- 
way, from year to year, in the past, to spend 
large sums to control elections and to influ- 
ence legislation. In the year 1868 more than 
one million (!J1,000, 000) were disbursed from 
the treasury for 'extra and legal services.' 
For interesting items see Mr. Watson's testi- 
mony, pages 336 and 337. 

" Mr. Gould, when last on the stand, and 
examined in relation to varioiis vouchers 



shown him, admitted the payment during the 
three years prior to 1872 of large sums to 
Barber, Tweed and others, and to influence 
legislation or elections; these amounts were 
charged in the 'India rubber account.' The 
memory of this witness was very defective as 
to details, and he could only remember large 
transactions; but could distinctly recall that 
he had been in the habit of sending money 
into the numerous districts all over the State, 
either to control nominations or elections for 
Senators and Members of Assembly. Con- 
sidered that, as a rule, such investments paid 
better than to wait until the men got to Al- 
bany, and added the significant remark when 
asked a question that it would be as impossi- 
ble to specify the numerous instances as it 
would be to recall to mind the numerous 
freight cars sent over the Erie road from day 
to day." 

Through these methods the railroads not 
only pack Legislatures and the bench with 
thoir creatures, from whom they can obtain 
such laws and such rulings as they desire, 
but by other methods, not less nefarious, 
they compel the people to fe-imburse theoi 
for the money expended in securing the nom- 
ination and election of their own tools by 
stock watering. Shortly after the transac- 
tions admitted by Worcester, Treasurer of the 
New York Central Railroad Company, the 
Vanderbilt management of the New York 
Central Railroad watered the stock of the 
road $47,000,000 and a purchased Legisla- 
ture legalized it. Regular dividends of 8 
per cent have since been declared upon it and 
these dividends upon the water alone, have in 
thirteen years, with interest compounded an- 
nually, amounted to over 175,000,000.* 

There is no purpose in this reference to the 
general state of aflairs which were rapidly 
culminating about the year 1872, to reflect 

* From a circular by John Scott. Esq., of Princeton. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



207 



or prefer charges against any particular cor- 
poration. This prominent road is merely 
selected and the above extracts from sworn tes- 
timony is given simply to elucidate what we 
started out to say, and to make plain the 
existence of the great Gorgon that the fool- 
ish people had fostered and fattened and 
possessed with their money and unlimited 
powers. The country had reached a period 
when some man must step forward and cut 
the Gordian knot. The people were rudely 
awakened from their golden dreams when 
these great corporations began to carve ' ' the 
pound of flesh nearest each one's heart. " The 
people must revolt and strike the hand that 
was at every man's throat. They did, and as 
much as it may be news to even the people of 
this county, yet Bureau County is entitled 
to the gi'eat honor of starting the movement 
that extended all over the United States, and 
to John H. Bryant is due the conception and 
execution of the tirst steps in the revolution 
and the rescue of our people from these soul- 
less tyrants. The golden opportunity pre- 
sented itself in the spring of 1873, when 
Judge Lawrence was a candidate for re- 
election to the Illinois Supreme Court from 
this district. The usual form that had ob- 
tained in the election of Judges was for the 
members of the bar to agi-ee upon some one 
and the people would elect whoever it might 
be. Judge Lawi-ence was admittedly an able 
jurist, pure and upright, but he was purely a 
lawyer, and the cold letter of the law was the 
one thing before his eyes when he made up 
his judgments. Ancient precedent, the de- 
cisions of the courts, the great arguments, 
like Webster's and the black-letter of the law 
were the supreme things in a coiu-t room to 
his mind. The only question possible for 
him to consider was, " Is it so designated in 
the bond ?" and if yea, then he was the "Dan- 
iel come to judgment," and who suffered he 



could not consider. Hence his purity of 
mind and great legal attainments at that par- 
ticular time made him both a menace and a 
danger to the public weal. The bench and 
bar of this district had chosen Judge Law- 
rence for re-election, and when a visiting 
attorney came to Princeton, we are informed, 
there was but one firm of attorneys — Her- 
ron & Scott — but that endorsed Judge Law- 
rence for re-election. Under the move given 
the people by Mr. Bryant, Judge A. M. Craig 
was secured to stand against Judge Lawrence, 
and thus was the issue of anti-monoply iirat 
fairly presented. It was the people on one 
side and the railroads and great corporations 
and the attorneys on the other side. The 
people triumphed and Judge Craig was 
elected, and is now in the early part of his 
second term, having the second time defeated 
a nominee of the Republican party. 

The race between Craig and Lawrence was 
one of the notable contests in this country for 
the judicial ermine. It was watched with 
deep interest in all the States, and everywhere 
the lawyers and railroads were for Lawrence, 
and many good people were frightened into 
voting against their own plainest interests by 
the sneers and taunts of those who called 
Judge Craig the ignorant "Granger."' The 
writer of these lines was not in the district, 
but he distinctly remembers how the lawyers 
in his town were ready to work or pray, or 
both even, for the success of Lawrence. They 
openly said the dignity of the learned pro- 
fession, the cult of the wig and woolsack, 
were at issue, and it would be almost a crime 
to defeat the great jurist by this farmer judge. 
But Judge Craig was elected and the people 
won a great victory, and he has been re-elect- 
ed, and nothing better can be said for the 
sound sense of the people than the fact that 
he defeated a party nominee, running as an 
independent, in a district overwhelmingly 



208 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Republican. Here was a real case of the con- 
flict of the "higher law" rerstts the law of the 
land — the cold letter of the statute book, ver- 
sus the rights and liberties of the people. We 
have no hesitation in saying it was the begin- 
ning of a revolution — a revolt by the people 
in their own interests, — that is one of the 
greatest victories attained since the Declara- 
tion of American Independence. True, it did 
not, like the "Irrepressible Conflict," exter- 
minate the great evil it attacked, yet it is a 
step forward all along the line for the relief 
and freedom from the tyrant monopoly, and 
it was the liberation of white men, the entire 
farming and laboring interests in this coun- 
try, exceeding in numbers ten times the 
4,000,000 of slaves that were liberated by 
the late war. It was a bloodless victory, yet 
the grander by this fact, and except that the 
miserable demagogues have stepped in and 
checked and to some extent stopped the great 
movement, yet the leven has commenced its 
work, it is there, and some day it will go on 
to the end in the general relief. As an illus- 
tration of what were the first results in this 
contest the following recital will explain: 

The first case that arose after Judge Craig 
became a member of the court was the case 
of Munn & Scott vs. the People, reported in 
the 69 111., page 80. The Constitution of 
1870, Article XIII, declares that all elevators 
and warehouses where grain is stored for com- 
pensation, are declared public warehouses, 
and where such warehouse or elevator is lo- 
cated within the corporate limits of a city of 
100,000 inhabitants, certain duties were 
enjoined upon the owners or operators of 
such warehouse obviously, because the people 
by the Xlllth Article of the Constitution, de- 
clares them public warehouses, etc., and to 
give proper efiect to this Xlllth Article, the 
General A.8sembly, in 1871, passed an act to 
give effect to the Constitution, and provided 



all owners of such warehouses, before operat- 
ing the same, should take out a license from 
the Circuit Court of the county, and give bond 
to the people in the sum of $10,000, condi- 
tioned, for the faithful performance of their 
duties as such public warehouse. 

The law of 1871 referred to provides that 
such warehouses should receive for stor- 
age any grain that should be tendered them 
and that the warehouseman should not make 
any unjust discrimination in the amount he 
should charge between individuals, and that 
such license should be taken out from the Cir- 
cuit Court before such warehouseman could 
operate at all. 

Munn & Scott, of Chicago, owned a large 
elevator combined with a warehouse in the 
city of Chicago; had owned and operated the 
same prior to the adoption of the new Con- 
stitution, containing the Xlllth Article before 
referred to. It was well known that they had 
exercised unfair and unjust discrimination 
between individuals in Chicago, who stored 
large amounts, and the producer in the coun- 
try, who wished to store smaller amounts. 
And when the Constitution of 1870 was adopt- 
ed declaring such elevators and warehouses 
public warehouses, and after the acts of the 
Legislature passed in aid of the Constitution 
and requiring such warehouseman to take out 
a license from the Circuit Court to operate the 
same and give bond in the penal sum of $10,- 
000, conditioned, that they would not make 
unjust discriminations between individuals 
who might wish to store grain in such place, 
and as the railroads all over the Northwest 
were making unjust discrimination in the 
amount they charged in carrying the people's 
freight, claiming that they had vested rights, 
by their charters, to charge people what they 
pleased; and that the people were powerless 
and had no remedy. 

Munn & Scott claimed their warehouse 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



209 



was private property ; that they could operate 
it as they pleased; that it could not be de- 
clared a public wai-ehouse and they refused 
to take out a license or pay any attention 
whatever to the laws of the State, and they 
were upheld in their disobedience to the laws 
by the railroad corporations. A.n informa- 
tion was filed in the Criminal Court of Cook 
County by the State's Attorney; they were 
put on trial, convicted and lined $100. They 
were defended by live able railroad attorneys: 
Messrs. Jewett, Goudy, McCagg, Fuller and 
Culver, all claiming that the law was an in- 
fraction of the rights of the citizen and au 
unwarranted interference with their property. 
The case was appealed by Munn & Scott to 
the Supreme Court, prior to Craig's election, 
and was argued before he took his seat on 
the bench, but the Court could reach no de- 
cision and did not decide the question. 

After Craig took his seat upon the bench 
with the other new member elected at the 
same time, Munn & Scott's case was re-argued 
and with the aid of Judge Graig's vote the 
case was decided in favor of the people — 
Judges Breese, Sheldon, Craig and Scholfield 
making a majority opinion in favor of the 
act of the Legislature giving validity to 
Sections 3 and 4 of the Act of the General 
Assembly entitled an "Act to regulate public 
warehouses and to give effect to Article XIII 
of the New Constitution." The other three 
Judges, McAllister, Scott and Walker, did not 
concur in this opinion. 

This was a test case and struck directly at 
the mooted principle of vested rights, behind 
which the great railroad corporations were 
sheltering themselves in their extortionate 
charges and unjust discriminations against 
the struggling people. 

The case of Munn & Scott was a test case 
in the new departure in legislation and was 
carried by them and the corporations to the 



Supreme Court of the United States and 
heard by that court, and the decision an- 
nounced by Breese, Sheldon, Craig and Schol- 
field was aiSrmed in a very able and elaborate 
opinion by a majority of the judges of that 
court. It was held, soon after, in the case of 
Jewel I'S. Chicago, Burlington &Quincy Rail- 
road Company, by the Supreme Court of the 
United States, that railways were liable to be 
regulated in their chai'ges by the Legislature, 
upon the same principle of law and reason 
that warehouses were subject to legislation. 
The Supreme Court of the United States in 
deciding the case of Jewel vs. Chicago, Bur- 
lington & Quincy Kailroad Company, referred 
to the case of Munn & Scott and advanced 
the principle that railroads were liable to be 
regulated in their charges by the acts of the 
General Assembly upon the same principle 
that warehouses were subject to regulation. 
It cannot be denied that the railroad cases 
decided in this State in which it has been 
held that railroads may be regulated in their 
charges by law is founded, in part, upon the 
warehouse decisions of Munn & Scott. 

Eailroad companies have been chartered 
in part for the public good. They are given 
extraordinary powers that they may the bet- 
ter serve the public, and are therefore rightly 
held to legislative control. Judge Craig's 
election was not a mistake on the part of the 
people; it was the entering wedge. It 
should not be forgotten that tlie lawyers and 
Judges and railroads told the people they 
could not do this, exactly as the same men 
told the people they could not interfere with 
slavery. In one instance they quoted the 
Dartmouth College case, and in the other 
they quoted the Dred Scott case. Yet both 
these cases, as precedents, are consigned to 
the limbo of the waste-baskets, and thereby 
the wrongs of 4,000,000 slaves were in one 
case righted, and in the other case was, to 



210 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



some extent, not wholly, the righting of most 
grievous wrongs and oppression of 50,000,- 
000 white men. 

The average American thinks that because 
he can vote, parade and carry torches after a 
band; get drunk and yawp his patriotic yells, 
and monkey himself generally, that he is a 
free man — the freest of the free. The more 
intelligent monopolist knows better; he is 
ever ready to step forward and tickle the 
long ears of the groundlings with his foxy 
pretensions of loyalty and peculiar friend- 
ship to his voting victims, and he wheedles 
and buys his slaves in the open and secret 
market around the ballot boxes. It is this 
state of affairs that has prevented the great 
movement from completing itself, and is the 
prime cause of the evils that are now flowing 
out over the country, and producing much of 
the disturbances in the labor districts of our 
country. 

In the mines, in the gi'eat mills, the fac- 
tories and iron mills of the country is a per- 
petual contest going on, and the monopolist 
is tightening his clutch upon the laborer. 
The charter companies water their stock by 
hundreds and thousands of millions of dol- 
lars, and then starve the labor and rob the 
public in order to collect dividends on this 
watered stock. These evils have now reached 
enormous proportions; strikes of workmen 
are of daily occurrence; blood is shed; the 
militia are frequently called out, and the 
voting laborer is daily and hourly tending 
to a more cruel and insufferable condition. 
Overproduction is cured by paying certain 
factories more than they can make by run- 
ning their machinery, to close their doors, and 
thus thousands of workmen are turned out to 
idle, starve or tramp. And still not satisfied 
in their enormous exactions, these rich cor- 
porations are crying out for more protection 
from the government — their exactions from 



the toil and life-blood of the people to be, 
not only increased ad libitum, but enforced 
and exacted at the point of the government 
bayonets. Hundreds of factories are idle, 
while the owners are reaping rich profits 
from the very idleness that turns out the 
laborers to starve by the thousand. In the 
nature of things the laborer cannot hire a 
million of his fellow laborers to quit work 
any day, and pay them more for idling than 
they could make in work; but the great fac- 
tories and mills can, and then they can force 
their manufactured articles to high enough 
price to pay these idle mills and pay them- 
selves enormous fortunes. The laws of the 
land that not only permit but enable and 
encourage these national outrages, need the 
speedy attention of some such reform move- 
ment as was commenced in Bureau County, 
and that gave the incalculable benefits of its 
healthy con-ectives to the country at large. 
The success of that movement is a perpetual 
proof that the people need only move in the 
right direction in order to right their wrongs. 
It is better for the monopolies and great tax- 
eaters themselves, that the people move in 
time, and bring them with a grand round-to 
at the ballot box, than that they should lie 
supinely and await the fastening of the fet- 
ters that will some day only be loosened by 
chopping off heads. 

In the Hocking Valley (Ohio) mines are 
to-day 10,000 workmen thrown out of em- 
ployment, and their families are on the road- 
sides unhoused and verging upon starvation. 
This is one small section of our country, and 
so far as these 10,000 men and their families 
are concerned, there is no government on 
earth that is exercising a more crushing 
tyranny than are these poor men suffering at 
the hands of the Hocking Valley Railroad 
and the mine owners and combined capital 
of the charter companies. The farmers of 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



211 



Illinois would to-day have been in probably 
as wretched a state of serfdom and suffer- 
ing as are these poor miners in Ohio, had 
they not boldly took the evil by the horns 
and stopped it in its career of general de- 
struction — not only the farmers of Illinois, 
indeed, but the farmers, laborers and all in- 
dustrial classes in the country. It is in the 
view of the anti-monopoly movement in this 
county that we are justified in saying that, 
considered in all its bearings, it was one of 
the greatest movements that has yet come 
from the people. 

This anti-monopoly movement originated 
in Illinois — notonly in Illinois, but inBui'eau 
County — and from here it has extended over 
our whole country. It was a remarkable 
struggle between right and wrong — most ex- 
traordinary indeed, when we consider the 
circumstances surrounding it. Never in the 
history of our country has the issue been 
so clearly and sharply made, where it was 
the people, the masses, on one side and the 
lawyers, legislators and the combined wealth 
of monopolies on the other side. The mass, 
the common people cannot be organized, 
while the moneyed power is a close corpora- 
tion — an army equipped with all the sinews 
of war, ably generaled, every man in position, 
alert, vigilant, untiring and unscrupulous. 
The great movement rewrote the law of the 
land, and emancipated 50,000,000 people. 

We do not pretend to say that Mr. Bryant 
alone wrought out all these results; that he 
alone did the work from which have come these 
grand consequences. We do not even insin- 
uate anything of the kind, because he had 
able lieutenants, strong and willing hands to 
aid him when once the work was fairly com- 
menced. We simply assert he was the prime 
instigator, who, when the harvests were ripe, 
called up the slumbering laborers and led 
them to the field. We could name a score of 



men in Bureau County who are richly en- 
titled to immortal honor for the efficient, 
prompt and wise aid in the field-work and in 
the councils of the leaders of this movement. 
Among this class of men, where there are so 
many that are especially worthy, it might 
seem invidious to mention some and omit 
others where the great numbers preclude the 
possibility of a full list. But at the risk of 
censure in this line, we will say that to the 
Hon. L. D. Whiting, who was a member of 
the Constitutional Convention of 1870, is 
due the fullest credit for his efficient aid. 
He was literally the father of the Xlllth Arti- 
cle of the Constitution, wherein he had to meet 
nearly every leading lawyer in the convention 
and out of it. He was in the Senate when 
the Legislature considered the subject of 
passing laws to give force and effect to the 
Xlllth Article. And here the destiny of the 
movement rested on his shoulders, and it was 
his energy and ability that brought the 
eventual triumph. 

Before the close of the late Rebellion, or 
at least immediately thereafter, Mr. Bryant 
began to call the attention of the people to 
the monstrous claims being put forth by cer- 
tain charter companies. Through the papers 
he sounded notes of warning to the farmers 
of northern Illinois, against the exactions of 
railroads. In the early part of 1870 a meet- 
ing of the farmers assembled in Blooming- 
ton. Mr. Bryant attended this meeting and 
offered a series of resolutions through Hon. 
L. D. Whiting, in which for the first time in 
a public body was laid down the doctrine that 
the people had not bestowed upon charter 
companies " vested rights," that were above 
the power of the Government. He ably sus- 
tained his resolutions in a speech that was 
published and created a profound impression 
upon the country. Fortunately, in this meet- 
ing there was a delegate to the Constitutional 



213 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Convention, then nearly ready to assemble at 
Springfield — Hon. Lewis W. Ross, of Ful- 
ton County, who listened to the reaohxtions 
— and their advocacy by their author and 
largely through this circumstance and also 
another address delivered in Springfield by 
Mr. Bryant, during the session of the Con- 
vention, there was inserted. in the Constitu- 
tion " Article XIII, " to which reference is 
made in the decision of the Munn & Scott 
case above referred to. The address of Mr. 
Bryant in Springfield on the subject of cor- 
porations was published in the Industrial 
Age, and was widely read, and we are told 
that the printed address having fallen into the 
hands of Amasa Walker, who carefully read 
it and endorsed the positions there assumed, 
and thus the movement received the weight 
of this eminent financier and political econ- 
omist. As a result oE this movement of the 
people, in which they had to fight the com- 
bined power of wealth, the bench and the bar 
of the land, as well as the politicians, the 
first tangible advantage or victory was the 
incorporation of the " thirteenth Article " of 
our State Constitution. The motion to insert 
this article was bitterly opposed at every step 
by a powerful lobby, as well as by the attor- 
neys of the railroads, who were not only mem- 
bers of the Convention, but were there in 
strong array and were everywhere proclaim- 
ing that the measure would bankrupt the rich 
corporations and ruin the country. The 
newspapers of the country took up the hue 
and cry against what they called the "social 
ists," the "destructives," and no taunt was 
spared, no vituperatiou was too strong for 
these "enemies of social order." But the 
movement went on like a rolling snow-ball; 
the people became thoroughly aroused, they 
listened to the "agitators," they started new 
papers to advocate the people's cause, they or- 
ganized to some extent and began to nomi- 



nate their own candidates, and after a long 
and tiei'ce war of words the celebrated "thir- 
teenth Article" of our Constitution was adopt- 
ed by the convention. The overwhelming 
vote on the ConstitutioQ could not be mis- 
read, and it was natural that the succeeding 
Legislature would enact laws to enforce its 
provisions. 

The following is Article XIII: 

Se(-tion 1. All elevators or storehouses where 
grain or other property is stored for a compensa- 
tion, whether the property stored be kept separate 
or not, are declared to be public warehouses. 

Sec. 2. The owner, leasee or manager of each 
and every public warehouse situated in any town 
or city of not less than one hundred thousand 
inhabitants, shall make weekly statements under 
oath, before some officer to be designated by law, 
and keep the same posted in some conspicuous place 
in the office of such warehouse, and shall also file 
a copy for public examination in such place as shall 
be designated by law, which statement .shall set forth 
the amount and grade of each and every kind of 
grain in such warehouse, together with such other 
property as may be stored therein, and what ware- 
house receipts have been issued, and are, at the time 
of makingsuch statement, outstanding therefor, and 
shall, on the copy posted in the warehouse, note 
daily such changes as may be made in the quality 
and grade of grain in such warehouse; and the dif- 
ferent grades of grain shipped in separate lots, shall 
not be mixed with inferior or superior grades with- 
out the consent of the owner or consignee thereof. 

Sbc. 3. The owners of property stored in any 
warehouse, or holder of a receipt for the same, shall 
always be at liberty toexamine such property stored 
and all the books and records of the warehouse in 
regard to such property. 

Sec. 4. All railroad companies and other com- 
mon carriers on railroads shall weigh or measure 
grain at points where it is shipped, and receipt for 
the full amount, and shall be responsible for the 
delivery of such amount to the owner or consignee 
thereof at the place of destination. 

Sec. .5. All railroad companies receiving and 
transporting grain in bulk or otherwise, shall 
deliver the same to any consignee thereof, or any 
elevator or public warehouse to which it may be 
consigned, provided such consignee or the elevator 
or public warehouse can be reached by any track 
owned, leased or used, or which can be used by 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



213 



such railroad companies, and all railroad companies 
shall permit connections to be made with their 
track, so that any such consignee, and any public 
warehouse, coal bank or coal-yard may be reached 
by the cars on said railroad. 

Sec. 6. It shall be the duty of the General 
Assembly to pass all necessarj' laws to prevent the 
issue of false and fraudulent warehouse receipts, and 
to give full effect to this Article of the Constitution, 
which shall be liberally construed so as to protect 
producers and shippers. And the enumeration of 
the remedies herein named shall not be construed 
to deny to the General Assembl}' the power to 
prescribe by law such other and further remedies 
as may be found expedient, or to deprive any per- 
son of existing common law remedies. 

Sec. 7. The General Assembly shall pass laws 
for the inspection of grain, for the protection of 
producers, shippers and receivers of grain and pro- 
duce. 

The Legislature passed laws giving force 
and effect to this Article of the Constitution, 
and then came the claim from the monopo- 
lists that the law was a barren nullity, and 
hence arose the ease of Munn & Scott as a 
test case that was taken to the Supreme Court. 
The rich companies now sounded their notes 
of alarm all over the country. As an evi- 
dence of the wide- spread interest the move- 
ment in Bureau County had by this time 
created, and as a complete proof also that the 
anti-monoply movement had its inception and 
guidance in this county, we need only state 
the fact that the New York Trihune sent its 
correspondents to Princeton to interview the 
leaders and ascertain what they really meant 
by the bold movement. That paper had be- 
come alarmed at the reiterated assertions of 
the monopolists that it was the red revolution- 
ist, and boded the destruction of the capital 
and great property interests of the country. 
These representatives of the New York pa- 
pers'[called upon Mr. Bryant and frankly 
asked him if such were the purposes of the 
movement. They soon learned that nothing 
could be more false than the cry of the mo- 



nopolists; that the movement was in the inter- 
ests of all, especially the farmers, and through 
the farmers the permanent and true interests 
of the railroads and all other public corpora- 
tions. 

Our excuse, were any needed, for this ex- 
tended notice of this important event, is the 
fact that it is the tirst time, so far as we can 
learn, that the facts have been given the world 
of this most vital movement of the people — 
their greatest victory since the formation of 
the Republic — and that its lessons should be 
known to every voter in the land, and for the 
further reason that one of the gi-eatest truths 
in our political history may not be wholly ob- 
scured and misrepresented, as it has been in 
a recent publication by D. W. Lusk, of 
Springfield, 111., entitled the " Political His- 
tory of Illinois," in which is what purports 
to be the account of the anti-monopoly move- 
ment, that is a tissue of misrepresentations 
from the first to the last. There is hardly a 
single sentence in the account that is not 
only in error, but a total perversion of the 
truth. As a specimen of the recklessness or 
carelessness of the facts, this historian says 
the movement commenced in Washington 
City; that had it not been checked by the 
sober second thought of the people it 
would have destroyed the capital of the coun- 
try; that it was only evil in all its effects and 
aims; that it gradually extended west and 
invaded Illinois, and did succeed in even elect- 
ing a member of our Supreme Court, etc. , etc. 
If Mr. Lusk is in the pay of the country's 
common foe, then we are constrained to 
say, his book is a weak invention of the enemy ; 
the history of even unimportant events cannot 
thus be either perverted or obscured, much 
less this great movement whose effects will 
go on and grow while our free institutions 
last. We refer to this error in the " Politi- 
cal History of Illinois" not to accuse the 



214 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



author of a willful perversion of the by far 
most important chapter in the history of the 
State, but to correct it, and as an evidence of 
how widespread is the ignorance of the peo- 
ple generally of the most important facts of 
their history — of events that have not only 
occurred recently, but in their very midst. 

A.S a fitting conclusion to this chapter we 
quote a few sentences from an address by J. H. 
Bryant, delivered at the third annual meeting 
in Springfield of the Illinois State Farmers' 
Association, January 28, 1875, as follows: 

It is now more than forty j'ears since, when a 
young man, I came to this State, and with these 
hands reared my cabin amid a waste of uncultivated 
lands, with only one human habitation in sight. 
During all these years I have watched with 
joyous satisfaction each step of progress and 
every discovery in the arts and sciences tending 
to the elevation and improvement and happi- 
ness'of our people. I have witnessed with feelings 
akin to enthusiasm the rapid increase of our 
population, carrying with it the civil and religious 
institutions belonging to our age, and converting 
deserts and waste places into orchards, gardens and 
fruitful fields. There is not a fruit tree or shade 
tree in the county where I live that has not been 
planted since I first set foot upon its soil, and not 
a dwelling-house or other structure that was not 
built since that day. I have seen our population 
increase from about 1.50.000 to 3.000,000. But now it 
seems to me that dark clouds are gathering about 
our pathway, not only involving our pecuniary in- 
terests, but involving our personal rights. And we 
have a bitter contest before us — a struggle with an 
enemy that never sleeps. And this struggle with 
the monopolies that claim our God-given rights will 
not be a short one, unless — which God forbid — the 
people are the first to yield. So long as we have 
among us keen-sighted, selfish grasping men, so long 
unceasing watchfulness alone will preserve our free 
institutions from encroachments and finally from 
subversion. "Eternal vigilance is the price of lib- 
erty!" 

I have said that railroads are conceived in sin 
and brought forth in iniquity, and I believe this is 
true; so true that the contrary is the exception and 
not the rule. Where was there ever a railroad built 
in our State that there has not been wrong, cheating 
and deception interwoven in its every fiber? If all 



the villainies practiced by railroad managers, all 
the dark and hidden ways resorted to to extort 
money from the people, and even to rob their 
brother stockholders, were laid bare and exposed to 
view and fully or even partially understood, the 
public would stand aghast at the sight. It has been 
said that railroad companies have got all the money 
and all the brains on their side, and that they can- 
not be opposed with any chance of success. It is 
true that they have vast amounts of capital in their 
hands and can wield it very ofiEectively. But the 
people collectively have vastly more beside the 
political power of the State, if they have virtue and 
wisdom enough to use it. And as for brains, rail- 
road men have no more than many others. They 
are usually what are called sharp men, which means 
that they are subtle, cunning and grasping. This 
is, or would be, if their acts were known to the pub- 
lic, their general character — I mean the leading, 
controlling spirits. Look at them! Vanderbilt, 
Fisk, Jaj' Gould and others. These are your model 
railroad men who have adopted Rob Roy's 

" Simple plan. 
That they shall take who hive the power, 
.\n<l they shall keep who can." 

But you say all are not such. Perhaps not, but 
I think if the acts of all were laid bare to your in- 
spection, j^ou would find few exceptions, save in de- 
gree and opportunity. * * The money which gives 
them position and respectability is wrung from your 
hard earnings. And yet you are maligned, traduced, 
slandered, ridiculed and blackguarded and carica- 
tured; called all manner of opprobrious names; 
charged with the intention to commit all manner of 
grave crimes against society; and all this goes to the 
public through the columns of the public prints of 
the large towns and cities, whose support comes 
largely from the patronage of the abused classes, 
reminding me of the story of the wounded eagle 
that saw its own feather guiding the arrow that 
pierced its heart * * * * They have 
under the pretense of rights granted them by our 
Legislature, usurped a portion of our sovereignty. 
They defy our authority, and rob us universally 
and systematically under the sacred name of law; 
every year entrenching themselves more strongly in 
power, until they shall have finally raised upon the 
ruins of public liberty a moneyed oligarchy more 
oppressive than the monarchies of the Old World. 

VESTED RIGHTS. 

Now a word under the doctrine of vested rights 
which is held in such reverence by the most of the 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



215 



legal profession. An English poet of the last 

century says: 

"Sach dupea are men to custom, and eo prone 
To reverence what is ancient, and can plead 
A course of long observance for its use. 
Tit even vested rights, those worst of ills. 
Because delivered down from sire to son, 
Are kept and guarded as a sacred thing." 

It is under this 'doctrine railroad corporations 
shield themselves in committing their extortions 
and robberies. It is a doctrine which grew up under 
despotic governments and is said in its inception to 
have been in the interests of liberty .shielding the com- 
mon people under certain chartered rights, granted 
by the king, from the oppressions of the great barons 
who claimed their allegiance and service. But it has 
no business in free America. In tliis country it is a 
grant against liberty and not in its favor. It is not, 
as of old, an act enfranchising the few, but enslav- 
ing the many. ' 'The same process, which, when the 
people were debased, elevated them to their proper 
level, now, when the people are elevated and oc- 
cupy the lofty place of equal political rights, 
debases them to a comparative servitude. ' ' 

Away with it then, since it does not belong to 
the jurisprudence of a free people, and can not co- 
exist with liberty and equal rights. Let it be buried 
with the dead past, where it belongs. I hear peo- 
ple say we must go slow; we must be careful not to 
wrong the railroad companies; let us be just and 
fair, even liberal. We must 

"Be meek and gentle with these butchers." 

But if they have all the money and all the brains, 
as some claim,' and the right to do as they please, 
as they claim, one would think they might take 
care of themselves, which all experience proves 
that thus far they have been able to do. 

But who has any wish to harm them? I know 
of no one. It is right and justice, or some ap- 
proach to them, that we are after. Having sub- 
mitted to wrong for many years, we think it about 
time to seek redress, and some of the people do 
mean to re-establish the supremacy of the Govern- 
ment over the railroads, make them submit to law, 
and regulate them as right and justice demand. 
* * * They will so constitute the courts that 
they will sustain the liberties of the people, with- 
out regard to any precedent or old decision what- 
ever. * » * Mr. Harris, in his talk before the 
Railroad Committee, two years ago, insisted that 
we should so legislate that this company (the C, B. 
& Q.) could make good dividends — eight or ten per 
cent at least. But how is it with the millions of 



people by whom, and for whose more especial bene- 
fit this Government was instituted, and is sustained? 
Are they not as much entitled to legislation that will 
ensure good dividends, as these railroads? Nay, 
more, for they are children to the manor born, 
while the most of the railroad stock is owned by 
foreigners, and is controlled by a .set of Wall 
Street gamblers, passing from hand to hand, like a 
shuttle-cock. The railroad rings have absorbed 
nearly all the earnings of our people for many 
years, and made themselves rich. Is it not about 
time the tables were turned? Cannot these people 
who have made such enormous dividends afford to 
take something less for a time, while the crushed 
people take a breathing-spell, and recruit a little? 
Is it not our right, nay, our duty, to compel them 
to do it, and thus save our people from poverty and 
our liberties from annihilation? 

The times are sadly out of joint. Many of our 
public men, who have long been trusted, have lost 
the confidence of the people. Corruption, bribery 
and peculation have taken the place of old-fash- 
ioned integrity and honest dealings with the men of 
all parties, in our State and National councils. 
Force and fraud are more common and more suc- 
cessful in their schemes than ever before in the 
history of our country. There has never been a 
time when murders and other high crimes were so 
frequent and so boldly committed, or when human 
life was held so cheap, or when legislation was so 
corrupt, and the administration of justice so lax ; 
when the sanctity of an oath was so little regarded; 
when taxation was so oppressive on the mass of 
the people, or when public funds were so crim- 
inally or needlessly wasted, and our public treas- 
uries so shamelessly plundered. 

" The frequency of crimes has washed them white." 

******* 

Scarce an instance of legislative or judicial 
bribery has come to light that could not be traced 
to some connection with railroads. The corrupting 
influence of money, in the hands of their emissa- 
ries — money wrongfully filched from your pockets — 
is sapping the very foundations of society. Rail- 
road men subsidize the press, fee leading attorneys, 
and seek the favor of all active business men and 
other men of influence, by special favors, and all at 
the expense of the people who foot the bill. 

[Here follows a brief and lucid account of the 
celebrated Dartmouth College case, and an explana- 
tion that it was not a decision that would sustain, 
except by the grossest distortion, the claims of the 
railroads and their attorneys. — Ed.] 



216 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUXTY. 



It is time this error of opinion was corrected, 
and a more just and sensible one promulgated. If 
our courts and attorneys cannot of themselves 
arrive at a more correct opinion — if they cannot 
see that the doctrine of vested rights, as applied to 
railroads, strikes at the very foundation of our 
liberties — it is for the people at large to give them 
lessons in State and National jurisprudence. The 
common instinct of the people teaches them better. 
They see the danger, and are determined to avoid 
it. If our courts will cling to this radical error, we 
must, as we have opportunity, replace them with 
men of more enlightened and just convictions. 

• This talk that the people condemn the courts for 
deciding the law to be what it really is, is all non- 
sense, as much as to say the law is an exact science 
like mathematics, and that Judges can cipher out 
an infalible decision. The decision of the court is 
only the opinion of the men constituting the court 
—usually founded upon the opinion of other men 
given in similar cases. It may be right and it may 
be wrong. Another court may and ought to set it 
aside, if they believe it contrary to justice, and the 
best good of those concerned. Law, as administered, 
is for the time being what the court of last resort 
declares it to be. It is true there are immutable 
principles of right and justice, which ought to gov- 
ern courts. And it is equally true that Judges, who 
are only men with the prejudices and imperfections 
common to us all, do not alway find the right, or if 
they do, are not always controlled by it in making 
up their decisions. * » * 

Mr. President and gentlemen, reflecting upon the 
subject under consideration. It has seemed to me 
the hope of the Nation in this crisis is with the 
people of these Northwestern States, and I think I 
can give good reasons for my opinion. Ours is a 
great segregated population, by which I mean, that 
with us generally each individual man in his ma- 
terial interest, at least stands more independent of 
every other man than is the case in any other part of 
our country. There is a smaller part of our people 
who are directly and necessarily dependent upon 
others for labor and bread, than in any other sec- 
tion of this Nation. They are also less controlled 
by the conventionalities of society than in the older 
States where wealth is more in the hands of the few. 
Our people are consequently better prepared to act 
independently and more directly upon their convic- 
tions of right, and more decidedly and intelligently 
for the public good. Now let us turn to the older 
States, Massachusetts, for example. There the pre- 
ponderance of population and political power is in 



the cities and manufacturing villages. There a 
larger majority of voters are under the influence, if 
not control, of the wealthy employer or corporation. 
Thus the corporate wealth of the State, consisting 
of the railroads and the great manufacturing estab- 
lishments, which are essentially one in interest, con- 
trol the political destinies of the State. So completely 
is this the case that their Railroad Commissioners de- 
clare, in their report, that the railroads are the con- 
trolling power in the Legislature. The other New 
England States are no exception in this respect, and 
New Jersey and Pennsylvania are not far behind, 
while New York is essentially controlled by her vast, 
overshadowing corrupt metropolis and monopolies." 
******* 

One is almost led to think that in this last para- 
graph Mr. Bryant was foreseeing what would soon 
come in the way of distorting and misrepresenting 
the people of Illinois, and especially the people of 
Bureau County, in the entire false coloring of this 
verj' important chapter in history. He plainly in- 
dicates that such a movement could only start in 
the Northwest, as it did, and that it is here the 
country will some day learn to look for its bold 
and able defenders — to the people possessing that 
genius of freedom that dares stand up in the face of 
all the world and assert their rights. 

During the past summer several places have come 
forward as the champion spots of the birth-place of 
the Republican party. We believe some place in 
Maine, August 13 last, celebrated the anniversary 
of this great event. There are hundreds of people 
here living in the county that will recollect a meet- 
ing held on the grounds of J. H. Bryant, July 4, 
1854, where resolutions were passed and an organ- 
ization formed, and as Judge Stipp informs us, 
named Republican party, and 'many persons signed 
the articles or constitution, and this was the same 
organization that extended over the country and in 
six years after its birth elected Abraham Lincoln 
President. There is strong evidence going to prove 
the fact that here was the birth-place of the Repub- 
lican party. Here, too, originated the idea and 
finally the act of the State Legislature which led to 
the building of the noted and splendid Princeton 
High School, and the general law empowering other 
townships in the State to build similar schools. 

We assume the fact that these three things are 
great historical events; events that have had. and 
will continue to have, immense influence and effect 
throughout the State and Nation. And like many of 
the greatest events in history that were freighted 
with the weal of Christendom, and that will grow 




C( L(J /^fo^cL^ 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



217 



and deepen for incalculable generations to come, 
they came so silently, were born of the brain and 
heart of men so retiring by their very nature, that 
their nearest neighbors heard no bluster and brag 
and noise, and really were not aware that they were 
moving in the midst of events that would never be 
forgotten, and that would, be studied and con- 
templated in the long after-ages as the pages of 
most absorbing interest. 

It is not the noisy events, or the notorious and noisy 
men that are always the true themes of the histo- 
rian. But it is this common error of writers that talk 
so long and so learnedly and so silly often, about 
notorious things in the belief that they are the only 
items in historj- worth considering. The writer 
remembers hearing, not long ago, a discussion in a 
literary society of ' ' Who is the greatest living 
American?" One speaker bravely contended it was 
Seth Green, the father of fish culture. Another 
speaker ridiculed the Green idea; inquired whoever 
heard of Green, and contended that Beecher was 
the man, because everybody knew of Beecher, and 
declared that the whole population would turn out 
to see him if he was to come to the village, etc., etc. 
The neat retort was, that if notoriety constituted 
greatness, then Guiteau, the assassin (who was then 
on trial), was the greatest man in the world. To 
ninety-nine men in a hundred, all they ask is, Was 
he ever in Congress or worth a million dollars, and 
if not, they jump to the conclusion, " Oh, he wasn't 
much — no greater than I am." They can estimate 
a man onh' by the noise he makes, much as did the 
darkey when he said, "That was the biggest speech 
I ever heard; why, you could hear it a mile." 

We have no hesitation in saying that Bureau 
Count}' will eventually go into history as the his- 
toric county in the Nation, and she will wear this 
great title from the men who have passed their act- 
ive lives here and wrought out some of the most 
important events in our Nation's history. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

The Illinois and Michigan Canal — Histoet or the Project or 
Extending to the Mississippi River— Jacob Galer, the 
Father OF THE Scheme— Some Curious Leoislation— Inter- 
nal Improvements — Some Statutory Ptrotecnics, etc., etc. 

We sing the song of the farmer, 
Who tills the stubborn soil. 
And feeds earth's countless millions 
With the fruits of his patient toil. 

—John H. Bryakt. 

AS early as 1821 the LegiRlaturo appro- 
priated $10,000 for a survey of the 
route of this canal. Judge Smith and others 
were appointed Commissioners, and they ap- 
pointed Ren6 Paul, of St. Louis, and Justin 
Post, of Cairo, as engineers. They surveyed 
the route, reported the work easily practica- 
ble, and estimated it would cost $600,000 or 
$700,000. In 1826 Congress donated to the 
State about 300,000 acres of land on the 
route of the canal. The stock was never 
subscribed. In 1828 another law was passed, 
providing for the sale of lots and land, for 
the apfiointment of a Board of Commission- 
ers, and for the commencement of the work. 
Nothing was done under the law, except the 
sale of some of the lands, and a new survey 
of the line and a new estimate, by the new 
engineer, Mr. Bucklin. He ran the estimate 
up into millions, instead of thousands, but 
still too low, as experience finally demon- 
strated. After this second failure there were 
various projects of giving the work to a com- 
pany, or of making a railroad over the con- 
templated route. But nothing effectual was 
proposed to be done until in the Legislature 
of 1834-35. 

George Farquer, of Sangamon County, was 
Chairman of the Senate Committee of In- 
ternal Improvements, and he made a masterly 
State paper in a report on the canal project. 



218 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



and recommended the authorization of a loan 
of the State credit, which passed the Senate, 
but failed in the House. Its failure in the 
House was principally due to the fact that 
the Governor, in his message, had asserted 
with great confidence that the money for the 
work could be obtained upon a pledge of the 
lauds alone. And Farquer's bilL thus 
amended, became a law. This was the first 
efficient movement toward the construction of 
the canal. The loan failed, but at a special 
session of 1835 a law was introduced by 
James M. Strode, of Peoria, authorizing a 
loan of $500,000 on the credit of the State. 
This loan was negotiated by Gov. Duncan in 
1 836, and with this money the work was com- 
menced in the month of June of that year. 
William F. Thornton, of Shelby County, 
Gordon S. Hubbard, of Chicago, and Will- 
iam B. Archer, of Clark County, were the 
first Canal Commissioners. 

In the spring of 1836 the great land and 
town lot speculation of those times had fairly 
set in and was affecting the whole country, 
and Illinois was a favorite field for the wild 
craze that took possession of the people. It 
seemed to commence in this State first in 
Chicago, and was the means of starting up 
that place and at once transforming it from 
a mere trading-post to a struggling, bustling 
town of several thousand inhabitants — looking 
something like a flock of new barns had alight- 
ed among boggs and mud puddles and had most 
of them brought their stilts along to alight 
upon. The stories of the sudden fortunes 
made there traveled over the civilized world, 
exciting the amazement and wonder of men, 
and the pell-mell rush commenced. A spirit 
of gambling was started there and specula- 
tors and adventurers and all were wild with 
a desire for sudden and splendid wealth. 
Chicago had for a few years been only a great 
town market. It now became an immense 



"Board of Trade." For hundreds of miles 
around the plats of towns were carried there 
to be disposed of at auction. From one end 
of the State to the other, indeed, into other 
States, the infection sjaread, and at Cairo the 
absolute furor was worse even than in Chi- 
cago, and there was D. B. Holbrook and his 
great " South Sea Bubble," backed not only 
by every politician and statesman in south- 
ern Illinois, but by the State Legislature it- 
self. And upon the State statute books of 
that day are solemn acts of the Legislature 
enacting " by the authority of the people of 
the State of Illinois," that Cairo was high 
and dry above high water mark — that it was 
the natural point for the great city of the 
New World. Solemnly these men enacted the 
most absurd spread-eagle auctioneer stump 
speeches and were ready to vote the State's 
credit — fortunately there was no money in 
the treasury — to these mad-cap schemes 
where they had purchased or been given lots. 
The East caught the infection, and every 
vessel coming West was loaded with people, 
bound for these fairy cities of the West. But 
as it was impossible for the people of the old 
States to get here fast enough for the desires 
of the Western speculators, they freighted the 
returning vessels with town lots, cities, parks, 
fountains, colleges (good places for them), 
canals, railroads, etc. Lands and town lots 
were the only exports of the country, pretty 
much the sum total of the productions, and 
the decorative arts were taxed in producing 
those highly colored lithographs of cities 
(that were to be) with their six and eight- 
story blocks and squares, their magnificent 
public buildings, schoolhouses, churches, foun- 
tains, parks and lawns; elegant carriages 
and equipages, the smoking chimney stacks 
of factories, glittering spires and minarets 
filled the distant prospective of the alluring 
pictures. And upon great auction days in 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



319 



these leading embryo cities would gather the 
people by thousands — statesmen, poets, edi- 
tors, literary men and great orators — and 
with bands of music the momentous event 
would be inaugurated by the people assem- 
bling about the platforms erected for the 
auctioneers and commence exercises, dedicate 
them, as it were, by • a poem, perhaps by 
George D. Prentice, and speeches from some 
of the most celebrated orators from Kentucky 
or Ohio, and then the auctioneer would com- 
mence and at fabulous prices lots out two or 
three miles in the swamps and jungles would 
be scrambled for. 

Across in Missouri one of these towns, 
called Marion City, was laid ofif on the banks 
of the river, a bottom prairie, surrounded by 
swamps. The founder of this city had dis- 
covered the spot in tlie dry season of the year 
and he at once commenced extended opera- 
tions. He borrowed money and commenced 
building warehouses, mills and factories, and 
here came the people, and temporary' tents, 
brush huts and cabins were put up. So im- 
mense was this promised city that fifteen 
miles back on an elevation was laid off 
grounds for a college, and a railroad was to 
be built from the city to the institution. The 
first little rise that came in the river flooded 
the place, and then money was borrowed and 
levees were built. This gave work to thous- 
ands of men, as they were seven or eight 
miles long and averaged over seven feet high. 
And then people would come and every steam- 
boat was laden with fresh immigrants, the 
most of whom had had their houses all framed 
and made ready to put up on their arrival. 
The spring freshets came and the city and 
levees and all were soon lost from view be- 
neath the eddying waters. 

This rage for new towns was so general 
and the paper towns became so numerous 
that the wags began to say that the whole 



State would be just towns with not enough 
room left for a single farm. After Marion 
City had been literally swept from the face 
of the earth by the waters, a cartoon appeared 
in an Eastern paper, which represented 
parties in a flat-boat with long poles hunting 
for their houses. One man had run down 
his pole a great length and exclaimed: "I 
think I felt the top of my chimney." 

When the present generation reads the 
story of the internal improvement craze that 
seized upon the State about this time through 
the Legislature, and which resulted in State 
bankruptcy, they are apt to wonder how so 
many fools in finance and business could have 
been gathered together at the Capital. But 
the facts we have given above explain the 
action of the State, and is only another proof 
that in a representative government the con- 
dition of the public mind is generally truly 
reflected in the law makers. Or, in other 
words, the best of legislative bodies are no 
more to be implicitly trusted for wisdom 
than are their constituents, and may furnish 
the student of history a hint that the dema- 
gogue's often refloated assertion that vox j^p- 
uli, vox Dei, is to be received cm))i grano sails. 

It was this widespread craze that unsettled 
the judgments of business men, and the evi- 
dence of honest sincerity of the proprietors 
of these paper towns, especially along the 
rivers, is given by the fact that while they 
borrowed immense sums of money in the 
East and in Europe, they expended it in 
levees that were washed away, and in houses 
and foundations for great public buildings 
that were flooded before they were built, and 
the bubble would burst and wi-eck proprietor 
and purchasers in one common ruin. 

Hence, as already intimated, in the fall of 
1836 began the agitation of the system of 
internal improvements. It was argued that 
Illinois had all the advantages to become a 



230 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



great State; that her soil, climate and vast 
territory were such as to invite people here 
and make all vrho would come rich. All it 
needed was inhabitants and enterprise, and 
these would be invited by a liberal system of 
State improvements. Public meetings were 
called and resolutions passed and this new 
craze spread over the State so rapidly that be- 
fore the Legislature of that winter assembled, 
delegates were appointed by the people's 
meetings and they were to meet in a great 
Convention at the Capital simultaneously 
with the Legislature. This Convention had 
much greater men in it than did the legisla- 
tive body. It formed a plan and pointed out 
ways for the vast improvements by the State, 
and in its communication to the Legislature it 
concluded with this significant phrase: "that 
it should be commensurate with the wants of 
the people." This was the culmination of 
the new frenzy, and wild speculation once 
more became the order of the day, and every 
means was adopted to hastily give an artifi- 
cial value to property. People surrendered 
their judgments to the dictates of the wild- 
est imaginations. No scheme was so extrav- 
agant as not to appear plausible to some. 
Experience had taught them that their own 
pockets were not inexhaustible, but now the 
State had stepped in they never dreamed that 
there could come an end to the golden 
stream from this fountain. Possibilities were 
argued into probabilities and the latter into 
infallibilities. 

The people were deeply moved and their 
actions influenced the legislators, and in the 
memorable session of that body of 1837 it 
passed an act providing for a canal from Peru 
to Chicago, for making the Kaskaskia River 
and the Little Wabash and Rock Rivers nav- 
igable, and for railroads from Galena to 
Cairo; from Alton to Mt. Carmel; from Alton 
to the east boundary of the State in the direc- 



tion of Terre Haute; from Quincy via Spring- 
field to the Wabash Kiver; from Bloomington 
to Pekin; and from Peoria to Warsaw. In 
addition to the canal and rivers there were 
1,300 miles of railroad provided for. A sep- 
arate loan of $4,000,000 was for the Peru & 
Chicago Canal. The Legislature had already 
provided for Canal Commissioners and now a 
Board of Fund Commissioners was created, 
which was to negotiate the loan for the whole 
of the contemplated improvements, as well as 
a Board of Public Works, one for each of the 
seven judicial circuits of the State. This Board 
was to superintend the works, and the crown- 
ing folly of the act was a provision that the 
works should all commence at the same time, 
at each end of the roads, and at the river 
crossings. Thus was a swarm of officials pro- 
vided for, and their control and appointment 
became one general political intrigue. The 
Legislature was to elect these multitudes of 
men to expend the people's millions, and that 
honorable body came very near making cor- 
rupt combinations to elect and appoint each 
other to all the best places, although the Con- 
stitution made them ineligible, by providing 
that no member should be appointed to an 
office created dui'ing the term for which he 
had beeu elected. Gov. Duncan had to declare 
he would not commission members, if elected, 
to these offices. And the Legislature attempt- 
ed to pass a law to nullify the Constitution by 
dispensing with a commission from the Gov- 
ernor, in the face of the provision of the 
fundamental law that "all civil officers should 
be commissioned" by him. The Legislature 
made a vigorous fight against the Governor 
and the Constitution and adjourned from day 
to day. And the people were not shocked by 
these flagrant acts of their representatives. 

The Long Nine. — All the north part of 
the State was deeply interested in the canal. 
Sangamon County was then represented by 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



221 



the immortal Long Nine, two Senators and 
seven Representatives, as follows: Abra- 
ham Lincoln, E. D. Baker, John Dawson, 
Ninian W. Edwards, W. F. Elkin, A. McCor- 
mick, Daniel Stone and Robert L. Wilson 
were the Representatives, and Archer G. 
Herndon and Job Fletcher in the Senate. 
Sangamon County wanted the State Capital 
from Fayette County, and the "Long Nine" 
were a conspicuous power in that session of 
the Legislature. Of the means used in the 
Legislature, Qov. Ford says: "The canal 
was threatened if other sections of the State 
were denied the improvements demanded by 
them; and thus the friends of the canal were 
forced to log-roll for that work by support- 
ing others which were to be ruinous to the 
country. Roads and improvements were pro- 
posed everywhere, to enlist every section of 
the State. Three or four efforts were made 
to pass a smaller system, and when defeated, 
the bill would be amended by the addition of 
other roads, until a majority was obtained 
for it. Those counties which could not obtain 
a road were to receive their portion of the 
$200,000 set apart for them. Three 
roads had to bo made to terminate at 
Alton, before the Alton interest would agree 
to the system. The seat of government was 
to be removed to Springfield. Sangamon 
County was represented by the ' Long Nines,' 
the seven Whigs (only one of the ten being 
a Democrat) in the house, and two Whig 
Senators. Amongst them were some dextrous 
jugglers and managers in politics, whose 
whole object was to obtain the seat of govern- 
ment for Springfield. The ' Long Nine ' 
threw themselves as a unit in support of, or 
opposition to, every local measure of interest, 
but never without a bargain for votes in 
return on the seat of government question. 
Most of the counties were small, having but 
one Representative, and many of them with 



but one for a whole district, and this gave 
Sangamon County a decided preponderance 
in the log-rolling system of those days. * 
* * By such means the ' Long Nine ' 
rolled along like a snow-ball gathering acces- 
sions of strength at every turn, until they 
swelled up a considerable pnrty for Spring- 
field to be the seat of government. Thus it 
was made to cost the State about $6,000,000 
to remove the seat of government from Van- 
dalia to Springfield." This Legislature will 
forever possess a historical interest far beyond 
that of any other legislative body in the his- 
tory of the State. A list of some of the men 
who were in the Legislature and who voted 
for the internal improvement system is 
enough to immortalize it as a lawmaking 
body. Among others were Abraham Lincoln, 
Stephen A. Douglas, Ninian W. Edwards, 
Gov. A. C. French, John Hogan, U. F. Linder, 
John A. McClernand, Lieut. -Gov. Moore, 
Gen. James Shields, (afterward Senator 
from three States), Robert Smith, (Congress- 
man), Judge Dan Stone, James Semple, the 
Speaker, and afterward United States Sena- 
tor. All these voted in the affirmative. Of 
those who voted in the negative, the only 
ones who attained any eminence were William 
A. Richardson (short term in the United 
States Senate), Col. John J. Hardin and 
John Dement. 

The internal improvement laws and those 
other equally bad laws of the State banks 
ran their career in about three years; and in 
iS-tO, after they were exhausted for evil, the 
Legislature commenced repealing the acts. 
The Presidential election coming on that 
year, the people of Illinois forgot their 
own sad financial condition in the din and 
general hurrah over the "coon-skin and 
hard-cider" campaign. No politician was 
ever called to account for the grievous mis- 
take of voting for the bad laws. They had 



222 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



not been party measures, and all prominent 
politicians were equally guilty with the 
people, and in fact the people rather seemed 
to sympathize with these erring brothers, and 
the list of those who voted for the meas- 
ures, and they were advanced in life much 
above those level-headed and certainly 
honest members of the Legislature who 
faced the public storm and voted " No." 

But to go back a little. The work upon 
these improvements was commenced upon 
all the railroads and upon the canal. The 
Board of Canal Commissioners, in pui'su- 
ance of law, projected a magnificent work, 
and even completed small portions of it, in a 
manner creditable to the engineers and con- 
tractors. But here again was the spirit of 
over-calculation working its cruel mischiefs. 
The United States, in 1826, had donated 
300,000 acres of land to this work. And 
now, in the frenzy of the hour, these lands 
were estimated at a fabulous value, and 
hence the Commissioners supposed their 
funds were inexhaustible for carrying on 
the work, and they projected a large and 
deep canal, to be fed by the waters of Lake 
Michigan. To complete their vast plans and 
make a steamboat canal, would cost about 
$9,000,000, but this was nothing in the esti- 
mation of the Commissioners.* 

But the inevitable crash came, and the 



*Hon. John Wentworth tells the following amusing incideDt, 
in regard to the commencement of the work on the canal: 

" On the 4th of July, l.s3fi, every man, woman and child in the 
city ^Chicago;, whose health would permit, went down to where 
the canal was to he commenced, then called Canalport, and cel- 
etirated the removal of the first shovelful of dirt by the Canal 
Commissioner. Near the place waa a living spring of water. 
The men chopped \ip the lemons of several full bosesand threw 
them into the spring, to make lemonade for the temperance peo- 
ple. Then they spoiled the lemonade by emptying into it a 
whole barrel of whisky, which so penetrated the fountain-head 
of the spring, that Bridgeport people feel the etfects of it to this 
day. All of you who have ever heard the late Dr. William B. 
Eg'an, the most eloquent of the many eloquent Irish orators Chi- 
cago has ever had, will remember how fond he was of quoting 
Pope's poetry. .Some of his audience had quietly stolen away, and 
as they had "supposed) unobserved by him, to slake their thirst at 
the spring, when he brought down the crowd by pointing his 
finger at them and exclaiming : 

' Drink deep, or taste not that Pierian spring, 
Its shallow draughts intoxicate the brain. 
But drinking largely sobers you again.' " 



State was plunged over $14,000,000 in debt, 
and out of it all the State afterward went on 
and finished about forty miles of railroad, 
and did eventually complete the Peru & 
Michigan Canal, at a cost of over $6,000,000. 
The forty miles of railroad cost the State over 
a $1,000,000, and the State eventually sold 
this and took its pay in evidences of State 
indebtedness for $100,000. But on the canal 
investments it seems the State was never so 
greatly wronged. The canal lauds brought 
the State over $5,000,000, and its earnings 
over expenses of operating have been over 
$2,000,000. The termini of the canal are 
Chicago and Hennepin, and for many years the 
States of Illinois and Iowa have been deeply 
concerned in extending this gi-eat work from 
Hennepin to the Mississippi River. It is 
now believed that it is only a question of 
time M'hen the General Government will take 
the present canal (which is offered as a free 
gift, if completed to the Mississippi River) and 
make it a great artery of cheap transportation 
from the Mississippi to the sea shore. This is a 
matter of vast interest to Bureau County — 
the leading county of its size in the United 
States in its area of corn grown. Every ten 
years the county will produce an average of 
over 100,000,000 bushels of corn. On this 
one article of corn alone then a canal would 
be worth over $5,000,000 to the county every 
ten years, or $500,000 yearly. Every cent 
transportation is cheapened to the sea shore 
adds that much to the value of the crops, and 
hence it proportionally increases the value of 
the land. 

The great problem of this age, especially 
to the people of the Upper Mississippi Val- 
ley, is cheap transportation, and every day it 
is more and more pressing for a solution. 
The interest in this subject in the six States 
of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Minne- 
sota and Wisconsin may be partially under- 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



228 



stood wheu we reflect that these States annu- 
ally produce of wheat, corn and oats 1,047,- 
536,850 bushels. And to show how rapidly, 
too, the increase of production is going on, 
we may cite one of many that we might give 
as instances. In Iowa the wheat from 1849 
to 1860 aggregated 50,000,000 bushels; from 
1860 to 1870, 195,000,000; from 1870 to 1881 
it was 375, 000, 000 bushels. The total wheat 
crop of the United States in 1867 was 181,- 
199,000 bushels, and in 1881 it was 498,- 
549,000 bushels, and the larger portion of 
this increase was in the Upper Mississippi 
Valley, the locality deeply interested in the 
extension of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. 
This is the locality that is destined, is already, 
the chief producer of American exports. 
Those European markets are no longer left 
to the supply by American producers. These 
are invited, but only in competition with those 
of other countries. The freight rates to be 
paid in transporting products from the Upper 
Mississippi to Liverpool often alone deter- 
mine the possibility or impossibility of profit- 
able exportation. On this point we are fur- 
nished the most conclusive evidence. A com- 
mittee which had its sessions in New York 
in September, 1881, recorded the testimony 
of members of the New York Produce Ex- 
change, which asserted that it frequently hap- 
pened that the difference of one cent per 
bushel in the price of wheat in New York 
City determined the ability or inability of 
the commission men and dealers to make ship- 
ments to European markets. One shipper 
placed that controlling difference as low as 
one- fourth of a cent per bushel. It was also 
the concurrent statement of several of the 
gentlemen testifying that advance in freight 
rates frequently estopped grain exportations, 
while freight reductions stimulated such 
movements of cereals, and gave legitimate 
impetus to the grain markets of the entire 
country. 



So manifestly correct are these several tes- 
timonies, that they were even anticipated by 
Mr. Joseph Nimmo, Jr., of the Bureau of 
Statistics, when he said, in his report on the 
commerce of the United States for 1880 (page 
154): 

"The price of all commodities of low 
value in proportion to weight is in every mar- 
ket greatly affected by the cost of transporta- 
tion. 

"Especially is this the case in regard to 
the surplus agricultural products of the West- 
ern and Northwestern States. The low rates 
which prevail for transportation upon the 
Northern water lines, therefore, exercises an 
important regulating influence over the price 
of all the products of the West, not only in 
the markets of the Atlantic seaboard States, 
but also in foreign countries. It is due chief- 
ly to this fact, during the last ten years, that 
the value of domestic exports from the United 
States has greatly increased, and that since 
the year ended June 30, 1875, the value of 
exports from the United States has largely 
exceeded the value of imports to the United 
States." 

Scarcely less important to the Upper Mis- 
sissippi Valley region than the export of its 
products, rendered possible and profitable 
only when cheap transportation is secured, 
is the ready and inexpensive delivery of its 
imports. The aggregate of these increases 
year by year, while it has already reached 
proportion and value which are literally im- 
mense. Thus, not only are vast totals of 
anthracite coal and crude and manufactured 
iron from Pennsylvania, pottery from New 
Jersey and Ohio, hard woods from Indiana, 
and stone and bituminous coal from eastern 
Illinois, shipped in large quantities to the 
Upper Mississippi Valley States, but the cot- 
ton goods of Massachusetts, the woolens of 
Ehode Island, the machinery of Connecticut, 
the agricultural implements of New York, all 



224 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



constituting heavy bulk freights, are con- 
stantly adding to the number of their con- 
sumers in the wide area of territory to be 
more immediately benefited by the constrac- 
tion of the Hennepin Canal. 

A single locality may be specifically men- 
tioned as furnishing significant illustration 
of the general fact thus urged to attention. 
The tri-cities of Moline, Davenport and Rock 
Island (to name each in the order of its manu- 
facturing importance) have had their respec- 
tive business interests carefully revised in 
statistical form, at the close of each year for the 
columns of the Davenport Gazette. The last of 
these reports — that of January 1, 1883, for the 
year 1882— presents some noteworthy figures. 
A single plow manufactory establishment at 
Moline (Deere & Co.) consumed in 1882 
1,110 tons of steel, 3,000 tons of wrought 
iron, 900 tons of pig iron, 300 tons of malle- 
able iron, 2,000,000 feet of oak and ash lum- 
ber, 400 tons of grindstones, 30 tons of 
emery, and 250 barrels of oil and vai-nish, 
employing weekly 700 men. Another estab- 
lishment (the Moline Plow Company's Works) 
used only a less aggregate of similar ma- 
terial, the value of the products of these two 
establishments footing up to 52,500,000 for 
the year. The Moline Wagon Company 
manufactured goods to the value of ?625,- 
000; the Deere & Mansur Planter Company, 
to the value of 8600,000; the two malleable 
iron companies, to the value of §280,000; the 
machine, engine and boiler shops, to the 
value of §-t80,000; the paper mills, to the 
value of §150,000, the pump factory, to the 
value of $125,000; while the saw- mills and 
other establishments aggregated a yield of 
products exceeding in value $1,000,000 more. 
In Davenport the enumerated manufactures 
for the year — agricultural implements, limi- 
ber, flour, oatmeal, glucose, carriages, woolen 
goods, cigars, clothing, etc. — aggregated a 



value of §5,86-1,876; and the value by jobbing 
houses, the sum of §8,046,730; the shipments 
of local freights by three railroads, 17,536 
car-loads, and the receipts, 16,653 car-loads. 
In Rock Island the plow works manufactured 
goods in excess of 1,000,000 in value; the glass 
works to the value of §200,000 ; stove works, 
to the value of §1,000,000; the saw-mills, 80,- 
031,866 feet of lumber only, 18,328,750 
shingles, 16,653,000 lath, and 198,650 pick- 
ets. If to this partial exhibit of the manu- 
facturing interest of Rock Island City were 
added those of the United States Arsenal, on 
Rock Island, the aggregate of railroad ship- 
ments would be 17,982 car-loads shipped and 
18,258 forwarded by four roads, including 
the receipts and exports of coal, largely 
mined from the extensive coalfields lying 
within an area of fifteen miles east and south- 
east of Rock Island. 

The construction of a canal to connect the 
waters of the Upper Mississippi with those 
of the lakes, by way of the Illinois & 
Michigan Canal, has long been earnestly de- 
sired by the people occupying the vast area 
lying west of Chicago and seeking improved 
channels of communication with that city and 
the East. Four times— in 1864, 1870, 1874 
and 1882, respectively — has the General As- 
sembly of Iowa, by concurrent action on the 
part of each of its branches, specifically 
memorialized Congress for the opening of 
such a canal by the General Government 
The Legislature of Illinois has also similarly 
addressed its appeal to Congress repeatedly, 
the last occasion being that of the special 
session of that body last year. These two 
States, thus speaking through their represent- 
atives, embrace more than 5,00O,000 of 
people. Their expression of opinion and 
desire have been earnestly supported, too, by 
resolutions adopted by such Boards of Trade 
' as those of St. Paul, La Crosse, Duluth, 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



225 



Davenport, Rock Island and Chicago in the 
Northwest, and those of Buffalo, Syracuse 
and New York in the East, and by the reso- 
lutions of the Senate branch of the New York 
Assembly last May, which would have been 
concurred in by the House had the session 
had two days longer continuance. In the 
city of New York, particularly, not only on 
the Board of Trade and Transportation, but 
the "Produce Exchange," a body numbering 
in its membership nearly 3,000 of the pro- 
duce commission and other busine.ss men of 
that city, have addressed Congress in urgent 
appeals in behalf of the canal in question, 
usually denominated the "Hennepin Canal." 
In May, 1881, there assembled in Davenport, 
Iowa, a delegate body of about four hundred 
members, representing commercial bodies, 
municipal corporations, and farmers' associa- 
tions, of seven different States, expressly to 
lurge upon the attention of the country the 
desirability of and the necessity for the con- 
struction of the said canal by the General 
Government. That Convention, attended and 
addressed by Governors of States, members 
of Congress and prominent business men, 
emphatically urged upon Congress the great 
importance of the proposed canal as a means 
to secure to the people a greatly needed im- 
provement of facilities for the transportation 
of their products and commodities. 

Exactly what a boon the extension of this 
canal will become to all the country west and 
northwest of Chicago, will be plainly seen 
by the following table of railroad charges 
for 1880: 

RAILROADS HAVING COMPETITION IN WATER'rODTES. 

Per tun per mile 

New York Central Railroad $0 00.88 

Pennsvlvania Railroad 00.88 

New York, Erie & Western Railroad 00.84 

Philadelphia & Erie Railroad 00.56 

Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad 00.75 

Michigan Central Railroad 00.842 

Pittsburgh & Ft. Wayne Railroad for 

1879, for 1880 not given 00.76 



RAILROADS NOT COMPELLED TO MEET WATER-ROUTE 
COMPETITION. 

Per ton per mile. 

Boston & Albany Railroad .?0 01.20 

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad 

(for 1879. for 1880 not given) 01.023 

Chicago & Northwestern Railroad (for 

1879.. for 1880 not given) 01.49 

Chicago. Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad 

(for 1879, for 1880 not given) 01.76 

Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad 

(for 1879, for 1880 not given) 01.21 

Erie Canal rate for 1880 $0 00.49 

^Vhen the great work is completed to the 
Mississippi River, — perhaps eventually ex- 
tended to all the great granaries of the North- 
west beyond the Mississippi — the tii'st point 
of historical interest to posterity will be, who 
was the originator of the idea; whose brain 
conceived it, and who is entitled to the im- 
perishable honor of being its sponsor"? In 
this light the following letter will be read 
with great interest by not only the people of 
Bureau County, but all who are interested in 
the Hennepin Canal, or the story of some of 
the remarkable men, who like the writer of 
this letter, have pioneered civilization liter- 
ally across the continent. When the great 
national canal, as it will be some day, is com- 
pleted to the Mississippi River, it should be 
made the eternal monument of its projectors. 
The following is the letter in full: 

"Seattle, W. T., April 13, 1884. 
"Mr. H. C. Bradsby. 

' ' Dear Sir : I have received your letter of 
inquiry and will try to answer it. 

" You said you saw in your local paper that 
I was the originator of the idea of the Hen- 
nepin Canal project: — To give you the mov- 
ing cause, I must go back a few years prior 
to that time. My father's name was Peter 
Galer ; he had ten children. I was the fourth. 
I was said to be the first white child born in 
Fairfield County, Ohio; my birth^alace was 
near Lancaster, and in the year 1807, August 
20. My father moved to Licking County, 
Ohio, when I was one year old, where I lived 



326 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



until I moved to Illinois in 1834, crossing 
the Illinois River the 20th day of August 
(my twenty-seventh birthday). 

While in Ohio (in 1825) on the 4th of 
July, at vrhat was called the Licking Summits 
on the Erie & Ohio Canal I saw Gov. Mor- 
row take out the first wheelbarrow load of 
dirt from the canal. Shortly after I hired 
as a common laborer to work on the canal at 
112 per month, but by taking the part of a 
boy that the superintendent of the job was 
abusing, the superintendent was discharged 
and I was given his place. From that time I 
superintended the job until the canal was 
completed. I then engaged in building saw- 
mi Us. There was a reservoir to feed the 
summit level and south of that a deep cut that 
for three miles averaged thirty- three feet 
digging. From the circumstance of heavy 
rains, and seaps in the banks, it kept wash- 
ing and slipping in until a boat half loaded 
could not pass through the deep cut. About 
that time the reservoir broke, and they could 
not get anyone to repair it permanently, so 
they sent thirty -five miles to me for me to 
try what I could do. After I spent several 
hundred dollars in repairing, I originated 
the idea of a new reservoir on the west 
of the old one. The bank of the old reser- 
voir was the tow path of the canal. There 
were several thousand of acres of swamp land 
that I proposed to utilize for the new reser- 
voir with a lock at its north side, also one at 
the south end of the deep cut, thereby rais- 
ing the water twelve feet in the deep cut. T 
reported this plan at headquarters and it was 
approved and carried out. That was my ex- 
perience at canaling at Ohio. 

As I said before, I crossed the Illinois 
River at Hennepin on the 20th of August, 
1834. I was in company with my parents, 
four sisters and three brothers. We went up 
Robinson's River or Bureau through what is 



now called Tiskilwa and settled on Center 
Grove Prairie. In September, 1834, I took 
my blanket and gun and viewed the country 
through from Hennepin to the Mississippi 
River, near Rock Island, and thought it a 
natural pass for a canal, as there was a de- 
pression all the way across with high land 
on either side. I reported my discovery but 
was much ridiculed for holding such ideas. 
In October following my oldest brother, 
John Galer, helped to review the route, and 
I talked with Dr. A. Langworthy about the 
project. At first he made very light of the 
subject, but on my showing him the advan- 
tages that would accrue to him if it was car- 
ried out, his having property at Indiantown, 
now Tiskilwa, he began to see that there 
might be dollars and cents in it, and so he 
joined in with me, and I appointed a meet- 
ing in Hennepin, where I gave my views on 
the canal project, and the doctor made a good 
speech. My plan was only for a common 
canal to be taken out of the river at the head 
of the Lake DePue so as to have that for a 
harbor, and also to avoid much overflow of 
the river. I also planned to have a dam 
across Green River at the narrows where 
New Bedford now is, and use it for a reser- 
voir to feed the summit level and put the 
feeder into the lake on the south side of 
Devil's Grove, so it would feed the canal 
both ways, until other supplies could be got 
from the Bureau and Green River further 
down on either end of the canal. We had 
circulars printed, and finally got a bill 
through the Legislatui-e for a company to 
undertake the project; but the State was 
deeply involved, and the Michigan & Illi- 
nois Canal being delayed, the subject was 
dropped until the country around Rock 
Island had settled quite thickly, when a com- 
pany changed the canal to a railroad, and 
the Chicago & Kock Island Railroad was put 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



237 



through almost directly over my old route. 
The railroad becoming exorbitant in freight 
charges, the canal project was again revived 
and carried up to Congress by Hawley, and 
was known as Hawley's canal bill." 

This communication is to the point as to 
who was the first active worker in the project 
of extending the canal from Hennepin to 
Rock Island. It is more than a generation 
ago this movement had its inception. It was 
perhaps chimerical at that time, but since 
then millions of people have become deeply 
interested in the subject of cheap transporta- 
tion, and it is now both feasible and possi- 
ble to carry out the original idea of extension 
that was agitated as a necessity so long ago. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



Arthur Bryant, THE Pioneer Forester and Horticulturist — 
About Trees Generally — Kjrst Planting in Bureau County 
— Best Varieties — Sketch of Arthur Bryant, etc., etc. 

And there in the sultrj' noon, 
With brawny limbs and breast, 

On the silken turf, in that cool shade. 
The reaper came to rest. 

— John H. Bryant. 

THE pioneer " tree-man " was a boon of 
no mean magnitude to the people of the 
broad prairies of Bureau County. He must 
have been an enterprising, public-spirited 
man with an alert and active brain to antici- 
pate the benefits and the good that would 
some day come from the culture here of 
trees. He saw here not long ago vast plains 
dotted with farm-houses, standing cheerless 
and treeless on the bleak expanse, which was 
inhabited by a people whose highest ambi- 
tion was to grow corn and swine and cattle 
enough to furnish himself and family a live- 
lihood, and also enable each to add a few 



more acres to the dreary homestead. The 
intelligent lover of trees set about the work 
to create in the people a taste for something 
higher and better — to teach them that even a 
northern prairie would grow the hardier 
fruit trees and the shade trees and flowering 
shrubs about their houses and thus double 
the beauty and money value of their homes; 
give them comforts and cash bountifully for 
this labor of love. They (possibly only he) 
must have realized that the way to do this 
successfiilly was to set the example, and thus 
tree-planting commenced. 

Those who first planted trees here must 
have been amazed at the rapid growth they 
made, which continues to give evidence that 
there is no place that is possessed of a 
deeper or stronger soil than is this county; 
and now the towns and villages have beauti- 
fied their streets, and the spreading branches 
of trees only twelve or fourteen years old 
offer their pleasing and shady bowers to the 
passer, and around every farm-house are 
fruit and shade trees that dot the broad 
prairies in every direction, and give to the 
eye of the beholder the most pleasing land- 
scapes and enchanting views to be seen in 
all the world. 

As to the question of what varieties of 
trees to plant, it was of easy solution as to 
shade and ornamental trees, because almost 
every variety yet planted had yielded a most 
rapid and healthy growth. The elm, the 
maple and box elder so far predominate, 
and many trees, especially elms, can now be 
found, not more than a quarter of a century 
old, that throw out their long branches and 
wide-spreading shade equal to the grandest 
monarchs of the forest. But the question of 
the best adapted fruit trees and vines for 
this locality was a more difficult one to 
solve, and perhaps something in this line — 
possibly very much — is, even after these 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



fifty years of trials aud experiments, yet to 
be learned, because the successful prosecu- 
tion of this industry requires some under- 
standing of the soil and climate, and the 
habits of insects destructive to the trees and 
fruit, as well as a knowledge of the mode of 
best caring for the diiferent varieties of 
fruit trees. The State, through the solic- 
itations of the various societies, provided a 
competent entomologist, and he has done 
much in aiding fruit growers to understand 
the injurious insects, and to provide for 
their destruction. 

We are indebted to the writings of Ar- 
thur Bryant, whose work on horticulture 
deservedly ranks high, for the following 
facts in reference to Bureau County: 

The first attempt at fruit growing in Bu- 
reau County was in 1830 or 1831, it is not 
certain which, when John Hull sowed some 
apple seeds brought from Kentucky, and 
raised a few hundred seedlings. Small or- 
chards of these were planted three or four 
years after by Christopher Corss, John Mus- 
grove, Roland Moseley and some others. The 
fruit was better than the average of seedlings, 
but most of the trees have perished. Nur- 
serymen have been accused of introducing 
the apple borer. The orchards above men- 
tioned, and the nursery from which they 
were taken were attacked by the insects be- 
fore fruit trees were brought here from any 
other part of the country, which would seem 
to be good evidence of its previous existence 
in this section. 

In the spring of 1833 John Belangee 
brought a lot of grafted apple trees from 
Belmont County, Ohio, and commenced a 
nursery near Princeton. Dui-ing that and 
the following year orchards of these trees 
were planted by Cyrus, Arthur and John H. 
Bryant, Aaron and William Mercer, and a 
number of other.s whosf 



recollected. None of these orchards were of 
any considerable size. At that time and for 
years after it was a prevalent opinion that it 
would never be an object to raise apples for 
market, and it was sometimes remarked when 
one was seen planting trees, that when those 
trees came into bearing, apples would not be 
worth more than a shilling a bushel. Mr. 
Bellangee introduced some of the best varie- 
ties now cultivated, as well as many that are 
rejected. Ho soon removed to Dover, where 
he continued the nursery business for ten or 
fifteen years. 

From 1841 to 184-1 niu'series were com- 
menced in Bureau County by James Bosley, 
Charles S. Boyd and Curtis Williams. Their 
stock was obtained from Mr. Curtis, a nursery- 
man in Edgar County. A few good varieties 
were brought here by them, and many that 
were worthless. The Milam, under the name 
of Winter Pearmain, constituted a large pro- 
portion of their stock — a variety which it was 
said Mr. Curtis propagated to a considerable 
extent by means of suckers. Their mode of 
obtaining suckers for grafting was to cut from 
trees taken up for sale such roots as were of 
suitable size — a practice copied from Mr. Cur- 
tis. Neither of them continued the business 
more than four or five years. 

In 1846 Samuel Edwards commenced a 
nui'sery near Lamoille. He brought from 
near Cincinnati a considerable stock. A 
great part of it, however, was destroyed dur- 
ing the winter, which was very fatal to young 
fruit trees of almost every kind. In 1847 
Arthur Bryant began a nursery upon a small 
scale near Princeton. Since then V. Aldrich, 
H. W. Bliss and John G. Bubach have estab- 
lished nurseries in the county; and Mr. 
Bubach now has a very extensive garden in 
the east part of Princeton. Bliss and Aldrich 
discontinued the business some years ago. 

The winter of 1855-56 was noted for the 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



229 



wholesale destruetion of fruit trees. It was 
estimated that one-half of the bearing apple 
trees in Bureau County were destroyed or 
rendered nearly worthless. Most of the pear, 
plum, peach, quince and cherry trees (Mor- 
rellos excepted) likewise perished. This for 
some years greatly discouraged tree planting, 
especially fruit trees. All the orchards of 
any considerable size in the county have been 
planted since the hard winter of 1855-56. 
At this time (1869) the largest orchards are 
those of Arthur Bryant, V. Aldrich, Mrs. F. 
Moseley, J. G. Calef, and M. Greenan. 
Some years ago J. H. Bryant planted a large 
pear orchard, but it never amounted to any- 
thing, and now (1884) the trees are either 
dead or nearly worthless. It has been chiefly 
destroyed by tire blight. 

Of early apples, Mr. Bryant, in 1869, says: 
Those principally cultivated are the Early 
Harvest, Red Astrachan, and Early Pennock 
— the latter has hitherto been planted more 
than any other. Trees of this variety, how- 
ever, appear to become unproductive from 
age sooner than most others. Maiden's 
Blush is highly esteemed. 

The Snow Apple takes precedence of all 
others as a hardy, protitable and enduring 
apple for a fall apple. The Rambo is popular 
and productive, although less hardy. Haskell 
Sweet and Rumsdell's Sweet are two of the 
best fall varieties. 

The varieties of winter apples best estab- 
lished with cultivators are the Jonathan, 
Willow Twig, and Domine. The Ben Davis 
has not been cultivated long enough to test 
its endurance, but already shows signs of 
deterioration on some of the older trees. 
Rawles' Janet, so much esteemed in the South, 
is here considered neither excellent nor protit- 
able. It is feared that the Winesap, on rich 
prairie soil, will disappoint the expectation 
of cultivators. Sweet Vandever and Broad- 



well are two of the best winter varieties of 
sweet apples. 

A committee of the State Horticultural 
Society in 1869 traveled over the important 
pai-ts of the State. The committee visited 
Princeton, July 1. From their report we 
condense the following: "We examined the 
grounds of John H. Bryant, Arthur Bryant, 
Sr., and Arthur Bryant, Jr. At John H. 
Bryant's we were shown a tree of Early Pen- 
nock, planted in 1836, and afterward top- 
grafted with Early Harvest, which was thrifty 
and bearing a good crop. A Pennock root- 
grafted, planted in 1836, is now twenty-five 
inches in diameter, and promises to endure 
many years. 

"In the old orchard of Arthur Bryant we 
had an opportunity of taking notes on a con- 
siderable number of varieties. Mr. Bryant 
planted fifty trees in 1836, of which twenty 
are living and healthy. All these are root 
grafts. Mr. Bryant gives the following criti- 
cism: Newtown Pippin worth little; Early 
Harvest bears well every other year; Hoops 
of no value; Pennock, a large tree now twenty- 
four inches, has generally not borne well, but 
one year produced thirty bushels; Rambo 
the most protitable variety up to 1856; En- 
glish Golden Russet of very little value; 
Maiden's Blush has borne well; Snow (of 
which Mr. Bryant planted the first tree in 
Illinois, 1837), is very good; Green Pippin 
not productive; Winesap^too small, not profit- 
able; Early Pennock protitable; Golden 
Sweet productive. 

" In the young orchard of Mr. Bryant were 
found still other varieties, the favorites 
being: Jonathan; this keeps here until April 
or May, although a late fall or early winter 
apple in southern Illinois; White Pippin 
good, bears well; Summer Sweet Paradise 
moderate bearer and fruit excellent; Early 
Strawberry, except being small, is excellent; 



330 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Haskell's Sweet, a large and productive Sep- 
tember apple; Whitney's Eusset, good; Dan- 
ver's Wiuter good, but bears poorly; Tall- 
man's Sweet, drops badly; Mother, first-rate, 
bears tolerably; Northern Spy, top-grafted, 
tolerably good; Striped Gilliflower, showy, 
not first-rate; Ben Davis bears well. [In the 
heavy apple-growing district of southern Ill- 
inois the Ben Davis excels all others for prof- 
its, as it bears well, trees nearly always full, 
and keeps well, ships well, and very showy 
apple that always sells well. Last year (1883) 
any number of these trees the fruit was sold 
on the tree for $10 a tree in central Illinois. 
And often when all other varieties have totally 
failed there would be a fair crop of the Ben 
Davis. In flavor it is not one of the best, 
but for profits it so far excels all other apples 
in middle and southern Illinois.]" 

In 1859 Mr. Bryant planted 350 trees of 
Winesaps, Willow Twig, Yellow Bellflower, 
Jonathan, and Red Astrachan. These were 
planted in the spring. In the fall of the 
same year he planted 350 trees, 25x25 feet in 
a tract of six acres, surrounded by woods. 
The varieties are Jonathan, Willow Twig, and 
Ben Davis. The trees are grown with a lead- 
er and laterals instead of cutting out the cen- 
ter. 

Arthur Bryant, Sr., commenced his nursery 
about 1845. He regai'ded himself as a farmer 
for many years after this, and the nursery 
business merely an aid in his farming and 
furnishing employment for his love of trees 
and flowers. But soon his nursery trade 
grew to unexpected proportions, and after he 
had moved it to where his son is now carry- 
ing on the business in the south part of town 
his son saw that it was of itself quite busi- 
ness enough, and now he has one of the most 
extensive and prosperous nurseries, contain- 
ing sixty-five acres, crowded with all varieties 
of nursery stock, in which he employs a large 



force of men, and in the spring of the year 
his shipments are very extensive and nearly 
all over the country, but especially west to 
the Pacific Ocean. No man who came as a 
pioneer to Illinois did more for horticulture 
and tree-growing than did Arthur Bryant, Sr. 
He loved the trees, the woods, the flowers. 
They spoke their own language to his poetic 
soul. No man was so retiring in his nature. 
He turned instinctively from a public gaze, 
and in the noisy throng his refuge was to re- 
tire within himself. A nature quiet, pure 
and difiident. An intellect cultured, strong, 
manly and elevated, with the finest poetic im- 
aginings. It was but natural with such a 
temperament to commune with himself, or 
pour out the fervor of his soul to the grand 
and beautiful in nature, in all her gorgeous 
decorations of landscape, trees and flowers. 
His education was real, profound and accurate 
in all its grand range from the highest Greek 
classics to the practical details of the count- 
ing room or the printing office, and to those 
who did not fully understand him it is pass- 
ing strange, that from the first position in a 
leading daily newspaper in the city of New 
York, he could become a pioneer in the wil- 
derness, with all its trials and deprivations 
and rough life. But not so to those who 
could better understand him. The brick 
walls and stony streets, the black pall and 
sooty cloud of a city, the noise, the vice, the 
crimes, the suffering, the selfishness, the 
shams and the whited sepulchers of the me- 
tropolis repelled him, and he sought undis- 
turbed nature. Where the sweet repose, the 
inviting field, the ethereal feast in the shady 
lawns called him and he could hear the birds 
upon the swinging limbs, carolling their 
notes of liberty and joy in the sweet sunshine 
of heaven. These shall be his fitting and 
immortal epitaph. 

We insert the following from the pen of 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



231 



Dr. Richard Edwards, as published in the 
Chicago Inter-Ocean, of March, 1883: 

' ' Arthur Bryant, Sr. ^The fashions 
that prevail among men often have a 
tendency to obliterate in our minds the 
true estimate of a manly character. So 
much is made to depend upon mere social 
position or political influence that the innate 
worth of a genuine manhood is in great dan- 
ger of being overlooked. With the crowd, 
notoriety comes to be the thing sought for. 
Mere brazen noise too often drowns out the 
gentle utterances of a well-founded fame. It 
seems hard for many to understand that one 
may be great, worthy of the respect and even 
of the admiration of his fellows, and at 
the same time be only a private citizen, per- 
forming the ordinary duties of an ordinary 
life. With this delusion, that measures the 
man by his accidents, the crowd is very liable 
to be carried away. And it is a dangerous 
delusion. It tends to destroy all right ideals 
of living. It tends to dissuade men from 
pursuits that are really honorable and useful, 
and leads them into employments that are in 
themselves worthless and mean, for the arts 
of the sycophant and demagogue are essen- 
tially debasing. 

"Humanity, therefore, owes a debt of grati- 
tude to every man who by his life and char- 
acter helps to correct this mistake. And 
such a man was the subject of this sketch. 
Fitted by natural abilities as well as by schol- 
astic culture for a conspicuous position; en- 
joying in a more than ordinary degree the 
respect and confidence of those who knew 
him, he was still content to live quietly upon 
his farm, in no way distinguished from his 
neighbors in the same occupation, except as 
he was a better farmer and a wiser, more ex- 
emplary man than the average. Only once 
is it remembered that he held any public 
office. In the spring of 1837, when the 



county of Bureau was first organized, he was 
elected one of the Judges of the County Com- 
missioners' Court. 

"The principal tacts of his life are some- 
what as follows! He was born in November, 
1803, at the Bryant homestead, in Cumming- 
ton, Mass. He was originally of feeble con- 
stitution, being greatly troubled in early life 
with asthma. His father, an eminent and 
skillful physician, had little expectation of 
his living. But as he grew older the disease 
seemed to lose its hold upon him, and through 
his youth and manhood he suffered little from 
ill-health. During the years 1822 and 1823 
he was fitted for college at Barrington, 
Mass., under the tutorship of his brother, 
William Cullen. In the winter of 1824 he 
received a cadet's warrant from John C. Cal- 
houn, then Secretary of War under James 
Monroe, and entered the military academy at 
West Point in June of that year. But a pro- 
longed and severe attack of inflammatory 
rheumatism compelled his resignation in the 
following December. The season was a wet 
and cold one, and the long hours of guard 
duty, performed in the thin clothing rigor- 
ously prescribed at the academy, were too 
heavy a burden upon his slender frame. Early 
in 1826 he began the study of medicine, but 
by the advice of his brother William that 
study was abandoned, and in October of 
the same year he became a member of the 
sophomore class in Williams College. For 
some reason, now unknown, his course at Will- 
iams was terminated on the 3d day of March, 

1829. The next six months were spent in New 
York City in the employ of his brother, who 
was then connected with the Evening Post,and 
had been since 1826. Here he made himself 
useful in a variety of ways, reading proof, 
etc. From November, 1829, until October, 

1830, he was employed as a tutor in the famous 
Round Hill School at Northampton, Mass. 



232 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



This school was established in 1823 by Joseph 
G. Cogswell and George Bancroft, and in its 
day enjoyed the highest reputation. Its 
founders had examined the schools of En- 
gland and the European continent, and availed 
themselves in founding their new institution, 
of all they had learned abroad. One of the 
results was that it attracted pupils from all 
parts of the country. And here Mr. Bryant 
labored as an instructor for about one year. 

"On October 11, 1830, he set out upon his 
iirst journey to Illinois. At that time the 
trip was a very different affair from what it 
is now. The details of the early part of the 
journey are not at hand. But, by the help 
of the Ohio River, he at last reached Cairo. 
His objective point, however, was Jackson- 
ville, in Morgan County, and the trip from 
Cairo to that place — a distance of 200 
miles — was made on foot. In those days it 
must have been a tedious tramp, through 
brush and briar, over hill and stream, for 
we know that, through most of the distance 
named, the roads are even now none of the 
smoothest. The journey was accomplished, 
however, and Jacksonville was reached De- 
cember 1, 1830. Here he addressed himself 
resolutely to the business of pioneer life, 
laboring industriously with his hands. 
Soon after his arrival he seems to have 
purchased a quarter-section of land, in the 
working of which he was afterward helped 
by his youngest brother, John, who arrived 
in Jacksonville in Maj, 1831. In the au- 
tumn of that year he returned to Massa- 
chusetts. His errand appears to have been 
an important as well as an interesting one, 
for we find that, on the 10th of May, 1832, 
he was married in the town of Richmond to 
Miss Henrietta Plummer. Of that event 
the fiftieth anniversary was most pleasantly 
observed at the home in Princeton, in 1882. 
And any one who was then present or who 



has witnessed the gentle and unremitting 
care with which Mr. Bryant was watched 
and succored during his last illness, must 
have been satisfied that the vows of that 
man-iage had been faithfully and affec- 
tionately kept. 

"In September, 1833, Mr. Bryant came to 
Princeton, and settled upon the farm whereon 
he has ever since lived. Here he betook 
himself to the labor necessary to the sub- 
duing of the wild pi'airie and the building 
up of a comfortable and attractive home. 
Most of the work in which he was engaged 
was substantially the same as that performed 
by his neighbors. But it soon became evi- 
dent that he looked at nature with more 
discerning eyes than the most of them He 
was not satisfied with the annual crops, and 
the annual product of cattle and swine. 
Not that he neglected these, by any means; 
but he thought also of other things. He 
planted trees, not alone for wind-break, but 
also for ornament, in order to diversify and 
adorn the monotonous prairie. And there 
they stand to-day, the double row of splen- 
did hard maples that line the street on 
either side, a conspicuous landmark — a 
place from which distances are reckoned and 
directions indicated. Besides these are the 
evergreens, the charming varieties of indi- 
genous and exotic trees of many kinds, some 
very rare, which beautify the ground. They 
are living monuments, more expressive than 
any cut in marble or granite, of the essen- 
tial refinement of the man. 

''About the year 1845 Mr. Bryant engaged 
in tree culture as a business. His nursery 
soon became well and favorably known. 
His own name became identified with the 
movements organized for the propagation of 
fruit and forest trees. The Northwestern 
Pomological Society was set on foot about 
the year 1850, in the town of Princeton. 




J^ 




HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



235 



During its continuance he was one of its 
most prominent members. A few years 
thereafter it was merged in the Illinois 
State Horticultural Society. This associa- 
tion still exists, and is actively promoting its 
beneficent purposes. One of its specialties 
at the present time is the extension of 
forest culture. This object Mr. Bryant had 
much at heart. In the meetings of the so- 
ciety he seems to have been always quietly 
but efficiently active. His reports from the 
committees have about them an air of 
thoughtful honesty. At the urgent request 
of members of the Horticultural Society, he 
published, in 1871, a book with the title: 
'Forest Trees, for Shelter, Ornament and 
Profit. A Practical Manual for their Cul- 
ture and Propagation.' It is a smallish 
volume of 248 pages, containing as much 
downright practical sense, and as little of 
the opposite, on the designated subject, as 
one often finds in the same space. A care- 
ful x'eading of this book by the farmers of 
the Northwest would undoubtedly result in 
great blessing to the country, now and here- 
after. The subject is one whose importance 
cannot be overstated. How to extend 
the forest area of these prairie States is a 
most vital question. On the way in which 
it shall be practically answered will depend 
the comfort, and even the civilization of the 
future dwellers upon these plains. And 
here, in this book, we have the practical in- 
structions of an educated, sensible, practical 
man. 

•' By the State Society, and by kindred as- 
sociations, Mr. Bryant's death has been 
appropriately and, we may say affectionately 
noticed. His memory has been honored by 
fitting resolutions. Affectionate letters have 
been addressed to his bereaved family, by 
the co-laborers of years gone by. The Hon. 
G. W. Minier says: 'Our loss seems irre- 



parable, especially at this crisis. We are or- 
ganizing an effort to conserve our forests 
and to plant new ones. Our eyes turned to 
this veteran forester for counsel. We feel 
like Clan Alpine's men, and are ready to cry 
out, 

" One blast upon that bugle horn 
Were worth a thousand men." 

" 'His place cannot be filled. Others may 
come, as wise, as earnest, as devoted, but the 
sincerity, the tenderness, and the patience 
were all his own.' 

" Mr. Bryant was a thorough man. He was 
thorough in his scholarship, notably so in 
his knowledge of the Greek language. He 
was thorough in his botany. To his mind 
the trees which he handled had other signifi- 
cance than that which appeared upon his 
ledger. He felt impelled to look into their 
structure and laws of growth. He was 
thorough in his moral convictions and quali- 
ties. In his dealings with men he was up- 
right beyond the shade of suspicion. He 
was always true, always correct, always 
clean. 

" His death was caused by gangrene, which 
had proved fatal to some of his ancestors. 
The disease first appeared in one of his 
feet, and after about three months of gradual 
progress it attacked the vital organs, and the 
scene soon closed. His death was such as 
become him, calm and trustful. He died as 
he had lived, a firm believer in the Christian 
faith. 

" Of his six children five remain. One, 
the second son. Col. Julian Bryant, who had 
already achieved some distinction as an 
artist, and who had faithfully served his 
country during the war of the Rebellion, was 
drowned on the Texan coast in 1865." 

P. H. Griffith, of Princeton, has for some 
years dealt in nursery stock, and has raised 
considerable stock. Mr. Bubach, in the east 



236 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



part of town, is now giving nearly all of his 
attention to small fruit, and is making this 
quite a successful industry. (See his biogra- 
phy.) Mr. Edwards, mentioned above, closed 
his nursery and removed to Mendota some 
time ago. A man named Aldrich at one 
time had a nursery near Tiskilwa; but since 
his death the business is discontinued. At 
one time Mr. Bliss also had a small nursery 
near Providence. 

Arthur Bryant, Jr., is the leading horticult- 
urist in the county, and, like his father, has 
expanded his business and kept even pace 
with the demands of the surrounding country, 
and by intelligent industry has promoted the 
industry and continues well the work left off 
by his father. He reports but little change 
in the leading varieties of apples and cherries 
from what is given in the foregoing report of 
1869. He thinks the Ben Davis yet the best 
and leading apple for the general markets, 
but the trees are not as hardy in the way of 
a long life as are some others. The judg ■ 
ment of all the fruit growers of northern Illi 
nois now is that the late fruits are the most 
profitable; that the railroad communication 
with the South has completely changed the 
former advantages that there were in some of 
the earliest crops that would command often 
fancy prices in the city markets. 

Mr. Bryant reports the Morello cherry as 
the only reliable variety that can be grown 
this far North. And that the grape produc- 
tion has decreased the past fifteen years. 
There is very little grape wine now made in 
the county, whereas a few years ago there 
were some good sized vineyards. But at this 
time, except about De Pue, the business has 
gone down to a great extent. He does not 
believe the black soil especially of the 
prairies profitable for gi'apes. 

The Snyder blackberry is the most suc- 
cessful so far, and this industry is a growing 



one. The raspberry and strawberry are not 
so reliable here as they are further south. 

This is the great corn and grass belt — the 
land of fat and sleek horses, cattle and hogs. 
These will be the great leading industries of 
northern Illinois. And yet apples, cherries, 
and to a certain extent peaches, will in the 
end be successfully raised here and great 
profits made on each. But pears may so far 
be counted a failure. 

In Tracy Reeve's yard we noticed a fine, 
thrifty chestnut tree, and on it a quantity of 
the real chestnut burs. We never saw a chest- 
nut tree look more thrifty than this one, even 
in the chestnut regions of Pennsylvania. 

The timber growth all over the county be- 
speaks a soil and that moisture of the air 
that should encoui-age the people to busy 
themselves in the good work of tree-growing 
all over this part of Illinois. Already the 
beauties of landscape, the orchards, the arti- 
ficial groves, the shaded avenues, the shrub- 
bery and lawns that have added to the natural 
beauties of the country, are to be seen on 
every hand, and have added incalculably to 
the value of the whole county. They go far 
to demonstrate the inviting possibilities for 
this already favored land. Where trees will 
grow, as it is demonstrated they will here, 
men and women, strong and vigorous, will 
also grow and mature. 

The first essential to each is a moist air, 
a bountiful rainfall. Animate and inanimate 
life seem fixed in their habits by the same law 
of soil and climate. An arid climate is not 
the best for either, and hence the interior of 
continents are the dry, sandy deserts. One 
recent writer of much ability contends that 
our prairies are the result of the dryness that 
once prevailed over the regions where prai- 
ries exist; that the rain belt and the tree 
belt are always the same. Recent investiga- 
tions make it quite plain that animate and 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



237 



inanimate life is regulated more by the geo- 
logical and meteorological surroundings than 
by anything else. There is growth and life 
in a moist atmosphere, and the opposite is 
true of an arid region. Among human beings 
this regulates the size of families. Every 
day you can hear people wondering why it is 
that the number of children in families now 
are so much less than among their fathers 
and grandfathers. Buckle tells us that the 
number of marriages among the nations of 
Great Britain, France and Germany are pow- 
fuUy influenced by the jarice of corn. In 
prosperous times there are more marriages 
than in hard times and as there are more 
marriages there will be a greater increase of 
population, but the number of children to 
each family is influenced by both the pros- 
perous condition of the country and the 
moisture of the atmosphere, and probably 
more by the latter than the former. The 
largest average families of children in Eu- 
rope is in England. On that moist island 
every portion is teeming with life. A recent 
naturalist tells us that certain birds that lay 
four eggs at each hatching there produce only 
two if transported to this country. The in- 
vestigations of these subjects are important 
to the horticulturist, to the farmer generally 
and especially to the many stpck-raisers in 
this county. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



Some CuBiors Beliefs— CBEprLiTY and Superstition — Gold and 
Silver Mines — "Way Bills" — Gold and Stlvir, and the 
Maoicxans, etc. 

O, may the light of truth, my steps to guide. 
Shine on my eve of life — shine soft, and long abide. 

— John H. Brtajit. 

BELIEFS in the magic art, especially in 
the active work of the magicians in the 
handling of the precious ores, are as slow to 



leave men's minds as is the beliefs in witches, 
spooks and spirits, and the bobbing around 
of ghosts in the affairs of meu. Almost any 
day you may read an account of some locality 
that is all torn up over a haunted house, 
where apparently a lot of fool ghosts meet 
every night and carry on a general idiotic 
drimken orgy. There are not a few people 
in the world who yet believe in witches. In 
another form, there is a class, very large, 
indeed, that publicly teach " Providential 
interference" in the daily and hourly affairs 
of men — punishing some, running errands 
for others, and cheating the doctors out of 
their patients constantly. The amount of 
ignorant credulity and the persistence with 
which it maintains its hold upon men presents, 
one of the strongest subjects for oiu- consid- 
eration. In every city of the civilized world 
are nightly seances in which ghosts, most 
generally Indian shades, are made to do duty in 
the silliest imaginable roles. And this form 
of witch belief is found widespread and 
nearly everywhere. While it is palpable that 
all these beliefs are bordering closely on the 
idiotic, yet it is not true that all the people 
who thus dupe themselves and one anotlier, 
are by any means fools on all subjects. 
Many and many of them are remarkably 
bright apparently, and some in fact are noted 
for strong and vigorous thinkers, when their 
minds are directed to almost any other sub- 
ject save that of the ghosts or ghostly affairs. 
There is nothing new in this strange phase 
of the human mind. It has apparently 
existed always, and just as strong and as well 
defined as it is now. Education has no effect 
upon it, for it is found as common with the 
educated as among the illiterate. The 
strongfest believers often in ancient and 
modern history, in the most stupid, silly and 
even infamous beliefs, have been the most 
earnestly advocated by the best educated and 



238 



HISTOET OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



otherwise tlie strongest minded of their day. 
The most curious thing in this world is men's 
beliefs. Any man will tell yon in looking 
back over his life, that its course has been 
directed by the most trivial and singular cir- 
cumstances. In fact, nearly every great life 
is fitly synonymized by a great river. At its 
source it may be turned by a straw or pebble 
out of its course, and when it has gathered 
its tributaries it moves with a swift and 
resistless force. But the same man will 
believe, nay, know in the most dogmatic way, 
that his judgment and beliefs are founded 
upon the eternal granite rocks — here there 
were no influences of circumstances; nothing 
but the iron of logic. While the truth is 
hia bent of mind in youth, the most singular 
and inconsequential accidents have started 
him in a certain coiu-se, or changed his 
course, and again, like the river, in propor- 
tion to each mind's resources— its tributeries 
— does it become stronger and stronger, 
firmer and firmer in its judgments, whether 
they wete right or wi-ong. The tenacity with 
which the most idle beliefs cling to the 
human race is most extraordinary. When 
the advance of civilized ideas force their 
way into men's minds — ideas that you feel 
certain cannot exist in the same mind with 
the crude beliefs of a barbarous people, they 
only drive oat by a slow process the folly 
they find, and it appears at once in some 
other shape. And the superficial observer 
says the error is dead when it has only, like 
the actor, changed its dress, and while its 
appearance may be greatly improved it is 
essentially its original self. It is this genius 
for playing hide and seek that makes it 
nearly impossible to successfuly extinguish 
this strong bent of the human mind. When 
killed in one form in one age it is found in 
its new habiliments in the next age, denounc- 
ing its former self, exulting over its own de- 



struction, and says, ' ' Look at me, I am the 
only truth in the world." 

Is there a grown man or woman in the 
world of intelligence enough to partially un- 
derstand their mother tongue, who has not 
had his or her mind twisted in infancy by 
ghostly or fairy stories of the most stupid and 
injurious kind? "As the twig is bent the 
tree inclines," whether it grows that way or 
not. You cannot read a newspaper without 
being confronted constantly with such stuff. 
From the lips of the prattling child and from 
trembling senility; in eloquent poetry or 
stately prose; in common conversation among 
all classes and in books and paintings, it may 
be found, in ugly blotches and in exquisite 
shadings and it is everywhere and at all 
times. In some of its Protean forms it is 
ubiquitous, among all nations, peoples, 
classes and conditions of life. Is it possible 
for a perfectly healthy mind to grow in such 
surroundings ? Every other man you may 
meet in a day's walk, if he would be thorough- 
ly honest with you, will tell you that he is an 
exception, perhaps the only one in the world, 
yet a miraculous exception to that human 
trait of beliefs that are either illogical or 
stupid. Of course he realizes in his neigh- 
bors, in all mankind except himself this 
fault and, therefore, he is certain that he is 
free from the common or universal error. In 
looking over the curious subject we are free 
to confess that with the spread of civilization 
the change that is constantly going on in the 
outward paraphernalia of injurious supersti- 
tions are, as a rule, an improvement of the 
new upon the old. For instance, the differ- 
ence is by far to better the beliefs of our 
fathers in witches and witch burning and 
the same thing in its modern form of seances 
and spiritual materializing. The latter is 
innocent so far as legal faggot and murder are 
concerned. We say this without any exam- 



HISTORY OP BUREAU COUNTY. 



289 



ination into the ultimate evils to healthy mind 
growth and their comparative effects in this 
line. We merely assert the palpable fact and 
leave results for others to examine. 

Among the early settlers of Illinois, there 
was one phase of ignorant credulity that has 
now nearly ceased to exist. 

But few localities in the Northwest, or for 
that matter in the Mississippi Valley, since 
the coming of De Soto and his hunt for the 
fountains of youth and the precious metals, 
but that have had attacks of the curious de- 
lusion over the reported discovery of gold, 
silver or lead mines. There were always men 
hunting and dreaming for such discoveries. 
There is a per cent of cranks all over the 
world on certain well-uaderstood subjects, 
like perpetual motion, the end of the world, 
religion, or being President of the United 
States, beatiJication, or silver or gold mines. 
Of all these the mine-seeker is the one ex- 
cusable being, because since and before his- 
toric times there have been found rich mines 
of various kinds that have yielded enormous 
fortunes to the lucky few, while the other 
victims of their heated fancies have invariably 
suffered only from long hopes deferred, or 
been put in straight-jackets by their friends. 

Some of the early people were brought 
here in the piu-suit of the gold and silver 
mine ignis-fatuus that beguiled De Soto and 
his followers to penetrate the wilderness and 
leave their bones scattered along their dreary 
roatefrom Florida to Mexico. Indian tradi- 
tions and idle pioneer stories hu'ed many to 
the West in the hope of finding rich gold 
and silver mines. The great ' ' Mississippi 
Bubble " ran its course in Europe and bank- 
rupted its thousands and sent its hundreds to 
their graves as they followed up the Missis- 
sippi River and found their way to Illinois, 
in the faith that they would find the hidden 
treasures, and all over southern Illinois 



especially along the country adjacent to the 
Mississippi River, is to be found to this day 
the marks of their presence. At one time a 
Frenchman brought to Illinois 500 slaves to 
dig in the mines, and in the oldest settle- 
ments in the State fiows Silver Creek, which 
got its name from the fact that along its 
banks the miners had flocked in crowds, and 
were digging and prospecting upon its hills 
from its source to its mouth. The relics of 
those superstitions about gold and silver 
were thus handed down to the early pioneers, 
and among some of our people the faith 
lingers to this day, and they dig yet in the 
hills and rocks, and to find a rock flecked 
with bits of mica is enough to set them wild, 
and renew the otherwise fading superstitions 
on this absorbing subject. The banks of 
the Wabash have been celebrated grounds, 
and the early settlers were sometimes pro- 
vided, when they came, with precious "way- 
bills." This consisted of a paper containing 
minute directions, by referring to certain 
streams and marks upon trees, by which the 
possesor of the way-bill could follow the 
route to a silver mine. They purported to 
come from the French, those people who 
were here before the English came, and who 
had been driven out of the country by the 
Indians, and these fugitives had prepared 
these "way-bills," it was said, in order that 
they or their posterity might, when the 
savage was out of the way, return and claim 
these secret stores of inexhaustible wealth. 
Hence, the man who possessed a way-bill 
was the happy heir apparent, to gi-eat for- 
tunes, and he dreamed in want and poverty 
about his wealth of which some day he would 
take possession. He would not often openly 
go out and hunt for the route as his chart 
gave it, for fear that his envious neighbor 
raight be watching his action and thus gain 
his great secret. Nothing could shake this 



240 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUI^TY. 



faith in the original way-biller. And when 
he had spent his life in following the de- 
lusion, he would on his death-bed call his 
wife and children about him and tell them 
the story of the precious paper and bequeath 
it to them, and they would take up the pui'- 
suit and expend their lives in the same in- 
fatuation. One now can form but little idea 
of how general and wide-spread was this de- 
lusion here in former days. It is about ex- 
tinct now, and the few faithful that yet 
linger among us will, as a rule, deny it 
stoutly when approached on the subject. 

A friend tells us at some length of how 
the way-bill disease flourished for a long 
time in this section, and extended into sur- 
rounding counties. He speaks of one cel- 
ebrated way-bill which came f rom Vincennes, 
and found its way here and for a generation 
or more attracted wide attention. The early 
hunters for game and silver reported finding 
many coke pits, and they were built on the 
bank of the river, about six feet deep and 
four feet wide, and were walled with rock, 
the bottom was oval in the shape of a kettle, 
and the walls showed they had been subject- 
ed to great heat. There had been work on 
almost every hillside, showing in places a 
vast amount of labor in the hunt for the 
mine* A five-pound lump of pure native 
copper was found. Other copper specimens 
were dug up and these were pronounced by 
geologists, so report says, to be blossoms of 
silver ore. Among the romantic fictions that 
fired the peoples' imagination was that of a 
man who came to the county and for two 
years hunted for his silver mine. He insisted 
that when a little boy he had been in a shaft 
which was worked deep under ground; that 
he came up from St. Louis, and after a little 
■while returned to St. Louis. He remem- 
bered he came with some Frenchmen, and 
rode a mule, and he thought from his recol- 



lections he could go to the place, but after 
two years hunting he finally acknowledge his 
complete failure. Many think that some of 
the pioneers in their lonesome isolation from 
all fellowship with civilization, were easy 
victims to the wildest romance and story, 
and in the most inconsiderate way went to 
work digging holes here and there in the 
roughest parts of the* country: and mines 
were traded for old horses, broken down wag- 
ons, and many of the caves and holes fell to 
the possession of counterfeiters, who largely 
supplied the people with pretty much all the 
currency of the realm. This money would 
for a long time pass current except at the 
government land office, and the people in 
their trades and sales would agree that the 
pay was to be in " land office money." That 
is when " land office money" was mentioned 
it simply meant it was to be good money. 

In the central portion of the State lived an 
old reprobate who made the "Hull money." 
For years he plied his nefarious trade, and 
the " Hull money" was well known far and 
wide, and at one time there were people who 
honestly believed his money was better than 
the genuine. He was eventually sent to the 
penitentiary, and for years people hunted for 
I his mine. They believed he dug out the 
pure silver and simply coined it, and his only 
crime was in making his money too pure; that 
he found the precious metal in such abund- 
ance that he could not afford to put any alloy 
in liis coin, and much such worse than idle 
stories went the rounds among the people of 
that day. We give this as one of the forms 
of credulity that was peculiar to the early 
settlers of our country. And we record its 
history because it may now be called a thing 
of the past. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



241 



CHAPTER XX. 

Debating Societies — Some Iumobtal Specimens —Old Time 
Church Severity — How Matters Are Modified and Bet- 
tered — Forefathers' Day, Toasts, Poems, and Addresses — 
Discussions About It in the Papers — Reviewing of History 
— Etc., etc. 

My thoughts steal back to that sweet village still; 
Its flowers and peaceful shades before me rise; 
The play-place and the prospect from the hill, 
Its summer verdure and autumnal dyes; 
The present brings its storm; but while there lost, 
I shelter me in the delightful past. 

— John H. Bryant. 

THE story of the average countj' in its 
days of pioneer farm-making, house- 
raising and tree-planting, alternated by coon- 
hunting and August elections, spread-eagle 
orators and " a little for the stomach's sake," 
is not, as rule, very largely connected with 
literature, mind growth, or intellectual cult- 
ure in any of the branches of education that 
come of real education in the walks of life of 
a literary, religious, social or political people. 
Generally there is too much of the grim re- 
alities for much time to be given to the arti- 
ficial or the polish that comes of the higher 
culture that attends upon ease and leisure. 
Yet, even fifty or more years ago in perhaps 
every then organized county in Illinois, there 
was the incipient debating society in about 
every schoolhouse in the land, and the com- 
parative beauties of ''Art" or "Nature," or 
the "Penitentiary" or the "Hangman's 
rope," or "Pursuit or Possession ? " were fan- 
ning the latent fires of the young Ciceros 
and Demosthenes of the whole country. 
This intellectual fruit was then, as it is now, 
a winter's growth entirely, and flourished 
during the three months' winter school. 
The commanding intellectual figure usually 
was the teacher, who was working for $10 or 
$12 a month and "board round;" the 



" round " was mostly where was the fattest 
table and the biggest houseful of fine healthy 
girls — the neighborhood belles. Many of 
the swains who radiated about this spot, no 
doubt, often envied the teacher, and in their 
hearts were ready to teach the school for 
nothing, that is, nothing more than the 
" board round " at this one particular house. 
These were the primitive literary clubs of the 
average county, commencing nearly always 
in the chief town of the county and from 
here extending to farthest outlying school 
district. As remarked above there was an 
average in these things among the counties 
in the early days of their existence, and in 
them the performances, the questions dis- 
cussed and the speeches were much alike. 
They were then and so are they now, excel- 
lent training schools for the the young as 
well as the full grown. In the rural districts, 
especially, their efiects were the very best 
They brought the people together, improved 
their social intercourse, and exchanged 
thoughts and ideas and tended to polish and 
improve those who were blessed with but few 
facilities to this end. They were sometimes 
amusing, often interesting, and always profit- 
able. What grown man is there in the land 
who cannot recall his blushing, first effort in 
the debating society? The writer well re- 
members the little old log schoolhouse, 
where, during the days of the week he was 
trying hard to get at the intricacies of 
"figgers," and on Friday evenings he at- 
tended his first debating society. The older 
men would be appointed, and then they 
would choose one at a time alternately until 
every one present would be elected debater, 
and they would speak in the order chosen. 
The head leaders would be the real lions of 
the evening, and as it tapered off in succes- 
sion toward the tail of the intellectual whip, 
the speeches would be correspondingly 



242 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



shortened about in the ratio that the embar- 
rassment increased. On one of these occa- 
sions, the writer being very young and among 
the very last chosen, in fact, was only named 
for forms sake at all, he commenced, and by 
a sudden inspiration as it were — the subject 
is forgotten, and it was evidently not germane 
to the incident, nor necessary to the story 
now — he broke forth: "Where was Henry 
Clay? At the head of the army with a big 
gun killing Indians; that's where he was. 
And what would have become of all this 
country if it had not been for James Francis 
Marion, as he sat eating roasted sweet pota- 
toes on a holler log, when the King of En- 
gland called to see him before breakfast, and 
he wanted something to wash the cob-webs 
out of his throat. No, sir! Think of all 
the people of this country being scalped, 
killed and carried into captivity by the 
Indians. Was not all these things worth 
fighting for? No, sir! Tippecanoe and 
Tyler, too, and so say I forever!" And the 
tyro sat down covered with glory. From 
that on during the winter he was always the 
very first choice, and as he could discuss any 
subject in the world equally well, he was 
quite a hero. We presume the reader has 
heard of another immortal eifort when a 
society was discussing the subject of "Art or 
Nature," and the orator rose upon his tip 
toes and exclaimed: "Mr. President, I say 
nature is the most beautifuller. What, Mr. 
President, is beautifi;llerthan to see anateral 
steamboat flying and puffin' up a nateral 
river, or a nateral canal at sea, when the 
houses rock and bob like nateral corks when 
you are gitting a big bite from a little sun 
fish." This settled it and " Nature " won 
the day, of course. 

As early as 1836, before Bureau County 
was formed, some of the early settlers had 
taken steps to form a literary society. There 



was not enough people in and about Prince- 
ton to call it a town yet, but there was enough 
people of that kind who aspired to the high- 
est walks in the mental fields, who set about 
the organization of a literary society. They 
met together and by a vote determined to in- 
corporate the " Putnam County Lyceum. " 
And this was done. The names of the offi- 
cers chosen are a sufficient assurance of the 
force and ability there was in the society. 
These were: Cyrus Bryant, President; Justin 
H. Olds, Secretary and Librarian; R. T. 
Templeton, Treasurer; Arthur Bryant and 
Degrass Salisbury, Trustees. When Bureau 
County was created a meeting of this society 
was called, and on motion of Judge Temple- 
ton it was unanimously resolved to change 
the name from " Putnam County Lyceum " to 
that of " Bureau County Lyceum." This 
action of the Lyceum was duly spread upon 
the records of the County Court. Although 
this society was a creature of the early pio- 
neer days, the names on its rolls, while the 
list is much smaller than has been some of 
the more modern literary bodies in the county, 
yet it possessed men of as thorough culture 
and as great natural abilities as can now be 
gathered in the county or anywhere else for 
that matter. We award much of the spread 
of improvement that has always distinguished 
this county to the early work of the lyceum. 
Its influence could not but be felt, and to 
this day its efi'ects are easily traced on every 
hand. The philosophical conclusion was 
long since reached that one great man can 
not exist alone in a county. He will cause 
at least one great man to rise up 'about him. 
If this basis of the idea is the true one, then 
we can see how one, two or three superior 
men fixing their lot in a community of pioneers 
will cast their good influences all over the 
. county. Such a community may be started 
on that higher plane of civilized life, that is 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



343 



by others only reached after years of growth 
and slow self-preparation. It is true, then, 
that often it depends upon one or two fami- 
lies or individuals in the moral and intellect- 
ual bias that is to distinguish a young com- 
munity. In the formation of the first society 
in nearly every county in central and north- 
ern Illinois there was the first meeting of 
those particular representatives of the New 
England States and the Southern States of 
Virginia and Kentucky — the two blades of 
the scissors that when riveted together cut 
out the patterns for the irrepressible conflict. 
New England blood dominated ; no finer types 
of the two sections were ever presented than 
was the career of Stephen A. Douglas and 
Abraham Lincoln, nor can we just now re- 
call a finer illustration of the observation 
noted above of the influence that the devel- 
opments of a man of large talents will have 
upon his surroundings; or the assertion that 
one great man in a developing or new com- 
munity will inevitable produce another great 
man. 

Stephen A. Douglas was a New England- 
er. As a politician he was a superb — a truly 
great man. It is perhaps too soon after the 
close of his active life to discuss the ques- 
tion of his statesmanship, or to inquire with- 
out prejudice, as to whether he was a states- 
man at all or not. But the career of this 
Yankee schoolmaster in his adopted State is 
an eventful one, and presents, to him who 
can lay aside all prejudices or bias of judg- 
ment, a study of profound interest. The 
flood of eloquence or literature yet written 
or spoken about either Douglas or Lincoln is 
mere sentiment, 'exalted beyond the realms of 
just judgments, and wholly beyond the cold 
facts of criticism or history. The period of 
extravagant and affectionate panegyric will 
in its proper time subside, and the iconoclast 
will come; he will inflict no injury even if he 



does topple over certain imaginary and false 
idols — or certain extravagant estimates, or 
fulsome and hysterical eulogies. The gentle 
hand of affection, the inspired brain, the 
eloquent tongue, and the gifted pen of ad- 
miration and love for the dear and illustrious 
dead, are to be ever respected. They are the 
beautiful and the good in our common nature 
— the play of our highest and holiest im- 
pulses. But the whole truth is not to be for- 
ever hid under a bushel — real history will in 
the end be written. The names of Douglas 
and Lincoln are not here brought forward to 
assert that their histories will in the end be 
revised and wholly re- written and the verdict 
of their cotemporaries reversed and remanded 
to the great jury of the people, but rather to 
enforce the idea of the strong and lasting 
influence of one superior mind acting upon 
its surroundings. This leads us into the 
fields of investigation where cause and effect 
acting and re-acting upon the human mind 
are to be considered — causes and effects so ob- 
truse and subtle in both their immediate and 
remote consequences as to surround the path 
of investigation with the greatest difiSculties. 
It is only a part of the whole truth, that men 
are the architects of their own fortune. Cir- 
cumstances and surroundings are a part of 
the strongest factors in the make-up of the 
individual and a community. And a large 
community is as fixed in its environments as 
are the primeval rocks in the deep bosom of 
the earth. 

With the commemcement of the early lit- 
erary life of the young county, as noted 
above, we would expect to find in its progress 
and development much of interest and profit 
for present investigation. And, indeed, so we 
do. In the imperfect files of the county 
newspapers, in the chance poem, the addresses 
and the organizations founded at various 
times, we are enabled to see and know much 



244 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



of the mental activity of the times that dis- 
tinguished the people of the county from its 
earliest settlement. But the sermons, the 
political addresses and discussions through 
the prints that we have mostly found by ac- 
cident here and there, furnishes us the open 
window through which we have the best view 
of the intellectual concerns of the people. 
We are free to say that there are but few 
counties in the State that in this respect are 
not almost wholly barren of useful material 
for the historian, while here is much that is 
intensely interesting. 

Already we have given many extracts from 
addresses and poems, commencing with a 
poem by Ai-thur Bryant, written in 1831, 
when on his way " to the distant West. " And 
also we have given many narratives of the 
first settlers, sometimes as they had written 
them out themselves, and frequently as they 
related them to the writer, always preserving 
as nearly as possible their own arrangement 
of the nan-ative, and as fully as possible their 
exact words. We regard these by far as the 
best part of our history. So far, after the 
most diligent search, we have found no diary 
from any of the first or even the most recent 
settlers. This we greatly regret, as it would 
have enabled us to round out and nearly com- 
plete this part of our allotted work. 

In this account of the intellectual life of 
the community, we do not pretend to follow 
the chronological order of events, because 
the history of the mental influences, or the 
history of the literature of a people is not 
thus constructed. 

The actions of men are governed less by 
dogma, text-books and rubrics than by the 
the opinions and habits of their cotempo- 
raries, by the general spirit of the age, and 
by the character of those classes who are in 
the ascendant. This is the origin of that 
difference so prevalent in the world of relig- 



ious theory and religious practice, of which 
theologians so greatly complain as a stum- 
bling block and an evil. 

The religious doctrines of a people as we 
find them in their creeds are but little crite- 
rion of that particular civilization, while their 
religious practices are an unfailing source of 
information, and these always tell the true 
story of a people, and form the best data by 
which the spirit of any age may be meas- 
ured. Locke in his Letters on Toleration, 
observes that often the clergy are naturally 
more eager against error than against vice. 

In the published proceedings of the fiftieth 
anniversary of the Congregational Church, 
held in Princeton, March 28, 1881, from the 
address " by Eev. F. Bascom, D. D., a former 
pastor of the Church," we extract the fol- 
lowing: "Under Mr. Farnham's adminis- 
tration we should expect the church would 
be commendably faithful in discipline. And 
thus we find it. The first case recorded is 
that of a female member, called to account 
for speaking evil of a sister in the church. 
She was required to sign a confession to be 
read to the congregation on the Sabbath. 
She consented to sign a confession, but only 
on condition it should not be read in public. 
She was therefore excommunicated by a 
iinanimous vote." In an "explanatory note" 
at the end of the published j)amj)let, says: 

" In justice to the lady referred to in the 
address of Dr. Bascom, fourteenth page of 
this pamplet, it ought to be stated that she 
was afterward restored, by a vote of the church, 
to her good and regular standing." 

This little incident tells of the stern and 
severe discipline that obtained among the 
early settlei-s. It was not enough to confess 
and humiliate the soul into the dust, but the 
burning words of shame must be read in pub- 
lic, and the culprit must be there to receive 
the deepest possible scourging. The text 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUiTTY. 



245 



merely tells that "in justice" to her, she was 
afterward restored by a vote of the same 
church that had excommunicated her — cut her 
oft' from the anticipations of heaven and from 
the communion and joys of the society of the 
saints on earth, without a word of informa- 
tion upon the point in dispute and that led 
to her being cast out, to wit: Whether she 
came over and consented to a public reading 
of her confession, or whether the church event- 
ually waived this and restored her her good 
name and church blessings. But evidently 
the reference to this case by the speaker in 
his anniversary address, is made in the way 
of mere business recital of the strong and in- 
teresting facts in the church's history, that 
leaves no doubt as to the importance that the 
the church rulers attached to the disciplinary 
proceedings. And as well does the refusal of 
the woman to have her confession read in 
public, indicate the degree of her abhorence 
of such a proceeding. Her whole nature re- 
belled, and with a heavy heart, no doubt, 
she listened to the awful words of excommu- 
nication. She did not blame her church; her 
training and education had taught her that it 
could do no wrong; that its decisions were in- 
fallible, next to God, and that when it cut 
her off, cast her out, and gave her oyer to 
Satan and his satraps, that her cup of afflic- 
tion was full to overflowing. Yet she braved 
all and endured all, rather than gratify the, 
to her, unequaled torture that would come 
of a public reading of her confession. Then, 
too, we are not told how long it was before 
she was restored to the church. Hence, again, 
on this point, we are left to conjecture. But 
whether it was days or years, she was event- 
ually restored, and we respect her only the 
more — as well as the church the more, if the 
latter gave way at last and revoked its former 
severe and unjust act. This reversal of a 
former "unanimous vote" of the church — 



the act of excommunicating a woman, not for 
any actual sin, because the refusal to permit 
the public reading of her confession, was not 
of itself a sin, but simply a refusal to bow to 
a process of discipline and degrade herself 
and polute her freedom of soul, and when the 
church corrected its cruel decision it gave evi- 
dence that it was advancing: alonsthe line of 
civilization, and this evidence is furnished 
in its practice and not in its rubric. 

To-day there would be no such severity in 
this same church. There are perhaps not 
twenty members thereof that are conscious of 
the fact that the church law ever required the 
authorities to take cognizance of and punish 
the tattling females of the order. Is the 
church any the worse for this relaxing of its 
practices? A change that comes from the 
general change in men's minds and'not from 
any change in the vsritten discipline of the 
church itself. Is it not now as " commend- 
ably faithful in its discipline " as it was 
fifty or a hundred years ago, when it was 
ready to drown the good old Quaker for the 
high crime of not taking oft' his hat when he 
passed a minister on the street? With the 
general change in the community in the sur- 
roundings has come the inevitable change in 
the church and a general softening of its 
severities. Has it sacrificed any of its power 
for good by the change ? 

There are many reasons why the movements 
and doings of this particular church — the 
Congregational Church of Princeton — are of 
interest and are historical in character. It 
is the oldest chui'ch organization in the 
county. Was organized tifty-four years ago in 
Massachusetts. It has had many of our 
leading and best representative people on its 
roll of membership. It has had able pastors, 
some of the most famous in Illinois, and has 
had a strong body of refined, cultured and 
elegant people for its congregations. It is 



346 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



purely an offshoot of Massachusetts. Men 
direct from Plymouth Rock and many of 
whose ancestors came over in the Mayflower, 
and nearly all of whom were of the purest 
Puritan stock. In its membership have been 
and is now many of those who were the repre- 
sentatives of the New England States, a class 
of men that predominated in all the early 
times, and that were the majority of the early 
settlers here. The fact that Owen Lovejoy 
and Richard Edwards were each for years 
its resident ministers, makes it a historical 
church. So strong has this people always 
been in this particular church that it has for 
some years had as an addenda to the con- 
gregation a society composed of the sons of 
daughters of New England, and annually 
they celebrated the landing of the Mayflower, 
Forefathers' Day, by assembling and honor- 
ing those noble men and women in songs, in 
poems, toasts and often elegant and brilliant 
responses. 

Forefathers' Z^ay. — December 22, 1879, 
was a meeting of unusual interest. The 
responses to the toasts of the evening were 
made by, first, Arthur Bryant, Sr. , who re- 
sponded to: " The Pilgrim Fathers." It is 
one of the ablest pleas in behalf of the 
memory of the Pilgrim Fathers, that we 
remember to have come across in our read- 
ing. Those portions of it in which he 
replies to the calumniators, is as strong, 
dignified and eloquent as is one of Reverdy 
Johnson's best pleas before the Supreme 
Court on any of those occasions that his 
great mind made the court-room a grand 
intellectual arena — occasions where the fu- 
ture American historian will love to linger, 
and mark the place as a guiding finger- 
board in the great highway of the mind's 
progress. Mr. Bryant said: 

The landing of the Pilgrim Fathers on a desert 
coast, and their subsequent sufferings, in them- 



selves considered, are of little consequence in the 
record of human life. Similar events have many 
times occurred. But when the character of the 
men — the objects they had in view, and the events 
resulting from the enterprise, are taken into ac- 
count, it becomes of historical importance. 

How truly was Mr. Bryant stating the un- 
conscious facts as applied to himself and his 
fellow-pioneers, who were here the real 
architects of this part of Illinois — the hardy 
and heroic pioneers. 

It was the first permanent settlement north of Vir- 
ginia — the commencement of the colonization of New 
England, which nearly throughout its whole extent 
was settled by people of a character similar to 
that of the Plymouth colonists. After the first 
few years, the colony of Plymouth became nearly 
identical with the rest of New England, in charac- 
ter and interest, and the people may be spoken of 
collectively as the Puritan Forefathers. One of 
their first cares was to provide for education. Har- 
vard College was founded within twenty 5'ears 
after the settlement of Plymouth; and this and 
Yale College — the two oldest in New England^ 
have ever had a reputation unrivaled in America. 
To this day, wherever New England influence is 
felt, the schoolhouse and church are found. In a 
severe climate, upon a stubborn soil — often amid 
destructive savage warfare — was reared a hardy 
and enterprising race of men, trained to self-gov- 
ernment by the necessities of their situation. Their 
descendants, numbered by millions, are found in 
every State of the Union; their energies, virtues 
and love of freedom, have influenced, and for an 
indefinite period will continue to influence the des- 
tinies of the entire continent. * * * I may, 
however, notice the obloquy so often cast upon 
the Puritans. To this day they are sneered at by 
people who know little or nothing about them, 
except perhaps, two or three of their prominent 
faults. In England they were the objects of un- 
ceasing ridicule and vituperation by the Cavaliers, 
both before and after the Civil war. Yet the histo- 
rian, Hume — no friend of the Puritans — acknowl- 
edged that England owed to them whatever civil 
liberty she enjoyed in his time. It is onl}' within 
fifty years past that justice has been done to the 
character of Cromwell. The New England Puri- 
tans have been unceasingly pelted with Salem 
witchcraft, persecution of the Quakers, and Con- 
ne<;ticut Blue Laws, as though no other people 



HISTORY OF BUEEAU COUNTY. 



247 



ever hung a witch, or were guilty of religious in- 
tolerance. Two hundred years ago, belief in witch- 
craft was nearly or quite universal. The Salem 
delusion appears to have been an outburst of tem- 
porary frenzy, which soon died out, and did not 
extend to other parts of the country. But in 
England and Scotland, witches were occasionally 
burned. ***** 

The speaker then relates seeing a book 
printed many years ago, giving a history of 
the Salem witchcraft, and in it was an illus- 
tration representing the devil surrounded by 
his imps, on the roof of a house, beating a 
drum, while the people below looked up in 
astonishment. The speaker then frankly 
admits that the action in the persecutions of 
the Quakers can only be palliated by the con- 
sideration that religious toleration was not 
then understood or practiced by any Christian 
nation; that the faults of the Puritans were 
those of the age in which they lived. 

It is pretty well established as truth that the Blue 
Laws of Connecticut, which have been quoted and 
ridiculed times without number, originated in the 
imagination of the forger, Samuel Andrew Peters. 
Peters was a clergyman of the Church of England, 
a native of Connecticut, and was .so rank a Tory in 
the Revolution that he was compelled to leave the 
country. To revenge himself upon the Puritan 
patriots he wrote what he called the history of Con- 
necticut; a book that has been designated as "the 
most unscrupulous and malicious of lying narra- 
tives." In this book are found the Blue Laws, and 
there is no other evidence that they ever had an 
existence. I will give a sample of Peters' regard 
for truth and probability. He says that at Bellows' 
Falls the Connecticut River forces its way through 
a narrow passage between two rocks, and that in 
the time of floods the water becomes so solid by 
pressure that it cannot be penetrated by a crowbar. 

The Puritans were no doubt unreasonably rigid 
in their religious observances and their prohibition 
of innocent amusements. Their hostility to the 
loose morals and inconsistent practices of their per- 
secutors of the English Church naturally made 
them approach to the opposite extreme. We who 
are descended from the Puritan Fathers confess to 
a little pride in the relationship. Pride of ancestry 
is natural to the human mind, and it appears more 
excusable when the principles and institutions of 



that ancestry have conferred distinguished benefits, 
not only on their descendants, but also with those 
with whom they are connected. I do not contend 
that a man should be more highly esteemed on 
account of his ancestors; on the contrary, I believe 
the standing in society of every one ought to be 
determined solely by his individual merit. There is 
undoubtedly something in good l)lood in the human 
race as well as in the brute creation; but this, if not 
sustained by a pure life, high aspirations and manly 
conduct, will degenerate and die out. 

The next toast, " The Pilgrim Mothers," 
was responded to by Mrs. J. P. Richardson. 
The splendid diction, the exalted sentimente 
of this noble tribute to the Pilgrim Mothers, 
is worthy the careful perusal and study espe- 
cially of every daughter and mother in our 
land. We read it carefully, and with the fair 
speaker say: " Brave, noble, heroic mothers — 
the good dames well content, handling the 
spindle and the flax." 

Then followed the poem of the evening 
by John H. Bryant, from which we take the 
following extracts: 

" Tears bright and dark have sped away. 
Since by New England's rocky shore 
The Mayflower moored in Plymouth Bay' 
Amid the wintry tempest's roar. 

" Few, worn and weak, that Pilgrim band; 
An unknown coast before them rose — 
A vast unmeasured forest land, 
Begirt with ice and clad with snows. 

" Yet dauntless, fearless, forth they trod 
From that lone ship beside the sea. 
Firm in the faith and truth of God, 
To plant an empire for the free. 

* * * * * » 

" Strange, wierd and wild the scenes around. 
With trackless forests dark and deep. 
Where silence solemn and profound 
An endless Sabbath seemed to keep. 

* * * « * * 
" His were the errors of the time — 

Intolerance and a mien severe; 
His, too, a heroism sublime. 
That cast out all unmanly fear. 



248 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



" The vine thus planted by the sea, 

Has spread o'er monntains. wood and glade, 
Sheltering a nation strong and free, 
Whose children rest beneath the shade. 
***** * 

" Bless, then, the hand whose gentle might 
Smoothed for our sires old ocean's breast. 
Bless we this day whose morning light 
Revealed the promised land of rest." 

Then "Our neighbors, the Knickerbockers," 
was most handsomely responded to by S. G. 
Paddock. But as our purpose is to give the 
substance only here of the addresses that 
called out a warm newspaper discussion after 
the meeting, and the tenor of that contro- 
versy, we regret we cannot, therefore, give 
Mr. Paddock's address, as we are confident 
our readers would enjoy it greatly. 

" The common schools of New England." 
Response by Prof. H. C. McDougal. Among 
many other higlily complimentary things of 
the Puritans, he said: 

Two hundred and nine years have come 
and gone since then, and to-day we can trace the 
march of the New England free schools and its 
influence clear across the continent. In the year 
1670, the Commissioner for foreign plantations 
addressed to the Governors of the colonies several 
questions in regard to their condition; and in reply 
to one in respect to education, the Governorof Con- 
necticut said: " One-fourth of the annual revenue 
of the colony is laid out in maintaining free com- 
mon schools (?) for the education of our children." 
In reply to the same question, the Governor of Vir- 
ginia said: "I thank God there are no free schools 
or printing presses, and I hope we not shall have 
these hundred years." ***** 
* * The product of the Virginia system (?) also 
spread over the country a little further south. I 
need not paint the contrast. The two systems have 
been boldly confronting each other the past nine- 
teen years, and the world has learned that the free 
schools have been largely instrumental in making the 
North rich and strong, while an aristocracy resting 
upon substructure of ignorance has made the South 
poor and weak. 

The speaker then said it was the German 
free school that enabled German intelligence 
to overcome Austria and France, etc., etc. 



All that we are proudest of in our own State is 
the direct product of New England free school, for 
it was a child of that school, a graduate of Harvard 
College, who framed the ordinance of 1787, which 
consecrated this whole northwest territory forever 
to human freedom, free schools and free thought, 
etc. 

" Our Western Home. " Response by Gen. 
I. H. Elliott. This was an eloquent eulogy 
to the Puritans. He contrasted the North 
and South, and of the Puritans he said: 

They were not broken down aristocrats ; 
hey were not dissoluute members of powerful 
families; they belonged to the middle ranks of 
society; they were men of lofty virtue, iron wills; 
always consulting conscience, never policy; lov- 
ing home and native land, they left both in search 
of freedom, and finding it, they cherished it with the 
zeal and devotion of martyrs. They hated civil and 
religious despotism; they sought a new home, not 
for plunder, not for conquest, but for liberty of con- 
science. The New Englander moved westward 
bearing with him his free-school system and print- 
ing press, and with these a Northern State better 
than a Southern State, and the north end of a 
Northern State better than the .south end of the same 
State, etc., etc. 

The festival closed with the toast, " Our 
country, its best impulses, thoughts and 
deeds flowed from the striking of Plymouth 
Rock." Response by Rev. Dr. Richard 
Edwards. The Doctor's introductory part of 
his address was very happy, indeed, and then 
he said: 

In response to the sentiment to which I 
am called to speak, allow me to refer to two 
facts concerning the Pilgrims. The first is the 
sturdy seriousness of their devotion to freedom. 
As we to-day are situated, having our wants all 
supplied, in the midst of comforts and luxuries and 
comparative ease, we are in some danger of forget- 
ting the costs of our liberties, and, through that 
forgetfulness, of losing the inestimable inheritance. 
I would not diminish one grain the enjoyment, the 
geniality, or even the innocent of this or any occa- 
sion. I rejoice in the ring of every laugh that has 
been heard here to-night. » * * It has 
been declared, and apparently with good reason, 
that the compact entered into on board that little 
ship was the first formal recognition of the principal 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



249 



that a government derives its just powers from the 
consent of the governed. * » * « 
With no models, but with all precedent and preju- 
dice the other way, the Pilgrims in 1620 framed a 
government based on the mutual consent of its sub- 
jects, making them all equal before the law. * 
* * In the public opinion of our time 
there is a general impression that these Pilgrims 
were men of stout hearts, sturdy virtue, and strong 
faith in God. All this they surely were. So far 
forth the public sentiment is coiTect. But certain 
qualifying assumptions are made in addition. It is 
thought that they were narrow-minded and intoler- 
ant, that they burnt witches, hung Quakers, 
expelled the Baptists, and in general indulged in 
many exhibitions of the unlovely spirit of persecu- 
tion. What are the facts'? Only two trials for 
witchcraft ever took place in Plymouth. While all 
Christiandom, Catholic and Protestant, was thor- 
oughly committed by teaching and practice, to this 
delusion, while learned divines and eminent jurists 
were everywhere using their power, ofBcial and 
personal, for the condemning and executing of the 
unfortunate victims of malice who were charged 
with witchcraft, the Pilgrims kept their senses, and 
forgot not the dictates of a common humanity. 
Only two trials for this alleged offense ever occurred 
in the colony, and in both cases the accused 
were acquitted. And in one of them, that of 
Mrs. William Holmes, in 1660 the Court was not 
satisfied with an acquittal, but decreed that Dinah 
Sylvester, the prosecuting witness, for having 
brought a false and heinous charge against her 
neighbor, should be severely punished. Nor am I 
aware that in any case they punished men for a 
diversity of religious views. Immoral and seditious 
men like John Lyford, who had been sent over by 
the enemies of the colony for the very purpose of 
making trouble, were expelled from the settlement, 
as they richly deserved to be. Lyford tried to make 
it appear that his expulsion was due to his pretended 
conversion to Episcopacy. But his schemes and 
character were clearly exposed, and their justice and 
forbearance fully vindicated. 

The comparatively tolerant spirit of the Pilgrims 
is shown by their treatment of non-church members, 
and members of other communions. Miles Standish 
was never a member of their or any other church, but 
for thirty-six years he was one of their chief officers 
and counsellors, both civil andmilitary. A scituate 
Episcopalian held a commission in their little army, 
and James Brown, a Baptist leader, was many 
times elected to an important oflBce. When Roger 



Williams fled from Salem, the Plymouth Governor, 
Winslow, offered him an asylum, and urged him to 
settle near at hand where they should "be loving 
neighbors." * * * * * 

Many of the mistakes on this point arise from the 
habit of confounding the two terms, Puritan and 
Pilgrim. The former term includes the settlers of 
Boston and Salem, of New Haven and Hartford, 
as well as many who remained behind in England 
and Holland; while the latter is applicable only to 
the men of Plymouth. If this were the anniversary 
of some achievement wrought by the whole body 
of Puritans, we should feel compelled to offer 
appology for many blameworthy acts performed by 
the objects of our eulogy. But this day is cele- 
brated as that of the Pilgrim's landing, and their 
lives were so pure, their aims so honest, and their 
common sense so trustworthy, that we have little 
need of excusing or palliation. 

Your sentiment, Mr. Chairman, refers to the 
striking of Plymouth Rock. We may, indeed, take 
the impact of that boat's prow against the little 
boulder, which is now enclosed in front of Pilgrim 
Hall, as the symbol and poetic cause of untold good. 
Like the stroke of the Prophet's rod upon the rock 
in the Arabian wilderness, it opened a stream which 
has ever since flowed forth for the cleansing and 
invigorating of mankind. As the waters of Horeb 
came forth to slack the thirst of the wanderers from 
Egyptian bondage, so the flood from Plymouth has 
brought life and freedom to millions of oppressed 
fugitives from the Old World— wanderers in search 
of a promised land of political enfranchisement. 
As the stream imparted fertility to the arid waste 
of the desolate plains, causing richness of vegeta- 
tion and moist breezes to replace the hot winds and 
choking sands which had been so fatal to comfort 
and health, so this new flood has percolated the 
strata of corrupt and despotic usages, and by liber- 
ating the minds of men, has induced the growth of 
all that is lovely in human character and healthful 
in human societies. Political freedom and just 
Government have flourished upon its banks; a pure 
religion and a clean morality have been nourished 
by its gentle irrigation. 

We have given enough to indicate that al- 
together Forefathers' Day was duly celebrated 
— the addresses were elegant, eloquent, and 
fitting memorials to the illustrious sires who 
came over in the Mayflower. Certainly it 
must have been the exceptional auditor who 



250 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



could have listened to all these tributes and 
songs of praise for the great dead, and have 
gone away and felt the slightest desire to 
carp at or criticise any of the sentiments or 
facts uttered upon the occasion. What if 
some slight historical inaccuracies were ut- 
tered, or in the warm gush of love and admi- 
ration of the hour — that must have been infec- 
tious- — some sentiment of eulogistic praise 
was too highly colored ! Could this be cause 
to mar the happy flow, and turn the sweet 
viands of the feast to gall and vinegar? Par- 
ticularly in a community largely made up of 
the sons and daughters of New England, 
could it have been anticipated that these elo- 
quent tributes could fall gratingly upon the 
ears of any one present. It does seem that 
no man in the world has had the cold and 
sour blood and brains to go through the 
world's gi-aveyards and quarrel with the epi- 
taphs graven upon the tombstones of the dead 
— indited as they always have been by the 
hand of love and affection, as it was moved 
by impulse, with never a thought of what will 
the carping critic say. There is not probably 
a graveyard with a dozen stones in it in the 
world, but that some curious inscription will 
arrest the attention and mayhap in its wild 
raving to say something for the dear departed, 
both grammar and facts may be at fault, yet 
a pitying smile is here the extreme boundary 
line of the severest critic. 

But it seems that the sentiments uttered 
on Forefathers' Day were to be mercilessly 
impaled upon the pen of the critic, a pen 
dipped in wormwood, and determined to de- 
face and pull down every evidence of a 
tribute or mark of affectionate memory of the 
sturdy old forefathers of New England. 

We can, therefore, easily understand why 
it was that the community was deeply moved, 
and much comment and discussion, and a 
lively interest was started up by a newspaper 



discussion that was had in the Bureau County 
Tribune in which the performances at the 
Forefathers' Day of December 22, 1879, were 
taken to task and their history sharply criti- 
cised by a correspondent of that paper. In 
that paper of January 9, 1880, appeared a 
short article over the signature of "Vox 
Populi" attacking Mr. McDougal's account of 
the schools. He says in his honors to New 
England he had fallen into slight errors and 
proceeds to point out that the country is not 
indebted to Harvard College for the ordi- 
nance of 1787, but to Thomas Jefferson. The 
ordinance of 1787, he says, not only set apart 
every 16th section for schools, but it prohib- 
ited slavery in all the Northwest, and provid- 
ed for the reclaiming of fugitive slaves es- 
caped from other States, " etc. , etc. This crit- 
ic attracted little attention and elicited no 
reply. 

But in the paper of the week before — Janu- 
ary 12 — "Independent" (John Scott, we be- 
lieve) had opened his batteries in the follow- 
ing style: 

" On the evening of December 22, last, we 
stepped into the Congregational Church and 
heard part of the exercises in commemora- 
tion of the 259th anniversary of the landing 
of the Pilgrims upon Plymouth Rock. We 
were surprised and amazed at the glowing 
eulogies pronounced upon the Pilgrims and 
Puritans of 1620 and the Colonial colonies, 
of the same persons and their descendants of 
later years, upon that occasion. 

"It was stated by one of the speakers, if 
we rightly understood him, that the Pilgrims 
and Puritans were men of con-ect religious 
habits and high moral standing; ' that we 
were indebted to the Pilgrims and Puritans 
for our form of government;' that they fled 
from the mother country to escape religious 
persecution ; ' that they were men of great 
independence of character;' 'that they de- 




'"'■"■ 'y Soniitl SaM^'^' 




HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



353 



termined to set up a different form of govern- 
ment in this country for themselves.' If we 
look at the history of the Pilgrims and the 
Puritan colonies impartially, and not through 
the mists and dogmas of the church, which 
now represent the same faith, we will see 
that most of the eulogies to the Pilgrims 
and Puritans upon such occasions, for be- 
queathing to us our free form of government^ 
or the right to worship God according to the 
dictates of a man's own conscience is incon- 
gruous and nonsensical. 

"The most inestimable principle that has 
ever been incorfiorated into our national gov- 
ernment is that of a separation of Church 
and State and of complete religious freedom. 
We never inherited these principles from the 
Pilgrims or Puritans. Impartial history 
shows conclusively that they never believed 
in such doctrine but always, in the early col- 
onies, rejected it, and enacted the most bitter 
and relentless laws for the purpose of perse- 
cuting the advocates of religious freedom 
and those who believed in a complete separa- 
tion of Church and State. 

" Rev. Dr. Edwards drew a distinction 
between the Pilgrims and Puritans, but the 
distinction is without a diflference. It is 
claimed by the religious teachers, who are 
representatives of the Pui'itan faith, that 
they did not persecute others on account of 
their religious belief; that it is exceedingly 
doubtful if ever, in Colonial times, they even 
hanged a witch. We would refer all such 
to Bancroft's History, from which we learn 
that in the month of December, A. D. 1659, 
on Boston Commons, and within a stone's 
throw of Faneuil Hall and Old South Chiu-ch, 
spoken of on the anniversary occasion referred 
to, these Pilgrims and Puritan fathers tried, 
by their Colonial law, Marmaduke Stephen- 
son, William Robinson and Mary Dyer for 
the odious crime of being Quakers and dis- 



senting from the Puritan Church and its 
foi-m of religion; that Robinson and Ste- 
phenson were put to .death by hanging, and 
the historian Bancroft, says, ' Mary Dyer was 
reprieved, yet not until the rope had been 
fastened around her neck.' She was con- 
veyed out of the colony, but soon returning 
she also was hanged for the same offense on 
Boston Commons. 

" It is said in history that when the colonial 
court was deliberating as to the best manner 
of executing these three faultless persons, the 
advice of John Wilson, a noted Congrega- 
tionalist minister, was asked. No sooner so- 
licited than the reply was: ' Hang them or 
else, —' drawing his finger athwart his throat, 
as if he would have said, 'dispatch them this 
way.' And these three Quakers were led 
forth to execution on Boston Commons, 
guilty of no crime but that of being Quakers 
and dissenting from Puritan worship. John 
Wilson, the minister above referred to, fol- 
lowed and insulted them at every step to the 
gallows, with such language as: ' Shall such 
jacks as you come in before authority with 
your hats on,' etc. 

" Impartial history shows that the colonies 
for one-half a century, from 1620 onward, 
composed of the descendants of the Pilgrims, 
fused with the Puritans, all believing in the 
same religious creed and dogmas, were oli- 
garchies in the strictest sense. A certain 
amount of property and a profession of their 
religious belief were prerequisites to the rights 
of citizenship. Judge Stoi'y says, that five- 
sixths of the people of the colony of Massa- 
chusetts were disfranchised, that they were 
denied even the right of petition. Had the 
political principles of the Puritans and Pil- 
grims been incorporated in our national gov- 
ernment there would have been a whipping 
post for incorrigible Baptists, like Roger 
Williams, and Quakers, like William Penn. 



254 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



in every village and hamlet. Let us look 
again to history with an impartial eye, we 
can deny, in the light of the record, and 
truthfully too, that we are indebted to the 
Puritans or Pilgrims for our religious or po- 
litical freedom, or for any part of our form of 
free government, as was claimed on the anni- 
versary referred to. On the contrary, they 
believed in a complete union of church and 
State, and passed, in all the colonies, cruel 
laws for the persecution of Baptists, Quakers 
and others who would not adopt their theology 
and worship at their churches. 

It might be shown from history how dis- 
senters from their religion were lined for ab- 
. senting themselves from congregational wor- 
ship; how they were thrust into prison, and 
into stocks and cages; how they were pre- 
vented from disposing of their property by 
will, because they could not verify their 
last will and testament with an oath; how 
they were stripped to their waists, women as 
well as men, tied to the hind part of a cart 
and dragged through the most public streets 
from town to town, "and slashed" on their way 
until they were dragged beyond the limits of 
the Commonwealth; how they were driven 
out at the dead of night, amid snows and 
frosts, and were branded R, for rogue, and 
H, for heretic; how the Puritan colonial 
court ordered their ears cropped and their 
tongues bored through with red-hot irons; 
how they were hung for dissenting from the 
established colonial religion, and indignity 
heaped upon their dead bodies. It will be 
remembered that the great offense for which 
Roger Williams was sentenced to banishment 
by the Puritan colonial court, was for advo- 
cating complete religious liberty. He was 
driven from his home and family by the Puri- 
tans into the forest, inhabited only by sav- 
ages, amid the snows of a New England win- 
ter. After wandering in the forests for weeks. 



he came to a place on the sea shore, which he 
called Providence. He was there soon sur- 
rounded by a few followers, to whom he 
preached the doctrine of a complete separa- 
tion of church and State. Williams and 
John Clark obtained a charter of lands from 
the parliament of England, and Williams 
and Clark incorporated into the charter the 
principles of complete religious freedom, and 
separation of church and State in 1682. 
William Penn imitated the example of Will- 
iams and Clark, and the Puritan colonies 
were compelled to fall in, as an advancing 
civilization was burning o£F their flinty faces 
of intolerance. 

"It is said by Bancroft, the historian,' that 
freedom of conscience and unlimited freedom 
of mind was, from the first, the trophy of 
Roger Williams and his Baptist friends.' 
True liberty of conscience was not under- 
stood or practiced in America until Williams 
and John Clark taught it amid the fires of 
Puritan prosecutions. Gov. Hopkins says, 
' Roger Williams justly claims the honor of 
being the first legislator in the world that 
fully provided for and established a free, full 
and absolute liberty of conscience.' Judge 
Story says: ' To Roger Williams belongs 
the renown of establishing in this country, in 
in 1636, a code of laws in which we read for 
the first time since Christianity ascended the 
throne of Caesar, that conscience should be 
free, and men should not be punished for 
worshiping God in any way they pleased. ' 

" It is sometimes claimed by men in the 
churches of this day representing the Puri- 
tan faith and sometimes upon anniversaries, 
like those referred to, that the Pilgrims and 
Puritans fled from persecution in England; 
that they could not be guilty of such crime 
themselves in this country. History shows 
this to be a mistake. About the year 1644, 
persecutions of the Baptists and Quakers 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



255 



were so rife and disgraceful in the Puritan 
colonies, that King Charles II forbid such 
persecutions by the following mandamus : 'Gov- 
ernors of our plantations in New England: 
— If there be any of those people called 
Quakers, now condemned to suffer death, or 
other corporal punishment, or that are im- 
prisoned, you are commanded to proceed no 
farther therein.' And Lord Brougham said: 
" Long after the mother country had relin- 
quished her acts of persecution, the Puritan 
colonies of America continued to persecute 
Baptists and Quakers in the most intolerant 
manner.' 

"The representatives of the Pilgrim and 
Puritan faith may continue their anniversa- 
ries, and pronounce their eulogies, and boast 
as proudly of their church ancestry as they 
please, but they can never blot out those 
dark pages of history, they can never purge 
the craggy hills of New England from the 
blood of innocent martyrs." 

To these and still other attacks. Rev. Dr. 
Edwards wrote a reply and published it in 
the Tribune of February. By reference to 
Dr. Edwards' remarks, it will be noticed that, 
as if anticipating criticism, he had fortified 
himself by the clear distinction between the 
Puritans and Pilgrims. And "Independent" 
could only attack him by first denying that 
there was any difference between the two. 
Here is the Doctor's keen retort to ' ' Indepen- 
dent:" 

"Eds. Tribune: — I have been a little sur- 
prised to find that the few remarks made by 
by myself and the addresses and poem deliv- 
ered by others at the 259th anniversary of 
the landing of the Plymouth Pilgrims, have 
called forth in your paper so much criticism. 
These utterances seemed to me so much in 
the line of well-known and acknowledged 
history, that if they were criticised at all, it 
would be for the want of startling novelty. 



" Allow me to say at the outset that I have 
never been engaged in a newspaper contro- 
versy, and will not allow myself to be so en- 
gaged now; but will only tresspass upon your 
space sufiicient to establish two points. 

"And the first is this: That the misdeeds 
of the Puritans of Boston and Salem, and 
other places named in the criticism of "In- 
dependent" are not at all relevant. All of this 
is entirely without bearing upon the subject. 
We were celebrating the landing of the Pil- 
grims at Plymouth, and not the landing of 
the Puritans in Boston. If we had been 
commemorating the settlement of Princeton 
it would certainly not have been relevant to 
recount the faults of the early pioneers of 
Galesburg and Chicago, and to charge them 
upon Princeton. That distinction I took 
pains to point out in my remarks. If any 
statements concerning Plymouth are denied 
they can easily be substantiated. I do not 
see that they are denied, even in this criti- 
cism. 

"The second point on which I wish to dwell 
a moment is this: I am willing to go farther 
than the criticised remarks extend, and to say 
that the persecutions of the Puritans were 
less fierce, less malignant, less unreasonably 
intolerant than the persecutions which they 
themselves, and others like them, were suffer- 
ing at about the same time in Europe. No 
one denies that the Puritans committed acts 
of intolerance. But our proposition is that 
they were no worse in this respect than their 
neighbors and, indeed, that they were some- 
what better. Independent does not seem to 
think so. Let us look at the facts, at what 
the world was doing at or about the time of 
the Plymouth Colony. 

"In the first place, the Pilgrims left En- 
gland because of persecution by an intolerant 
church and a tyrannical government. They 
were subjected to fines and imprisonment. 



256 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



They were stripped of their possessions, and 
left to starve and endure the inclemency of 
the weather unprotected. They were not even 
allowed to emigrate. When they tried to get 
away in small detachments, after sacrificing 
most of their property, they were hunted by 
the minions of a tyrannical court, and by a 
fierce mob. 'At one time at Boston, in Lin- 
colnshire, a large party of them got safely at 
night on board ship. But the master was 
treacherous, and handed them over to the of- 
ficers with whom he was in complicity. Their 
goods were rified and ransacked, the men 
were searched to their shirts for money; even 
the women were compelled to submit to like 
indignities, and thus outraged, insulted and 
robbed, they were led back to the town as a 
spectacle and wonder to the gaping crowd.' 
The same company, with some others, made 
afterward another attempt. When some of 
the men as a lu-m detachment, had gone on 
board a Dutch ship at a lonely place between 
Hull and Grimsby, the women and children, 
who were as yet on shore, were rushed upon 
by a fierce crowd, who were armed with ' bills, 
guns and other weapons.' The ship-master, 
seeing the danger, weighed anchor and de- 
parted, leaving the defenseless multitude on 
shore to the mercy of their merciless foes. All 
this and a thousand other harms and indigni- 
ties, which we have not time to relate, they 
suffered, for no other reason than because 
they quietly met at certain times for the wor- 
ship of God in their own way. And all these 
sufferings were inflicted upon them according 
to law. 

" When the magistrates of Salem were exe- 
cuting witches, what was going on in the 
Old World? No less a man than the learned 
and humane Sir Matthew Hale had, not 
long before, done the same thing, as Chief 
Baron of the Court of Exchequer. Was it 
very unreasonable, in those days of slow 



communication, that the Justices of a re- 
mote colony should accept for law what had 
been so proclaimed by that worthy Judge? 

" ' England in 1659 had not put to death a 
heretic for forty-three years,' says Inde- 
pendent. This statement is highly credita- 
ble to the Puritans' tolerance, for the year 
1659 forms the close of their power in 
England. According to that statement, 
borrowed from my critic, it seems that the 
Puritans, during the whole period of their 
domination in that country, had* not exe- 
cuted a single heretic. But, after the 
restoration, the j^oli'^y was soon changed. 
No sooner had the power of the great Crom- 
well passed away, than the penal statutes 
against dissenters began to be re-enacted. 
The ungrateful king, Charles II, who had 
been helped to his throne by the Presbyte- 
rians, and who had solemnly and publicly 
promised them not only immunity from 
penalties but also a share in the Govern- 
ment, violated these promises, and de- 
nounced penalties against them and all 
other non-comformists. 'It was made a 
crime to attend a dissenting place of wor- 
ship. A single Justice of the Peace might 
convict without a jury, and might, for the 
third offense, pass sentence of transporta- 
tion beyond the sea for seven years. With 
refined cruelty, it was provided that the 
offender should not be transported to New 
England, where he was likely to find sympa- 
thizing friends. If he returned to his own 
countiy before the expiration of his term of 
exile, he was liable to capital punishment. 
The jails were soon crowded with dissent- 
ers, and among the sufferers were some of 
whose genius and virtue any Christian so- 
ciety might well be proud.' Witness, John 
Bunyan and the saintly Baxter. 

"But this was only a mild beginning. 
Graham of Claverhouse, was employed by 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



257 



Charles II and his brother and sucicessor, 
James II, to enforce compliance with the 
established religion in Scotland. The Cove- 
nanters — the Puritans of the North — were 
to be suppressed. Claverhouse was first 
sent out in 1677. Very faithfully he per- 
formed his work. I cite only a very few 
instances of the brutal severity that marked 
his career. John Brown, a poor carrier of 
Lanarkshire, was, for his singular piety, 
known as the Christian Carrier. He was 
long remembered as one well versed in 
divine things, and as so utterly blameless 
in life and peaceable in disposition, that 
the tyrants could find no offense in him, 
except that he absented himself from the 
State Church. On the first, of May he was 
cutting turf, when he was seized by Claver- 
house's dragoons, rapidly examined, con- 
victed of non-conformity, and sentenced to 
death. It is said that even among the 
soldiers, it was not easy to find an execu- 
tioner. The wife of the poor man was 
present. She led one child by the hand, and 
it was evident that she would soon have 
another to care for. The prisoner, raised 
above himself by the near prospect of death, 
prayed loud and fervently, as one inspired, 
till Claverhouse, in a fury shot him dead. 
The poor woman cried in her agony, ' Well, 
sir, well, the day of reckoning will come.' 

" Two artisans, Peter Gillies and John 
Bryce, were tried in Ayrshire, for holding 
certain doctrines, although it was conceded 
that they had committed no overt act. In a 
few hours they were convicted, hanged, and 
thrown into a hole under the gallows. 

"Three poor laborers, because they did not 
think it their duty to pray for non- elect 
persons, and could not pray for the King 
unless he was one of the elect, were shot 
down by a tile of musketeers. "Within an 
hour after their arrest the dogs were lapping 
up their blood. This was near Glasgow. 



"A Covenanter, overcome by Bickness,found 
shelter in the house of a respectable widow, 
and died there. The corpse was discovered 
by Claverhouse' s agents, the poor woman's 
house was pulled down, her furniture car- 
ried away, her young son was carried 
before Claverhouse himself, shot dead, and 
buried in the moor. 

"On the same day with the last mentioned 
murder, Margaret Maclachlan an aged wid- 
ow, and Margaret Wilson, a maiden of 
eighteen, suffered death for their religion, in 
Wigtonshire. They were tied to stakes on 
a spot which the Solway overflows twice a 
day. The older sufferer was placed nearer 
the advancing flood, in the hope that her 
last agonies might terrify the younger into 
submission. The sight was dreadful, but 
the courage of the survivor was sustained 
by a spirit as lofty as any that ever martyr 
exhibited. When she was almost dead, her 
cruel tormentors took her out and resusci- 
tated her. 'Will she take the abjura- 
tion?' said the presiding ofificer. 'Never,' 
said the brave girl. And she was thrown 
back into the water. 

'' These sickening details might be indefi- 
nitely extended. We might also refer to 
that inhospitable persecution of the Hugue- 
nots, French Puritans, which occurred in 
England under James II. Also to the drag- 
onnades, under Louis XIV. in France, in 
which the same Huguenots were despoiled of 
their goods, harried in their houses, exposed 
to slow torture by tire, and to the cruelest 
and most indecent barbarities and insults. 
But I forbear. The enumeration thus far 
has been a painful task. But it was made 
necessary by the criticism of your corre- 
spondent. It shows clearly that the Puritan, 
though sometimes intolerant, was more 
sinned against than sinning. When the per- 
secution of his time comes to be added into 
one sum, it will be found that his share of 



258 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



the iniquities is but a a small fraction of the 
whole. 

' ' Let me sum them up then, what seems to 
me the truth on these two points: 

" 1. The Pilgrims, whose anniversary we 
were celebrating, never persecuted anybody. 
Like their good and pious pastor, John 
Robinson, they recognized the fact that God 
had yet much new truth to reveal, and they 
placed no serious restriction upon the reason- 
able search for it. 

" 2. Puritans, although in some cases intol- 
erant and narrow-minded, were yet as a 
whole, far less guilty than the general aver- 
age of the time in which they lived. Their 
vices were those of their era; their virtues 
were their own. 

'• I have no fear concerning the ultimate 
judgment of mankind on this matter. In 
past times the public mind has been abused 
by gross misrepresentations, and by forgeries, 
like the famous 'Blue Laws.' The enemies 
of the Puritans were very powerful and very 
unscrupulous. Many a slanderous tale told 
by disalfected parties, by criminals who had 
left New England for New England's good, 
was greedily listened to and published. But 
impartial history is doing them justice. They 
are coming forth from the ordeal of examina- 
tion, not indeed faultless, but certainly not 
the monsters they have been represented to 
be. 

There is now in course of publication by 
the Massachusetts Historical Society, the 
diary, if so it may bo called, of Samuel Sew- 
all, covering the time from 1671 to 1730, a 
period of lifty-nine years. Sewall was a 
Puritan of the Puritans, for thirty-six years 
a Justice, and for ten years the Chief Justice 
of the highest court in the province. He 
took part in the Salem witch trials, but 
afterward stood up before the whole congre- 
gation on the Sabbath, while the minister 



read aloud his written confession of the great 
guilt which he had incurred in that transac- 
tion. This diary exhibits the Puritan's 
milder virtues, the genial side of his nature, 
the sincerity of his piety, the purity and 
sweetness of his domestic relations. It was 
evidently not written for publication, but 
now, about a century and a half after the 
death of its author, it has been at last secured, 
and is to be given to the world. To all who 
really desire to know the actual character of 
the Puritan, this journal is commended. 

' ' A Few Questions Addressed to Truth- 
seekers. I want to ask a few questions, in 
view of the anonymous criticisms made upon 
the exercises of Forefathers' Day. 

"Are 'grammar school histories,' 'pic- 
torial histories,' or even 'cyclopedias,' the 
best authorities for determining nice points 
in historical research? Are not the state- 
ments in such works rather too general for 
such a purpose? 

"Is the fact that 'James and the Court' 
lumped together a mass of men under one 
name, a positive proof that there was no dif- 
ference between the individuals of this mass? 

'■ If the Plymouth Pilgrims were identical 
in all respects with the persecuting Puritans 
of Boston and Salem, etc., and were guilty 
of the same offenses, why cannot that fact be 
shown ? 

" If the Pilgrims were guilty of persecu- 
tion why cannot the instances be given? 

" My declaration is, that the Pilgrims never 
persecuted anybody; if they did, show it. 
That would be a short way of settling the 
whole matter. But nobody does it, for the 
simple reason that it can't be done. 

"Allow me to suggest that 'atheists and 
infidels' are made by bigotry, uncharitable- 
ness, and a willingness to blacken worthy 
reputations, quite as frequently as in any 
other way. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



259 



"And finally, 'with malice toward none, 
with charity for all,' and with increased re- 
spect for Pilgrim and Puritan, I must beg 
to take leave of the discussion until the 
critics come out over their own names; this, 
surely cannot be deemed unreasonable. " 

Following swiftly upon this reply of Mr. 
Edward's came all the critics, new and old, 
and the first one that we can lay our hands 
upon signs, "Truth Seeker." He starts out 
by defending his references to the encyclope- 
dia as his authority for historical references, 
and he then proceeds to say: 

"But, to be exceedingly charitable with 
the Doctor, I will permit the encyclopedia, 
from which I quoted, to be laid aside and 
not received in evidence, what then does the 
Doctor do with Evert A. Duyckinck, one of 
the most eminent] historians, who (Vol. IV, 
page 58) says: 'In 1619 the Puritans, a 
body of men who were averse as a matter of 
conscience to living under the religious rules 
of the English Church and had been resid- 
ing for years in Holland, resolved to embark 
for America, where they could regulate mat- 
ters of religion according to their sentiments.' 
Or with J. R. Green, M. A., Examiner in the 
School of Modern History, Oxford, in his 
History of the English people (page 497), 
says: 'The little company of the Pilgrim 
fathers as aftertimes loved to call them, 
landed on the barren coast of Massachusetts, 
at a spot to which they gave the name of 
Plymouth, in memory of the last English 
port at which they touched. * * * From 
the moment of their establishment the eyes 
of the English Puritans were fixed on the lit- 
tle Puritan settlement in North America.' 

" The Doctor says: 'My declaration is that 
the Pilgi-ims never persecuted anybody. If 
they did, show it.' I answer, is it a fact that 
the Pilgrims united themselves with the 
Massachusetts Bay, New Haven and Connecti- 



cut Colonies in the year 1643 ? Is it a fact 
that Jefferson Davis was the President of the 
Southern Confederacy? If he was guilty of 
killing anybody why can not the instance be 
given f He was guilty because he was a party 
to and with those who did the killing, and 
upon the same premises were the Pilgrims 
guilty by being a party to, and with those 
who did the persecuting. 

" Is it not a fact in law that if the writer 
should harbor horse thieves, and enter in and 
be a party with them, though he never laid 
his hand upon a horse, and should be dis- 
covered, the law would presume him equally 
guilty with those who did the stealing and 
measure out to him the same punishment? 

"But, should the foregoing argument not be 
strong enough to settle the matter, I will refer 
the Doctor to Samuel M. Schmucker, L.L. 
D., one of the smartest men in the Lutheran 
Church, who says in his history of all de- 
nominations (page 56), on Congregationalism, 
'that its history is closely identified with the 
history of New England. It extended more 
and more widely as the country became more 
thickly settled. In 1638 Harvard University 
was founded at Cambridge. In 1646, com- 
mon schools were established by law in 
Massachusetts. In 1658, the Cambridge 
Platform was adopted by an assemblage of 
Congregational ministers which set forth 
what is usually known as the Calvanistic 
system of theology. At that time the number 
of churches of this sect in Massachusetts was 
39; in Connecticut, 4; in New Hampshire, 3. 
The Quakers first made their appearance in 
Massachusetts in 1656. There were two 
women, who had fled thither from Barbadoes, 
hoping to find religious toleration and free- 
dom in the land of the Pilgrims. They 
were cruelly disappointed, were arrested and 
imprisoned for witchcraft, and afterward 
sent back to Barbadoes. Others arrived, 



80 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



three of whom were subsequently punished 
with death, though their only ofifense was 
their religious opinions.' Now, dear Doctor, 
I have given you instances from the highest 
authority, and you declared most emphat- 
ically'" if I could do so, that should settle the 
whole matter." 

Then follows a long, very long diatribe 
from Independent. Among other things he 
says: "These mistatements of history have 
become popular errors, which have been her- 
alded by the press and proclaimed from the 
pulpit and political rostrum until they are in 
the mouth of every school boy and pedagogue, 
especially if he is of strict Puritan morals. 

"The poets 'enshrine the name of the Pil- 
grims and Puritans in their hearts, and sing 

to their memory sweet songs of liberty. 

****** 

" We would suppose on hearing the elo- 
quent eulogies pronounced, and hearing the 
inspiring poem read above referred to, on the 
259th anniversary of the landing of oui- fore- 
fathers, that it was questionable indeed 
whether our ears would ever have been saluted 
on the Sabbath day by the sound of a Protest- 
ant bell had it not been for the Pilgrims; 
that all our wide land, with her towns and 
cities, mountains, valleys and plains, had it 
not been for these forefathers, would have 
been either Catholic or infidel; that either no 
God would have been our creed, or an image 
would have been substituted for the true God. 
We would suppose that our institutions would 
have resembled those of Catholic Spain or 
infidel France. We would suppose in read- 
ing these eulogies and the reading of the 
poem that the pages of history were falsely 
written; that these forefathers never hung 
Quakers, or incorrigible Baptists, that they 
never cropped the ears of the heretic or 
bored the tongue of a dissenter with a 
red-hot iron; that the wail of gi-ief and 



pain arising from the colonial whipping 
post was nothing but the gentle sighing of 
the wind through the New England pines. 
It is often said by the apologists for the col- 
onial persecutions, and by men in their rep- 
resentative churches, that the errors of these 
forefathers were the errors of an illiberal age. 
This is also a mistake. These heinous per- 
secutions of the Quakers and Baptists, to 
prison to death, the whipping post and exile, 
were traits of character peculiar to these 
Puritan forefathers, their form of religion 
and their union of Church and State. 

"In 1659, when the Quakers were execut- 
ed at Boston, you might have traveled the 
length and breadth of old England without 
seeing a whipping post. England had not 
put to death a heretic for forty-three years, 
and in common with other Christian coun- 
tries, she was remonstrating against the in- 
tolerance of Puritans in this country. 

" Massachusetts had already put to death a 
number of heretics, as they called them, and, 
doubtless, would have continued her bloody 
persecutions had not King Charles II abso- 
lutely prohibited it by the celebrated man- 
damus order, referred to in our former letter. 
These forefathers were imbued with a bigot- 
ed, illiberal and intolerant spirit towards 
those differing from them in religion. Many 
were whipped for even refusing to have 
their babies baptised at the Colonial Con- 
gregational Churches. We can gather up the 
key note of their malevolent religious dis- 
positions from their leading statesmen, 
scholars and orators. Let them now speak 
for themselves. 

"The noted Colonial preacher. Rev. CattoD, 
says: 'It was toleration that made the world 
anti-Christian, and the world never took hurt 
by the punishment of heretics. The Lord 
keep us from being bewitched by the whore's 
cap of toleration lest while we seem to detest 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



261 



and reject her with open face of profession, 
we do not bring her in by a back door of tol- 
eration and so come at last to drink deeply of 
the cup of the Lord's wrath.' 

"It is said Harvard University was 
founded by the Pilgrims within twenty years 
after their advent upon these shores. Presi- 
dent Oakes, of that University, and who was 
an eminent Congregational preacher, said: ' I 
look upon religious toleration as the first 
born of all abominations.' ' To authorize 
untruth,' said the eloquent and learned Col- 
onial preacher, the Rev. Ward, ' by toleration 
of State is to build a sconce against the walls 
of heaven, to batter God out of His chair; to 
say that a man ought to have liberty of con- 
science is impious ignorance.' 

' ' ' God forbid, ' said the learned and gray- 
headed Dudley, another noted divine of the 
Massachusetts Colony, ' our love for the truth 
should be grovm so cold that we should toler- 
ate error; for the security of the flock we pen 
up the wolf.' Gov. Endicott said, 'we will 
be as ready to take away the lives of heretics 
as they will be willing to lay them down.' 
When the court of Massachusetts was delib- 
erating what they should do with several 
Quakers, President Chauncy of Harvard 
University, in his sermon on the Sabbath- 
day, said: 'And suppose ye should catch 
six wolves in a trap and you cannot prove 
that they ever killed either sheep or lamb, 
and now you have them they will neither 
bark nor bite, yet they have the plain mark 
of wolves. Now I leave it to your con- 
sideration whether you will let them go alive. 
Yea or nay ?' 

" Here, then, are the sentiments of some 
who have always been called the best and 
greatest who ever bore the Puritan name. 
They taught intolerance in their schools and 
churches and in their State; it pervaded the 
whole mass of the Colonial people. In the 



catechism, which was taught in every family, 
toleration of a false religion was enumerated 
as one of the sins forbidden in the second 
commandment, and this clause was retained 
in the catechism as late as 1768. 

" In conclusion, let us ask the orator upon 
such anniversary occasions, and the poet who 
so sweetly sings of the virtue of these fore- 
fathers, how they can shut their eyes against 
the truth of history and eulogize such a race 
of men by authority of the same kind of tes- 
timony by which the Puritans branded the 
Quakers and Baptists as ranters, rogues, vaga- 
bonds and cursed heretics? By such evidence 
the Catholics could have convicted Martin 
Luther of being a wolf of hell, as they claimed 
he was, or the Apostle Paul of being a mad- 
man, the Pentecostal Christians of being 
drunkards and Jesus of being a glutton and 
a devil." 

And then a number of other correspondents 
"shied their castors into the ring," and the 
Doctor, not being able ever to get them to 
discuss the real point in all the controversy, 
on which he had made his position plain in 
his first address, namely, that the Puritans 
and Pilgrims were separate and distinct 
bodies of men, he evidently only looked on 
and smiled while they so valiantly did battle 
with the wind-mills of their own construction. 

Among others is "Sucker" who comes with 
his cruise of oil, to pour, as he says, "on the 
troubled waters." His opening sentence is 
a pertinent quotation, " Men, except in bad 
novels, are not all good or all evil.'' He 
then proceeds: " What a hullabaloo has been 
kicked up because a few of our people, ' de- 
generate children of illustrious sires, held a 
little mutual admiration society on Forefa- 
ther's day. What would you expect on such 
occasions? What is the usual bill of fare?" 
He then describes a little innocent eagle soar- 
ing that we all indulge in on the Fourth of 



263 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



July, and wants to know, you know, who ex- 
pects anybody on such occasions to tell the 
horrid truth about Washington, Jefferson, 
Jackson and all the good, old patriots, even 
up in Massachusetts, being horrid slave own- 
ers, etc., etc. He quotes the good old maxim, 
"De mortuis nil nisi bonum." And then he 
says: "On the occasion referred to, I too 
was ' a looker-on in Venice.' Knowing they 
deserved it, I was expecting to hear in praise 
of the Pilgrims from their descendants, and 
I did not care to ask whether it was in good 
taste to boast until we have 'added honor to 
ancestral fame. ' No one but a mule ' who 
(sic) is denied posterity, and who has no an- 
cestry particularly to boast of,' would find 
fault with people for being proud of their re- 
lations, and if, in 'ascending the family line 
they should tind it waxed at the other end, or 
even ending in stronger twine that vexed 
some worthy relation,' you would not expect 
them to mention that, and so I looked for un- 
stinted praise of the Pilgrims. But I am sure 
the efforts, as I understood them, were hardly 
up to the average in eulogy." 

In a good deal that "Sucker" has to say 
we can not but see, that under the guise of 
pouring oil on the waters, there is some play- 
fulness and a free lance sent hurtling into the 
whole crowd. He refers to "the gallant 
Colonel" (Elliott) and while he calls his eu- 
logy extravagant, etc., yet he says he told the 
crowd he was a Sucker (born in Illinois) and 
that " the untraveled Yankee of to-day is an 
intolerable bigot, and this in face of the fact 
that it is not much traveling to come from 
Massachusetts to Princeton. " Then he does 
not spare Dr. Edwards as he says he " made a 
distinction without a difference, in begging 
us to remember that it was not the Pilgrims 
but the Puritans who were guilty of all these 
things — such as hanging Quakers and Bap- 
tists, and drowning witches, thereby confess- 



ing all the charges in the indictment, but 
pleading a misnomer. 

"Now, if our Pilgrim descendents were 
satisfied with this, why should 'Independent,' 
'Truth Seeker,' 'Fair Play,' and all the 
rest rush into print about it? Or, why does 
some Pilgrim retort with Virginia, ' you're 
another,' * * * * 'Men of strong con- 
victions, those who make their mark and 
compel reform, are generally extremists, their 
very zeal makes them intolerant of what they 
believe is wrong, their sins should not prevent 
us recognizing the ^good they do, nor need 
we, in recognizing it, claim they are immac- 
ulate. * * * I do not believe we are in- 
debted to the Pilgrims for all we enjoy, nor 
do I believe they were such an intolerant, 
bigoted, fanatical set that they were incapa- 
ble of any good, any more than I believe what 
Ingersoll would have us believe about Tom 
Paine. 

"Let us give to each his meed of praise, 
honoring the memory of all for the good they 
did. To do this we need not blacken the 
memory of any. If they had gross faults and 
committed great errors, let us frankly own 
it, but let not their faults damn them or hide 
their better traits. Bury the faults, ' and if 
from the tomb the veil be removed, weep o'er 
it in silence, and close it again.' * *" 



CHAPTER XXI. 



Swamp Lands— How Disposed of — Hon. L. D. Whitinq Sucoess- 
FULLT Fights THaotiOH a Drainage Law — Its Great Bene- 
fits TO THE Whole County, etc., etc. 

IN the year 1850 Congress passed an act to 
enable the State of Arkansas and other 
States to " reclaim their swamp and over- 
flowed land," providing where each subdi- 
vision of forty was more than one-half over- 



HISTOBY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



263 



flowed or swamp land in the meaning of the 
act. In June, 1852, the State gave these 
lands to the respective counties in which 
they were located. The law required the 
proceeds arising from the sale of these lands 
should be first expended in draining these 
lands in so far as it might be found neces- 
sary in making them arable. Upon a careful 
survey of the lands there was found to be 
38,000 acres of swamp land belonging to the 
county, mostly along the valley of Green 
River and in the bottoms of the Illinois 
Kiver. The county concluded to sell the land 
at public sale — ten per cent cash and the 
remainder on long time. The sale, in Sep- 
tember, 1856, amounted to $115,000, and the 
Board decided to appropriate the money to 
the school fund. A contention at once arose 
on the part of the purchasers, they contend- 
ing that the purchase money should be exclu- 
sively used in draining the lands. They re- 
fused to meet their back payments, and soon 
the county was not only in a law suit, but in 
a general wrangle on the subject. In May, 
1856, the Supervisors had appointed a com- 
mittee to examine the subject and report gen- 
erally what should be done. The committee 
reported thai the title of the county to these 
lands was unconditional; that it could sell, 
and use the money as it saw proper and its 
acts could not be questioned. The Legisla- 
ture, it said, had incorporated the Winebago 
Drainage Company, which company intended 
to grab the lands of Bm'eau and other 
counties without paying any equivalent there- 
for; this would be done under the pretext 
of draining the county and improving the 
general health of the people; that the small 
minority in the lobby at Springfield from 
Bureau County, had been bitterly denounced 
by the "drainage lobby "—that this drainage 
act meant to drain the peoples' money from 
their pockets more than to take off the water; 



that many of the tracts of reported swamp 
lands were already contracted for, and this 
would materially affect the sale of others; 
that Lee and Whiteside Counties having sold 
their lands were using their influence to have 
the State drain the Winnebago swamps at 
the expense of the lands benetitted. And that 
as long as the lands remained unsold that 
they may be wrested (gobbled) from the 
county; that many of the lands are partly 
covered with timber and are being stripped 
by timber thieves, etc. This report was 
powerful in influencing the action of the 
Board in hurrying up the sale above men- 
tioned. 

In January, 1862, the Board took up the 
matter to unravel it once more, and another 
committee was appointed. It reported and 
went over in detail the law and the terms on 
which the lands were given to the county; that 
much trouble and vexation had arisen by 
selling the land and making the great mistake 
of not applying the proceeds to drainage 
purposes as the act contemplated, etc. There- 
upon the following resolution was passed: 

Resolved, That the Board of Supervisors will 
scrupulously apply the proceeds of the swamp lands 
of the county exclusively, so far as necessary, to 
draining and reclaiming the same. About one-half 
of the lands sold were paid for and deeds taken, 
while the remainder was forfeited and reverted to 
the county, and were again sold. The total of the 
sales amounted to |237,761. The county com- 
menced an extensive system of drainage along the 
Green River country and expended here about $300,- 
000. And the finest cornfields in the county are now 
upon lands along Green River, over which a steam- 
boat could pass in former times. 

This rather compulsory act of draining the 
swamp lands of the county was the com- 
mencement of one of its best public and per- 
manent improvements. It gave the people 
the first ocular demonstration of the value of 
drainage, as it reclaimed a great body of 
land that is now in cultivation that might, 



264 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



without this improvement, have remained a 
great water waste for eenturies. The law 
was a wise one, wherein it provided the gift 
should be turned to the general good. It 
was at this time that drainage received its 
first impetus in Illinois. The improvement 
in the surface drainage resulting from the 
first settlement of the country, and weaken- 
ing the strength of the original strong prairie 
sod, had failed to impress the average farmer 
of the inviting possibilities in the marshy, 
swampy, wet lands that were so common all 
over the Illinois prairies, and the ponds, and 
lagoons along many of the streams. And 
since that day drainage has rapidly grown, 
and is now recognized as one of the most 
valuable permanent improvements that can 
be put upon the land. And from surface 
drainage has come the knowledge and now 
wide use of tile drainage, and this is found 
to be attended with the greatest benefits even 
to the uplands. It strengthens the soil, 
creates it, and warms it to that extent that it 
visibly affects the early spring vegetation. 
It is of the greatest value for the rain that 
falls upon the ground to pass off by going 
through soil instead of running off on the 
surface. Water always carries a certain 
portion of air wherever it goes, and from the 
air and the water is extracted rich plant food, 
and the trickling of the water makes many 
air openings, and here is carried both the 
early warmth of spring as well as the nutri- 
tion for plants, and in addition to all this is 
the advantage of preventing water from 
standing a long time on the surface, and 
excluding the air and killing the natural 
strength of the land, which stagnant or still 
waters will do, while moving water will not, 
at least not so rapidly. Opening the soil for 
the admission of air is one of the principal 
objects of plowing, harrowing and otherwise 
breaking up and disintegrating the earth's 



surface. The presence of air in the soil in 
as large aggregate quantities as possible is 
indispensable, because it brings with it car- 
bonic acid and ammonical gases, which reach 
the minute roots or spongioles of plants. 
Air also supplies the oxygen necessary to the 
decomposition of vegetable matter, which in 
tui'u becomes what may be termed the food 
of plants. Aeration of soils cannot be ac- 
complished by opening holes in the ground 
or breaking the earth into large lumps and 
clods, but the air should be admitted in 
many minute streams or channels, in order 
that each particle of soil may come in con- 
tact with a particle of air. 

Plowing, hoeing and weeding growing 
crops are aerating processes well understood 
by the scientific agriculturist who never 
neglects them, even when no weeds are pres- 
ent; for experience has taught him that 
luxuriant growth will be promoted and often 
sustained by aeration, whether the season be 
wet or dry. Heavy, stiff clays become beaten 
down and hard during the heavy rains of 
spring, and then porosity is almost entirely 
destroyed, as neither air nor moisture can 
enter except very slowly, if at all; but when 
they are broken up and pulverized, aeration 
proceeds with rapidity and regularity. Air 
not only enters loose soils direct, but also 
with water, and whenever the soil is in such 
a condition as to admit water rapidly, we 
may conclude that aeration is also going on. 
Water, however, should not rest in the soil, 
but circulate; first by descent as a liquid, 
and then by ascent in the form of vapor, 
thereby assisting aeration as well as carrying 
the fertilizing elements of the soil to the 
roots of plants growing therein. Water ex- 
posed to the atmosphere, even by passing 
through it in the form of rain, absorbs at- 
mospheric gases in sufficient quantities to be 
perceived by the human palate. These are 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



265 



removed by the soil as the water passes 
through it, thereby adding more or less to 
its fertility. 

Experience has fully demonstrated that 
the wet land, land that has produced only 
coarse, woody swamp gi'asses can readily be 
converted into the richest agricultural lands 
by tiling. The experiment is now common 
all over central and northern Illinois, that 
by thorough tiling the value of lands, worth 
$30 and $40 an acre, have been more than 
doubled by drainage, and unlike any other 
improvement, when properly done, it is a 
permanent benefit, needing only the slightest 
future attention in order to carry on its great 
■work perpetually; fires, tornadoes, nor time 
affect its good work. Hence, it is recognized 
as the most important farm work yet under- 
taken by all intelligent farmers. The cau- 
tious farmers a few years ago, who reasoned 
themselves into the first experiments, would 
sometimes select a piece of ground and tile 
one-half of it and observe the results. When 
the entire field was planted in corn and the 
plants were half grown, he could stand off at 
a distance and easily tell the boundary of the 
tiling by the appearance of the growing corn. 
And even in the spring plowing many testify 
that in plowing across the fields that were 
partly tiled they could tell by the pulling of 
the horses the moment the plow came into the 
tiled ground. One would be clammy and heavy 
and the other loose and light. But these 
things are now too well known to all intelli- 
gent farmers to need recapitulation here. We 
have no doubt that the time will soon come 
when every acre of our agricultural lands, 
except on our steepest hills, will be all thor- 
oughly tiled. Its value has ceased to be 
experimental — its increase of the certainty 
and amount of crops each year are now 
matters universally known. 

But the history of drainage in our State, 



especially the efforts to enact laws that would 
best promote its universal use, and at the 
same time inflict the least wrong upon the 
rights of adjoining lands, is quite an inter- 
esting and important subject, and what is 
remarkable in the enacting of laws to fit this 
new condition of affairs there was nearly the 
same legal points and obstruction thrown in 
the way that there was in the anti-monopoly- 
movement, spoken of elsewhere, and the 
further fact that here as there the lawyers 
and the courts were largely on one side, and 
the peeple on the other. The lawyers following 
the bent of their education appealed to ancient 
precedent and law for the solution of the 
most modern of practical questions; laws that 
were made and had applications to the old 
subject of building dams and digging drains, 
where there was only the one principle to 
consider, namely, the injury that might result 
to others' property. Upon these points the 
English law was full of " wise saws " and 
learned decisions, and when our people com- 
menced to place tiling in their grounds, 
they at once began to see that they must have 
an outlet; that their drains must be laid 
according to the shape and lay of the sur- 
face, and that very often the only possible 
manner of doing the work was to throw 
the water upon their neighbor's land, and 
according to the law, of this the neighbor 
might complain, and the law would give him 
redress. If each land owner had for neighbors 
men of equal enterprise, then there would be 
little difficulty, because they would extend 
and carry along their neighbor's drain and 
there would be nothing to adjust. But this 
is not human nature. There were plenty of 
course who would not drain their own land 
and much less allow their neighbors to 
increase the flow of water upon them. The 
Legislature was appealed to, but the attorneys 
said this remedy could not be afforded by 



N 



266 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



law. Senator L. D. Whiting, of this county, 
now so long a member of the State Senate 
that he is called the " father of the Senate," 
has furnished us an interesting account of 
the long struggle there has been on this sub- 
ject, the years of failure by the farmers and 
the final triumph that has only now come to 
those who have sought to adjust the law to 
this modern necessity. The constitutional 
convention of 1870, he informs us, upon his 
motion, took up the subject and, while it did 
not pass a provision at all broad enough in 
his opinion, yet it was a provision intended 
to enable the Legislature to do something for 
the public relief. The enemies of drainage 
regarded the little provision in the constitu 
tion — a provision that Mr. Whiting told the 
gentlemen who drafted it, "was too small 
a provision for so great a subject " — and they 
therefore allowed it to be inserted in the new 
constitution. The Legislature soon under- 
took to pass laws giving force and effect to 
this provision, but all the prominent attor- 
neys of the State who were consulted said 
that under it nothing practical could be 
enacted by the Legislature that would afford 
relief, and at the same time stand the tests of 
the court. Mr. W. tells us he reported 
measures that were smothered in the judiciary 
committee, as they treated all measures unless 
they carefully looked over them and first 
"extracted all their teeth." The Legislature 
passed acts, but, as he informs us, he finally 
got a declaratory law, or provision under the 
drainage act, partially smuggled through the 
two houses, by sandwiching it all in a meas- 
ure purporting to be about something else, 
and it thus became a law. But here again 
the attorneys and the courts were of one 
voice, and there was apparently no hope of 
relief. A case arose in the county and a 
short account of it will be a general history 
of what was being done generally. One man 



drained his land by tiling a low, marshy part 
thereof, and he run his drain for an outlet 
to the public road, and ended it in a culvert 
in the road. When the rains came his 
neighbor discovered that this tile materially 
increased the flow of water on to his land, 
and he commenced suit. A jury of farmers 
heard all the facts of the case, and decided 
there was no damage for which the upper 
farmer should pay. The case went to the 
appellate court and was reversed and sent 
back for a new trial. Again upon trial and 
appeal the same results came, and the appel- 
late court sent back instructions that the 
law must be enforced, that the act was 
a trespass. Here was nearly the same con- 
flict of opinion between the people on one 
side, and the attorneys of the country on the 
other side, as was the case in the contest with 
the railroads in regard to "vested rights," 
when the lawyers claimed the Legislature 
could not give relief. Many intelligent men 
realized that the whole theory must be 
changed; that even if the lawyers had the 
proper views of what the old law was on the 
subject, that the surroundings here in the 
great State of Illinois were superior, far 
above old precedents, and that it was not 
only good sense and sound policy, but an 
imperative necessity to re-enact the law on 
this point, and make it possible to put into 
practical effect this great and needed work 
in Illinois. 

Just now we are informed that the Supe- 
rior Court of our State has reversed its 
former rulings, has been compelled to lay 
aside precedent and decide that the superior 
public interest, justice to the many, and 
common sense, are the law; that a man may 
drain bis land, may carry the water the 
natural way for it to run, and deliver it at 
his boundary- line, and the owner of the ad- 
joining land must take care of it and pass it 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



267 



along in the form and manner he may 
choose. This is a great victory of justice, 
of good sense, of necessity, over the learned 
in the technicalities of the law, and it is a 
plain proposition that it will give a tremen- 
dous impulse to tile draining in the State, 
and will add many millions to the value of 
Illinois farms. Could anything be plainer 
than the proposition, that if our farmer 
wants to drain his land, he may do it; that 
his hands should not be tied by a stubborn 
neighbor; that he may do this with the least 
damage to adjoining land, but that he may 
do it completely, and if his act compels the 
stubborn neighbor to improve his land by 
putting down tile, that all are benefited in 
the end? The law may well step in and 
compel the stubborn neighbor to benefit 
himself; but formerly, the very measure he 
could successfully resist was not only an 
injury to his more enterprising neighbor, 
but to himself also, so long as he sat sullenly 
upon his supposed rights under the old con- 
struction of the law. 

Here, then, is another important revolu- 
tion in the old, musty and obsolete laws of 
the past, and in favor of the present; ad- 
justing the machinery of the law to the 
needs of the present. The old struggle of 
the people against the oppression of laws 
and customs that are old and whose days of 
usefulness passed away long ago, laws or 
customs that probably had their beginning 
in the greatest good to the people, but 
which have long outlived their usefulness. 
Not only their good, but by the general 
change of circumstances these measures 
that were once a public blessing have be- 
come a public and grievous oppression, a 
common experience in the history of civil- 
ization. 

Again we note with a peculiar pride 
that this great movement had its inception 



in Bureau County. It is a proud achieve- 
ment. Its e£fect8 will be only for good, and 
thoy will extend, like the other great move- 
ments born here, throughout the country, 
bearing perpetual fruits and blessings to the 
great human family. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

1837— County Existence Commences— The Election— Bubeau 
Triumphs— Jollification— "Shut THE Dooa"— Fiest Hioh- 
WAYS— Part OF Indian Trail Still Preskbvbd— First Offi- 
cial Officers and Acts — List of Officers to Adoption of 
Township Organization — County's Civil History to 1860 — 
etc., etc. 



W 



E now return in our narrative to the 
year 1837, and take up the civil 
history of the county, which, as stated in a 
preceding chapter, commenced in that year. 
The act of the Legislature creating the 
county passed the Legislature and became a 
law February 28, 1837. By reference to 
the act it will be seen that it defined the 
limits of the county and appointed three 
Commissioners to locate the county seat, and 
appointed a day for the first county election. 
The only difference in the boundary lines as 
organized and now, is in the addition of the 
towns of Milo and Wheatland, which were 
added to the county on the formation of 
Marshall and Stark Counties. But the act 
provided that the majority of the people of 
Putnam County should vote a majority in 
favor of the new county before the act 
would take efifect. In accordance with this 
act an election was held on the first Monday 
in March, which was a very exciting one, 
and many illegal votes were said to have 
been cast on both sides. On the west side of 
the river people voted almost en masse for 
the division, while on the east side they 
voted against it. A few votes were cast in 



•;r 




&§. ty E G-Williijm5 iBra. Nr 




HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



271 



roused him up, to get him to go inside and 
go to bed. Terribly top-heavy, the sleeper 
sat up and finally said: "Boys, boys! I'm 
devilish cold — shut the door!" 

At the time of the organization of the 
county there were two prominent roads of 
thoroughfares within its territory. One of 
these was the celebrated Galena thoroughfare, 
or great stage road from Peoria to Galena, 
over which the daily four-horse coach passed 
each way, carrying the mails and the chief 
portion of travel to and from the lead mines. 
This passed north and south through the 
county, and at that time passed west of 
Princeton, through Boyd's Grove, Bulbonna 
Grove and other noted points in the western 
part of the county. The other was the Sac and 
Fos trail running east and west through the 
county; and over this trail the Indians for many 
years made it their great highway to Canada 
to get their annual supplies, and also to 
Chicago. This was the guiding road for 
many of the early immigrants who came by 
way of Chicago. It was followed by Gen. 
Scott's army in 1832, from Chicago to the 
Mississippi River. The difference in a great 
Indian trail and a white man's road is in the 
width of the two, the Indians always travel- 
ing single tile, and hence his route was 
marked by a narrow path. The- writer was 
shown a short section of this great Indian 
trail, that yet remains undisturbed, except by 
the elements, as the Indians left it when 
they last passed over their noted highway. 
We were shown this interesting spot of 
ground by Mr. A. L. Steele, of Dover. It is 
in Dover cemetery, and to this fact is due its 
preservation, the original sod having never 
been disturbed either by the plow or by the 
tramping of stock, as the graveyard was en- 
closed some 3'ears ago. There is plainly vis- 
ible about thirty feet of the trail, and as it is 
on a slight decline of the hill, the running 



water has at one time washed it out several 
inches in depth. Thus we trace the footprints 
of people who have long since passed away, 
and like the crawling of the worm or the 
walking of the bird upon the plastic mud, 
making their imprint that becomes hardened 
stone, and is covered by the deep soil, to re- 
main hidden for ages, and finally is brought 
to the surface and attracts the attention of 
the scientist and historiaa, who there reads 
the history and writes the story of the habits 
and lives of these apparently insignificant 
birds and insects and the long, immeasurable 
path that lies between their worthless lives 
and the present. Many years ago, yet within 
the memory of men still living, it was no un- 
common sight to see hundreds of Indians on 
this trail at one time. The last was in 1837, 
when the last of the Indians were being re- 
moved from Michigan to the west of the Mis- 
sissippi. Mrs. James G. Everett tells us she 
was, on the occasion of the passing through 
the county of the last large body of Indians, 
teaching school just west of Princeton. She 
was then new in the West, and knew but lit- 
tle of the Indian character. She was occu- 
pied with her school when the red men began 
suddenly to swarm about the building. She 
was terribly frightened, but some of the chil- 
dren had heard at home about the Indians 
going to pass that day, and explained to 
their teacher that they would not harm them, 
and in a little while the cavalcade passed 
along. But she thinks the work in the 
school room that day was largely a failure. 
N. Matson says that the first obstruction in 
the way of fencing up the land that occurred 
on this Indian trail, between Rock Island and 
Chicago, was caused by a fence of Robert 
Murphy in the spring of 1837. 

The first meeting of the County Commis- 
sioners' Court convened in Princeton, June 7, 
1837; Robert C. Masters, William Hoskins 



373 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



and Arthur Bryant, Commissioners, and Cy- 
rus Bryant, Clerk. They were sworn into 
office by John H. Bryant, Esq. Cyrus Bry- 
ant gave bond as Clerk, with Thomas Epper- 
son and B. L. Smith as sureties. Nathaniel 
Chamberlain was the first County School 
Commissioner, and gave bond, with Thomas 
S. Elston, John M. Gay and R. T. Temple- 
ton, sureties. The first official act of the 
Commissioners was to appoint Degrass Salis- 
bury County Treasurer, who gave bond in the 
sum of $15,000, with Thomas S. Elston and 
John H. Bryant as sureties. The precinct of 
Greenfield was fixed as a voting precinct, in- 
cluding nearly all the northern half of the 
county, and Jonathan T. Holbrook, John 
Kendall and Joseph Fassett were made 
Judges of Election, and the house of Tracy 
Reeve was the voting place. Brush Creek 
Precinct was described, and Brown Searl, Job 
Searl and Harmon Kellums were made Judges, 
to vote at the house of William Hoskins. In 
June, 1839, a part of Dover Precinct was 
taken from Greenfield and a new district 
made; and Brush Creek Precinct was also 
changed and a part thereof taken to form 
Hall District in September, 1838. At this 
first meeting Windsor District was formed 
and Morris Spalding, Joseph Robinson and 
Amariah Robinson made Judges, to vote at 
the house of Augustus Langworthy. Also 
the Princeton District, and John Musgrove, 
Elijah Smith and Benjamin L. Smith were 
Judges, to vote at the house of Stephen Trip- 
lett. Also Coal Creek Precinct, and Samp- 
son Cole, Thornton Cummings and Moses Ste- 
phens were the Judges, and the voting place 
the house of Thornton Cummings. A reso- 
lution was passed requiring the Commission- 
ers appointed by the Legislature to locate the 
county seat, to meet in Princeton on the 
20th day of June, 1837, and makesuchselec 
tion. A tax of one-half per cent was ordered 



to be laid on all personal property in the 
county, " except neat cattle under three years 
old;" and a tax of one-fourth per cent on 
all taxable lands in the county for roads and 
bridges. It was ordered that the Circuit 
Court be held in the ' ' Congregational Meet- 
ing-house" in Princeton until a place could 
be provided. John H. Bryant was ordered to 
procure a suitable "table and pigeon box" 
for the Recorder's office; $15 was appropri- 
ated to purchase plank to cover the bridges 
across the sloughs on Main Bureau, near 
Elijah Smith's, and for this purpose Enos 
Matson was appointed agent; $50 was ap- 
propriated for the bridges near Robert C. 
Masters' and near Simpson Hufi^aker's, and 
James G. Foristols and Robert C. Masters 
was appointed to attend to the work. Arthiir 
Bryant was authorized to expend $5 on the 
bridges in Town 16, Range 9 east, and Will- 
iam Hoskins was authorized to expend $15 on 
the public roads in Town 16, Range 11 east. 

The Commissioners then selected the fol- 
lowing as the first grand jurors in the 
county: Jonathan S. Colton, Robert Scott, 
Moses Thichnor, John Hall, Stephen B. Eel- 
lows, David Nickerson, John McElwaine, 
Tracy Reeve, Aaron Mercer, John Ament, 
Marshall Mason, Peter Ellis, George Bennett, 
Cornelius Corss, Elijah Smith, Thornton 
Cummings, James G. Everett, Roland Mose- 
ly, James Howe, Morris Spalding, Robert 
Clark, Austin Bryant, Amariah Watson. 
When the grand jury met, Gilbert Kellums, 
Lyman Howe, J. H. Olds and Stephen Smith 
and Mr. Spalding were placed on the jury 
to fill vacancies. 

The following were selected as the first 
petit jury: Butler Dunham, James Smith, 
Brown Searle, Arthur Thornton, James G. 
Swan, James Seaton, Curtis Williams, De- 
marcus Ellis, Obediah Britt, James G. Foris- 
tol, Henry Thomas, Simpson Huffaker, Elias 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



273 



Isaacs, Joseph Fassett, Aquilla Triplett, Will- 
iam H. Wells, Benjamin Newell, Sampson 
Cole, Enoch Pratt, Elijah Merritt, Joseph 
Beeler, Erastus Sherwin, Michael Kitterman, 
Caleb Cook. 

It is a notable fact that the first order ever 
made upon the County Treasurer was for the 
purpose of bettering and making new roads 
and bridges in the county. 

On June 22, 1837, a special term of the 
Commissioners' Court convened in Prince- 
ton. Benjamin Mitchell and Peter Butler 
took an oath to faithfully consider the inter- 
ests of the people and the situation of the 
settlements, "having an eye to the future 
population," in locating the county seat. 
And on the same day they made a written 
report, in which Princeton was named as the 
county seat, the report saying: "We have 
determined to select the public square in the 
town of Princeton, on the west side of said 
square, designated as Lot No. 33, as near the 
center as practicable; Provided, D. G. Salis- 
bury, Thomas S. Elston and John H. Bryant 
shall execute a bond, approved by the County 
Commissioners, for 17,500, and a bond to 
execute a deed for eight and one-half acres 
of land, payable to said Commissioners, for 
the purpose of erecting a court house and 
other public buildings." Twenty dollars was 
paid Peter Butler and $15 to Benjamin 
Mitchell for services in locating the county 
seat. Except allowing a few orders, this was 
the business of the special term. 

At the August term, 1837, appeared Lyman 
Howe and prayed for a writ of ad quod dam- 
num," which was gi-anted. At this term R. 
T. Templeton was appointed County Treas- 
urer. He gave bonds of $15,000, with Cyrus 
Langworthy, W. O. Chamberlain, John M. 
Gay and Thomas Epperson as sureties. 

An election was held on the 7th day of 
August, 1837, resulting as follows: Degrass 



Salisbury, Probate Justice; Robert T. Tem- 
plegate. Treasurer; Thomas Mercer, County 
Clerk The following were elected Justices 
of the Peace: Justin H. Olds, William 
Frankeberger, Daniel Bryant, Nathaniel 
Applegate, Silas Trimble, Augustus Lyford, 
Caleb Moore and Tracy Reeve; the following 
Constables: John G. Reed, Benjamin Cole, 
Joseph Frank, William C. Sycler, Carlton 
W. Combs, John Howe, Moses M. Thompson 
and James Cheney. 

Jonathan T. Holbrook, with David Hol- 
brook as surety, gave bond to keep hotel. 

John Clark, Jesse Perkins and Robert 
Staart were appointed to locate a road from 
the bridge on Bureau, near Peters' saw-mill, 
to run to David Nickerson's house, " where 
Wherry now lives;" thence to the bluff on 
the Illinois River near David Searls'; from 
there to Henry F. Miller's, near the Spring 
Mill farm; then to the bluif near Ezekiel 
Piper's house; then to the east side of Will- 
iam Hoskins'; then to an intersection with 
the road leading to Ottawa and Coles' Ferry, 
between the forks of said road and William 
Hoskins'. The Commissioners considered the 
return of Howe's ad quod damnum writ, and 
refused to grant him permission to build on 
the land designated. An order was made to 
Cyrus Bryant of $20 to pui-chase suitable 
records for the Circuit Clerk. 

A bond dated the 2d of June, 1837, for 
$7,500, and signed by Thomas S. Elston, 
Degrass Salisbury, John H. Bryant, Elijah 
Wiswall, John M. Gay, Noah Wiswall, Cy- 
rus Langworthy and S. B. Fellows for the 
purpose of securing the public buildings of 
the county. It was approved by the court. 

At the December teiin, 1837, Jonathan 
Colton, David Robinson and John H. Bryant 
were appointed to locate a road from eighty 
rods west of the center of Section 82, Town- 
ship 16, Range 9, to the house of Austin 



274 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Bryant, and south of the house of Roland 
Mosley, to the southwest of Section 27; 
thence to the house of Christopher Corss; 
also a road from the starting-point of the 
above east to a point not to exceed thirty 
rods west of the east line of Section 32. 

And Jonathan S. Colton, Robinson and 
Robert Clark were directed to locate a road 
" from the center of Section 16, Township 
16, Range 9; thence south on the quarter 
section line two miles; thence to the saw- 
mill now occupied by James How." Robert 
Stuart, Roland Moseley and Alby Smith 
were ordered to locate a road from Princeton 
to Greenfield, " making James Garvin's, 
Sylvester Brigham's, Elias Isaac's, and the 
south end of Dimmick's Grove points on the 
road." Robert Stuart, Martin Zearing and 
Aaron Mercer were appointed to lay off a 
road from the Leeper Mill to the town line 
between Ranges 9 and 10. 

At an election held in October, 1837, 
Benjamin L. Smith was elected County 
Clerk, and William Frankeberger and John 
Searle elected Justices of the Peace, and 
Moses Thompson, Carlton W. Combs, Jacob 
Young and James Wilson were elected 
Constables. 

Aaron Mercer, Robert Stuart and Justin 
H. Olds were appointed to review a road 
from Princeton via the Searle settlement to 
the county line, between this and La Salle 
counties. 

An order was made allowing Sheriff Lang- 
worthy $63 for expenses in prosecuting Mc- 
Broom and Stuart, charged with passing 
counterfeit money. These were two noted 
criminals in the early days of the county. 

Justin H. Olds, Robert Stuart and James 
Garvin were appointed to view a road asked 
for by Thomas Epperson and others, com- 
mencing at Leonard Roth's Mill, thence 
easterly towards Peru, to the county line. 



The county was divided into eighteen road 
districts, and Asa Barney, Caleb Haskel, 
Daniel Radcliffe, Amariah Watson, Jesse 
Perkins, William Mann, John Hall, John 
Clark, Chauncey D. Colton, Stephen B. 
Fellows, William Cowan, Lewis Chilson, 
Thomas J. Stephens, Ezekiel Thomas, Ly- 
man Stowel, Peter Ellis, Nathan Rackley 
and Zenas Church were appointed Super- 
visors. One hundred dollars was appro- 
priated in 1838 to build a bridge across 
Bureau, on the road from Princeton to 
French Grove, and Arthur Bryant was ap- 
pointed to superintend the building of the 
same. Benjamin L. Smith was appointed 
to go to St. Louis and procure seals for the 
Clerk's offices. At the March term, 1838, 
it was resolved to release the persons on the 
$7,500 bond, mentioned heretofore, that the 
parties signing the same be released on the 
following conditions: " To build a jail and 
jailor's house," and to deed to the county 
the half acre of land on which the Congre- 
gational Church meeting-house stands, to- 
gether with the house thereon, and to deed 
to the county one-fifth of a five-acre lot 
owned by W'illiam O. Chamberlain, also 
34x42 feet on Lot 31, on the public square 
adjoining lot owned by Fellows & Downing. 
Pyrena B. Ellis went before Squire Joseph 
Brigham and made oath ' ' that Thomas J. 
Cole was not the father of said child." 
This is probably the only instance that ever 
happened in the county of exactly this 
kind. 

At the election August 6, 1838, the 
following officers were elected: Recorder, 
Robert Garton; Sheriff, Cyrus Langworthy; 
Coroner, David C. Searle; Commissioners, 
Robert Clark, William Hoskins and Tracy 
Reeve; Constables, Daniel Elliott, Allen S. 
Lathrop, Obed W. Bryant, Gilbert Clement, 
Alfred Anthony and C. R. Searle. Agreea- 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



275 



ble to a "drawing by lots," as the law di- 
rected, the Commissioners took oiBce as 
follows: Three years, Robert Clark; two 
years, William Hoskins; one year, Tracy 
Reeves. The grand jurors chosen for the 
second term of the Circuit Court were: 
Moses Stephens, Sampson Cole, Caleb Cush 
ing, Alexander Holbrook, Joseph Robinson, 
Daniel Radcliffe, Rufus Corey, Solomon 
Sapp, Nathaniel Chamberlain, Jr., Joel 
Doolittle, Joseph Houghton, Charles Phelps, 
William Wherry, Robert A. Leeper, Job 
Searle, Henry Miller, Peter Savage, John 
Elliott, Samuel Mohler, Joseph Frank, John 
M. Gay, James W. Green and John 
Kendall. 

The following were the members of the 
petit jury: Augustus Langworthy, Joseph 
W. Kinney, John W. Headley, Ellis Mer- 
cer, Joseph E. Smith, George Coleman, Ja- 
cob Galer, William Mercer, Jr., Jonathan 
Ireland, Joseph S. Meyers, Elias Trimble, 
Lazarus Reeve, Arthur Bryant, Asher Doo- 
little, Adolphus Tucker, Elisha Wood, Eli 
Smith, Noah Wiswall, Stephen Wilson, Alby 
Smith, Erasmus Phelps, Sylvester Brigham, 
Andrew F. Smith and William O. Chamber- 
lain. 

On the 26th of November, 1838, Stephen 
Smith was elected County Surveyor. 

On September 30, 1837, Benjamin L. 
Smith tiled his official bond as County 
Clerk. 

Asa Barney, Erasmus Phelps and John 
Long were appointed Assessors. 

June 5, 1839, Cyrus Langworthy filed his 
bond, which was approved, as Sheriff, with 
Robert C. Masters and John Clark as sureties. 

At the September term, 1839, of the County 
Commissioners' Court, William Frankeberger 
was the Commissioner elect to succeed Tracy 
Reeve. Solomon F. Denning then tiled his 
bond as County Clerk, and gave bonds with 



Thomas Elston and John H. Bryant as se- 
curities. 

At the August election, 1839, the following 
county officers were chosen: D. G. Salisbury, 
Probate Justice; Oliver Boyle, Recorder; R. 
T. Templeton, Treasurer; Stephen Smith, 
Surveyor ; S. F. Denning, Clerk ; William 
Frankeberger, Commissioner. The following 
Justices of the Peace: Moses M. Thompson, 
Elijah Smith, R. C. Masters, E. S. Phelps, 
Isaac Delano, Obediah Britt, Justin H. Olds, 
Noah Sapp, Tracey Reeve, Lawson Miller, 
John Searle, Nathaniel Applegate, Morris 
Spalding and Mathew Dorr. The Constables 
were: William H. Wells, David Holbrook, 
John Phillips, Jehu Long, Theodore W. 
Nichols, Demarcus B. Ellis, David A. Gleem, 
David Perkins, P. Cootey, George W. Miller, 
Allen S. Latbrop, C. W. Combs, James M. 
Dexter and Alfred Anthony. 

At a special election to till vacancies Octo- 
ber 5, 1839, Harvey Child was elected Jus- 
tice of the Peace, and Jonathan Holbrook, 
Barton Anderson and John Crowl were elect- 
ed Constables. 

For the September term of the Circuit 
Court, 1840, the following grand jurors were 
chosen: Greenbury Hall, John Parnell, John 
W. Hall, Job Searle, Zacariah Bushong, 
David Nevis, George Anthony, Abijah K. 
Martin, James M. Dexter, Hosea Barney, 
James Carroll, Simon K. Lemon, Thomas 
Findley, Robert Thompson, James Smith, 
William Cowen, Madison Stiidyvin, Robert 
Garton, William Martin, Tracy Reeve, Hor- 
ace Gilbert, Arthur Bryant. 

Petit jurors: Elias Funderbui-g, Thomas 
Hoskins, Elias Mott, Timothy Searle, Jr., 
Oliver Osmond, G. W. Mennier, Louis Col- 
ton, Stephen Wilson. Roland Moseley, Asa 
B. Pendleton, Cyrus Colton, Stephen B. Fel- 
lows, John H. Bryant, Austin Bryant, Daniel 
Galer, Butler Denham, Clark Nottingham, 



376 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Isaac Spangler, Robert Woodrough, Abram 
Stratton, Benjamin L. Smith, Benjamin Por- 
ter, Noadiah Smith and Alfred T. Thompson. 
It was ordered that each grand juror be al- 
lowed 75 cents a day for active service at the 
court. In 1840 Carlton W. Combs was ap- 
pointed County Collector. He gave bond in 
the sum of $4,000 with Nathaniel Applegate 
and Degrass Salisbury as sureties. 

At the August election, 1840, the follow- 
ing officers were elected: Cyrus Langworthy, 
Sheriff; Daniel Biyant, Coroner; William 
Hoskins, County Commissioner; and Moses 
Mercer, Ezekiel Thomas, Barton Anderson, 
John Conant and Jacob Zearing, Constables. 

At the April term of the Circuit Court, 
1841, John H. Bryant was appointed in lieu 
of Alby Smith to view the now celebrated 
Dover Eoad. This road was the one for the 
farmers to get from Princeton to Chicago, 
and as it was a highway by use and custom 
before the prairie began to be made into 
farms, and as it ran diagonally across the 
lands, there was a conflict arose among the 
people: Those who hauled over the road did 
not want it extended by being compelled to 
follow section lines, and this was exactly 
what the land owners mostly desired. The 
matter had finally to be settled by an act of 
the Legislature, and therefore to this day it 
runs ' ' across lots " in many places. 

At this time Robert Gartin was appointed 
Assessor for Bureau County, and the old 
order of the Commissioners dividing the 
county into two Assessors'districts and hav- 
ing two Assessors was repealed. 

At the September term, 1841, Robert E. 
Thompson appeared as the Commissioner to 
succeed Robert Clark. At the election in 
August, 1841, Thomas Mercer was elected 
School Commissioner. September, 1841, 
Carleton W. Combs gave bond as Collector 
of the county in the amount of $13,000, with 



John H. Bryant, James S. Everett, Cyrus 
Bryant and Oliver Boyle as sureties. 

The grand jurors chosen for the April term, 
1842, of the Circuit Court were as follows: 
Noah Sapp, Francis A. Hutchins, John Searle, 
Charles S. Boyd, A. G. Porter, Elijah Mer- 
ritt, Timothy K. Ferrell, Moses Stevens, R. 
Carey, Henry Thomas, Joseph Heath, Nehe- 
miah Matson, Marshall Mason, Hiram Roth, 
Nathan Rackley. Roland Moseley, Flavel 
Thurston, John Hall, Robert Clark, William 
Jones, Robert J. W^oodrough, William Mer- 
cer, Jr., Benjamin L. Smith. 

September, 1842, Enos Smith appeared as 
a member of the County Commissioners' 
Com-t; Justin H. Olds was elected County 
Collector; Stephen Smith, Sherifl"; Henry 
Thomas, Coroner; and Gilbert Clement elect- 
ed Constable. Justin H. Olds gave bonds in 
$18,000, with Cyi'us Bryant, Degrass Sails 
bury, R. T. Templeton, Tracy Reeve and 
John H. Bryant as sureties. At this time 
the County Clerk, S. F. Denning, appointed 
Oliver Boyle his deputy. 

For the December term, 1843, the follow- 
ing gi-and jurors were chosen: Robert Scott, 
Alanson Munson, John Clark, John Searls, 
Jesse Perkins, Samuel Robins, Daniel Rad- 
cliffe, Charles S. Boyd, Asa Barney, Alex- 
ander Holbrook, Ziba Alden, Daniel Davis, 
Edward Mercer, Jr., Abram Stratton, Mar- 
shall Mason, John Vaughan, Thomas I. 
Cole, Ziba Nichols, Horace Gilbert, Martin 
Hopps, Nathan Rackley, Arthur Bryant, 
Amos N. Bacon. 

The state of the money market is given by 
the following order passed by the County 
Commissioners' Court June 7, 1843: "Or- 
dered that the County Treasurer be and he 
is hereby authorized to sell and dispose of 
all Shawneetown money in the treasury, for 
any sum not less than 36 cents on the dollar. 
And also to sell and dispose of the certificates 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



277 



of the State Bank of Illinois at any sum not 
less than 30 cents on the dollar." 

At the general election August 7, 1843, the 
following were elected: Degrass Salisbury, 
Probate Justice; Oliver Boyle, Recorder; 
Martin Ballou, Treasurer; Justin H. Olds, 
Sui-veyor; C. W. Combs, County Clerk ; 
William Hoskins, Commissioner, re-elected; 
Justices of the Peace, Noah Sapp, James G. 
Swan, Nathaniel Applegate, John Searle, 
Martin Ballou, Daniel Bryant, Edward M. 
Fisher, Eobert C. Masters, Matthew Dorr, 
Morris Spalding, James Carroll, John 
Mason, George W. Spratt, Joseph Caswell, 
Isaac Delano, Robert Gartin, A. G. Porter 
and Justin H. Olds; Constables, Howard 
W. Munson, Edward H. Scott, Lewis Apple- 
gate, Jesse Atkins, Ziba Nichols, William I. 
Karnes. Jehu Long, Ezekiel Thomas, Madi- 
son Garton, Alfred Anthony, Joseph N. 
Keyes, James Hill, Barton Anderson, Samuel 
Fifield, David Lloyd, Alpheus Seward, Ben- 
jamin C. Campbell and Hiram Roth. 

The following were appointed Road Su- 
pervisors for the year ending March, 1845: 
John Lonnon, Fleming Dunn, Aaron E. May, 
Michael Watson, William Wherry, John W. 
Pinnell, Zachariah Bushong, Archibald Os- 
born, C. J. Corss, Asa B. Pendleton, William 
Knox, Aquilla Triplett, Samuel Fifield, 
Ephraim Sapp, James Wilson, Samuel Cod- 
dington, Peletiah Rackley, Elisha Fassett, 
Peleg Brown, Enoch Pratt, Nehemiah H. 
Johnston, Elijah Olmstead, John A. Gris- 
wold, Harrison Epperson, Jabez Pierce, Will- 
iam Allen, Nathaniel Chamberlain, Daniel 
P. Greeley, Moses S. Greeley, William N. 
Moseley, Joseph Campbell, Thomas M. 
Woodruff, Joseph Smith, Jr., and James 
Hosier. 

At the August election, 1844, Moses T. 
Greeley was elected County Commissioner to 
succeed Thomson; Stephen Smith, Sheriff; 



John Minier, Coroner; George W. Minier, 
County Surveyor. 

June, 1845, Thomas H. Finley was ap- 
pointed to take the census of Bureau County. 

August election, 1846, Jacob Sells was 
elected County Commissioner to succeed 
William Hoskins; Stephen Smith, Sheriff, 
re-elected. In 1846 James B. Chenoweth 
was elected one of the County Judges. Jus- 
tin H. Olds was appointed Overseer of the 
Poor for the county. 

June 8, 1842, the proposal of Alva Whit- 
mars b to build a courthouse was accepted. 

In 1847 Stephen Smith was again re-elect- 
ed Sheriff ; A. T. Thompson, County Clerk. 
M. Ballou was appointed Assessor. In 1848 
J. V. Thompson was elected Sheriff. Joseph 
V. Thompson, September, 1848, filed a bond 
in the sum of $20,000 as Collector, with 
John H. Bryant, John Hall, Daniel Gaylor, 
Alfred F. Clark, Calvin Stephens, Robert 
Clark, Austin Bryant, Cyrus Bryant, B. N. 
Stevens, Benjamin Newell and William 
Corss, sureties. In 1848 Robert E. Thomp- 
son was elected a member of the County 
Commissioners' Court. J. T. Thomj^son was 
County Treasurer. 

In the year 1849 the County Commission- 
ers' Court laid a tax of 5 cents to be appro- 
priated to buy land and erect buildings for 
a poor-house and farm. September, 1849, 
Joseph V. Thompson filed his second bond as 
Collector. November 27, 1849, the County 
Commissioners' Court adjourned, and we 
believe, as there is nothing more on the 
records, that was the last of it. 

In September, 1841, the County Commis- 
sioners' Court appointed Oliver Boyle, John 
Vaughan and William F. Bushnell to locate 
an alley in the Town of Princeton, thirty feet 
wide, commencing between Lots 11 and 12 
on First Street in the original plat of the 
town, thence east between said Lots 11 and 



278 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



12, 37 and 38 to Second Street, thence across 
Second Street between Lots -13 and 44, 69 and 
70 to Third Street. 

At an election in Princeton in February, 
1842, Samuel Jones was elected a Constable. 
He at once qualified and entered upon his 
office. 

At an election on the question of incor- 
porating the town of Princeton, Saturday, 
March 17, 1838, there were twenty votes in 
favor and none against incorporation. The 
following are the voters at that election: 

Andrew F. Smith, Stephen Wilson, W. 
H. Wells, Noah Wiswall, Cyrus Langworthy, 
Jehu Long, Robert C. Masters, Samuel Trip- 
lett, John Walter, Butler Denham, John 
Vaughn, Oliver Boyle, E. H. Phelps, Joseph 
Houghton, Joseph Smith, Robert Stuart, 
John H, Bryant, Justin H. Olds, Thomas S. 
Elston and Robert T. Templeton. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

Laws Passed in Refeeence to Bureau County — A Couplitb In- 
dex AND RefEBENOE to THE SAME — EtC, ETC. 

WE give in this chapter the references to 
the statute laws of the State passed by 
the Legislature in reference to Bureau County, 
that is, those laws that are not found in any 
of the Revised Statutes. The list will be 
found very full upon examination, and the 
number there is of these laws will make it 
an easy matter for those interested in them, 
or who may wish to consult them, to look 
over the list and turn to the book page, in 
which may be found each particular act in 
full. Many of the laws are purely private 
and local and are now obsolete, as well as un- 
known to the young members of the bar. 
We do not deem any of them of sufficient 



importance to reprint them here, and yet in 
a historical point of view they are important 
and many of them may figure prominently in 
the courts in the adjudication of the property 
interests of individuals. We give the date 
and page of each act, that is, the day of the 
month and year it became a law, and the vol- 
ume of the public or private laws in which it 
is printed. This is the briefest and most 
pointed way we could tell the history of the 
county in this respect, as the headings in each 
act are an index to the act itself. 

Erection of public buildings — law of 
March 2, 1839, page 228; Greenfield changed 
to Lamoille, law February 3, 1840, 107; plat 
of Fairmont vacated, id., 108; Commission- 
ers to sell school lands in Town 14, Range 
8, law of February 27, 1841, 258; Lamoille 
Agricultural and Mechanical Association, 
law of March 6, 1843, 16; county to borrow 
$5,000 to complete court house, id., 110; 
county confirmed in certain ferry privileges, 
id., 144; county to extend Hugh Freny's 
case of Hennepin Ferry for ten years, private 
law, February 17, 1847, 44; records in Put- 
nam 'Covmty to be transcribed, certificate 
and effect, law, February 10, 1849, 109; Ben- 
jamin Newell and heirs to construct a canal 
from the Illinois River to Lake De Pue, id., 
February 12, 133; time to build extended to 
February, 1856, law, February 15, 1831, 125; 
grant renewed, to complete in five years, 
private law, February 7, 273; hogs not to 
run at large, id., January 10, 185; Clairon 
Cemetery Association chartered, private law, 
February 17, 1851, 291; town of Gold crea- 
ted, law, Febriiary 12, 1853, 202; towns to 
support their own paupers; vote thereon, id., 
February 10, 261 ; school tax in District No. 
1, town of Hall, legalized, law, February 6, 
1855, 110; Livingston town plat vacated, 
private law, February 7, 1857, 271; sale of 
swamp lands confirmed, id., February 18, 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



279 



1206; for transcribing the old records of 
sales and redemption of land from 1823 to 
1854, id., February 18, 1377; jurisdiction of 
County Court extended, law, February 24, 
1859, 96; Dover Academy chartered, private 
law, February 24, 1859, 361; Princeton & 
Bureau Valley Railroad chartered, id., Feb- 
ruary 18, 491; Preacher's Aid Society of 
Northern Illinois District, private law, Feb- 
ruary 18, 1861, 52; Supervisor's location of 
a road from Arlington to the east county line 
legalized, id., February 22, 544; Sheffield 
chartered, id., February 22, 718; foregoing 
amended, 3 private law, February 9, 1867, 
595; loan in aid of volunteers, legalized, 
law, February 12, 1863,25; plat of Provi- 
dence partly vacated, private law, June 13, 
1863, 273; county interest-bearing bonds is- 
sued in payment of bounties legalized, 1 pri- 
vate law, February 6, 1865, 116; organiza- 
tion of First Congregational Church at Ne- 
ponset legalized, id., February 16, 236; Ben- 
jamin Newell to construct a canal from Ne- 
gro Creek to Lake De Pue, id., February 16, 
556; Lovejoy Monument Association char- 
tered, erect at Oakland Cemetery or village 
of Princeton, 2 private law, February 15, 
1865, 91; Charles L. Kelsey, surviving 
Trustee, to re-convey to Frances D. Shugart 
property held in trust for her, id., February 
16, 249; Road from Hennepin to mouth of 
Rock River re-located in part, id., February 
15, 267; Trenton changed to Sherman, id., 
February 16, 584; vacates a certain street in 
Berlin, land sold for school purposes, id., 
February 16, 662; vacates plat of Kinno- 
wood, id., 664; towns of Fairfield, Mineral 
and Concord to bridge Green River at Gold, 
1 private law, February 28, 1867, 180; Bu- 
reau County Dairy and Cheese Company 
chartered, id., March 5, 906; Bureau County 
Concrete Company chartered, 2 private law, 
March 5, 1867, 304; Wyanet and Pond 



Creek Railway and Carrying Company char- 
tered, id., February 20, 696; road from Men- 
dota to Arlington located, id., February 23, 
822; proceedings of School Trustees of 
Town 16, Range 9, legalized, 3 private law, 
January 29, 1867, 15; Burbonais changed to 
Lovejoy, id. , 247 ; Neponset corporate powers 
extended, id., February 25, 455; Lamoille 
chartered, id., February 25, 485; Sherman 
changed to De Pue, id., February 18, 607; 
annexing for school purposes, Sections 4 and 
5, Town 17, Range 6, to Town 18, Range 6, 
id., March 7, 631; Winona changed to Mai- 
den, law, March 26, 1869, 297; George S. 
Emerson, Treasurer Town 16, Range 7, re- 
leased from payment of $907.99, of which he 
was robbed, id., March 27, 335. 

Princeton. — Time of levying tax extended, 
law, February 25, 1841, page 84; town 
chartered, private law, February 8, 1849, 
120; boundary fixed, construction of plank 
road to railroad depot, private law, Febru- 
ary 12, 1853, 607; further respecting plank 
road to depot, limits extended, private law, 
February 28, 1854, 133; survey of Elston'a, 
Wiswall's and Flint's additions corrected, 
part of North Street vacated, private law, 
February 15, 1855, 197; vacates alleys in 
Elston's addition, private law, February 
16, 1857, 891; corporate powers generally 
extended, id. February 18, 1815; forego- 
ing amended, opening streets and public 
ground, private law, February 24, 1859, 661; 
charter amended, power to license, private 
law, February 22, 1861, 715; powers further 
extended, 2 private law, February 16, 1865, 
560. And again, 3 private law, February 
18, 1867,610; Princeton Seminary chartered, 
in Town 16, Range 9, private law, February 
21, 1837, 61; part of tax for 1858 in District 
1, remitted, law, January 15, 1859, 177; 
Young Men's Association chartered, 2 pri- 
vate law, February 16, 1865, 19; Princeton 



280 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Loan and Trust Company chartered: Id., 24; 
Bureau County Fire Insurance Company 
chartered, 2 private law, March 7, 1867, 
112; Princeton High School District 
chartered, 3 private law, February 5, 1867, 
16. 

Tiskihca. — Names of Indiantown and 
Windsor changed to Tiskilwa, law, Febru- 
ary 3, 1840, 107; town incorporated, pri- 
vate law, 1855, 154; chartered again, pri- 
vate law, 1857, 868; foregoing amended; 
3 private law, 1867, 588; leases executed 
to George Cattell and Calvin Stephens by 
Town Trtistees confirmed, private law, 1861, 
723; Liberty Square vacated, id., 724; Peo- 
ple's Coal Company chartered, 2 private 
law, 1867, 390. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

Township Organization — John H. Bryant First Chairman — 
List of Supervisors — George McManis, Second Chairman — ■ 
Wolf Scalps — John M, Gbihes the Attorney — Terwilli- 
GER Overseer of the Pooh — K. T. Templeton, County 
Judge — List of Township and County Officers to 1857 — 
Anti-Duelling Oath — Jacob T. Thompson's Report as County 
Treasurer— The County Officers, Supervisors and others — 
J. v. Thompson— 0. L. Bearss— Etc., etc., etc. 

IN 1849 a vote was had in the county on 
the adoption of township organization, 
which was in the affirmative by a large ma- 
jority. This was among the first counties in 
the State to adopt this plan, and it has con- 
tinued it uninterruptedly to date. It will prob- 
ably be a very long time before it is changed. 
Nearly all the counties in the State have now 
followed the example, and St. Clair, the old- 
est county, only adopted it two years ago 
(1882). When the vote in favor of this change 
was had, the first step to put the act into effect 
was to appoint three Commissioners to fix the 
boundary lines of the townships and name 



the same. And Simon Kinney, Jacob T. 
Thompson and Tracy Reeve were appointed 
such Commissioners. The county was divided 
into twenty-three tovniships, very much as 
they exist now, except additions of two town- 
ships since added. 

April 8, 1850, the first Board'of Supervis- 
ors met. There were represented in this 
meeting fifteen townships, as follows: Rich- 
land, John Ross; Greenville, William Mar- 
tin; Dover, Enoch Lumry; Berlin, Enos 
Smith; Westfield, Michael Kennedy; Selby, 
William Hoskins; Princeton, John H. Bry- 
ant; Concord, Thomas Stevens; Brawby, 
Thomas Gattridge; Jefferson, Allen Horton; 
Indiantown, Timothy N. Ferrell; Arispe, 
George McManis; Leepertown, John Wheny; 
Milo, William B. Whipper; Fairfield, Wicher 
Dow. 

A ballot was had for Chairman; three bal- 
lots being cast before a choice was made. 
John H. Bryant was elected, who took 
the chair, called the fu-st County Board of 
Supervisors to order in regular session, and 
the Board adjourned for the day. Additional 
members came in the next day as follows: 
John D. Pinnell, Bloom; Edward M. Wil- 
son, Centre; C. C. Corss, Bureau; Richard 
Brewer, Walnut; A. G. Porter, Clarion; R. 
B. Tracy, Lamoille; Ebenezer Kent, Mineral. 
By order of the Board the name of Richland 
was changed to Ohio, and Bloom to Hall, and 
Jefferson to Macon. An order had been 
passed making the townships voting precincts. 
This order was changed partially. The 
Board ordered its proceedings to be published 
in the Bureau Advocate. 

In 1851 a bounty was offered by the county 
of $1.50 on wolf scalps. 

The May meeting, 1851, of the new Board 
was as follows: A. G. Porter, Clarion; Isaac 
H. Norris, Lamoille; John Ross, Ohio; 
Greenbury Triplett, Walnut; C. C. Corse, 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



281 



Bureau; Enoch Lumry, Dover; Enos Smith, 
Berlin; Michael K9nnedy,Westtield; John W. 
Pinnell, Hall;'WilliamHoskin8, Selby; Jacob 
T. Thompson, Princeton; Elijah Hays, Cen- 
tre; George Wilkinson, Concord; Albert Bush, 
Mineral; Ira O. Beaumont, Brawby; Cyrus 
Sweet, Macon; Asa Barney, Indiantown; 
George McManis, Arispe; Jacob Sells, Fair- 
field; Nehemiah Hill, Greenville; William 
B. Whipple, Milo. 

M. Horton, the former Supervisor, con- 
tested the seat for Macon. On a vote of the 
Board the election of Mr. Sweet was con- 
firmed by a vote of eleven to five. George 
McManis was unanimously elected Chairman. 
The next year, 1852, A. G. Porter was Chair- 
man. 

September, 1853, there were twenty-three 
towns in the county, and each was provided 
with various sums from the general fund for 
roads and bridges. Following are the town- 
ships: Fairfield, Mineral, Brawby, Gold, 
Concord, Macon, Greenville, Walnut, Bureau, 
Centre, Indiantown, Milo, Arispe, Princeton, 
Dover, Ohio, Lamoille, Berlin, Selby, Lee- 
pertown, Hall, Westfield, Clarion. 

In 1853, Rufus Carey was the County 
Treasurer. In 1852 the Board began to con- 
tend with the question of the swamp lands. 
A full account of this may be found in Chap- 
ter XXI. 

John M. Grimes was employed by the 
Board to act as the county's attorney for one 
year for the sum of $200. E. M. Fisher had 
been appointed County Drainage Commis- 
sioner. He resigned June, 185-4. Septem- 
ber 16, 1852, a resolution was passed appro- 
priating $1,000 to purchase a poor farm. 
This order was soon rescinded, and the 
money ordered to be used in the ordinary 
county expenses. But the subject was di- 
rectly up again, and 160 acres were ordered 
to be purchased for a county farm. It seems 



that John E. Terwilliger was put in charge 
of the county farm and the poor. He ran 
the thing along on very little money it seems 
until 1856, when he made out a written 
report to the Board, in which he takes occa- 
sion to say: " I have been paying out of my 
own pocket sums of money fi-om time to 
time," and after stating the condition of his 
own financial affairs very emphatically he 
concludes : ' ' The Board must provide, say a 
fund of $250, for me to draw against, or I 
will have to stop grinding." 

The County Court that assembled in De- 
cember, 1 849, consisted of Robert T. Temple- 
ton, Judge; Nathaniel Applegate and E. M. 
Fisher, Associates, and Benjamin L. Smith, 
County Clerk. Mr. Smith filed his bond as 
Clerk, with D. G. Salisbury and M. E. Lasker, 
sureties. 

On December 3, 1849, Judge Templeton 
filed his oath of office, and as the peculiar 
law on duelling then required, it was thus 
worded: " I do solemnly swear that I have 
not fought a duel or sent a challenge to fight 
a duel, the probable issue of which might 
have been the death of either party, nor in 
any manner aided or assisted in svich duel, 
nor been knowingly the bearer of any such 
challenge or acceptance since the adoption of 
the Constitution, and that I will not be so 
engaged or concerned directly or indirectly 
during my continuance in oflice. So help 
me God." 

Jacob T. Thompson, County Treasurer, 
reported specie on hand and belonging to the 
county, 5 cents; paper money, |2; uncurrent 
bank paper (old), $23; redemption money, $16. 

March 11, 1850, the County Court ordered 
an election for the county, to vote for or 
against taking $50,000 stock in the Bock 
Island Railroad. 

June, 1850, the Treasurer reported as fol- 
lows on county finances: 



283 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Amount revenue in Treasury $ 446 00 

Amount revenueon real estate 4,805 78 

Amount road tax 1,845 12 

Amount from license 8 00 

Total 16,604 90 

EXPENDITURES. 

On roads $2,285 00 

On road tax 922 25 

On wolf scalps 50 

On juror certificates 506 40 

All other expenses 2,396 36 

Abatements 67 11 

Total 16,177 63 

The county advertised for proposals for 
transcribing portions of the Putnam County 
records, as required by act creating Bureau 
County. W. M. Zearing was awarded the 
contract, at 3f cents per hundred words. 

November, 1850, William Martin filed his 
bond as County Treasurer. 

Aaron B. Church was the County School 
Commissioner in 1853; his bond with Will- 
iam Converse and Charles L. Kelly as sure- 
ties was filed November 23, 1853. At this 
date Justin H. Olds was appointed to make 
a sectional index to the records of deeds and 
mortgages. He was assisted by Stephen G. 
Paddock. November, 1855, A. B. Church, 
as School Commissioner, and Rufus Carey, as 
Treasurer, filed their bonds, which were duly 
approved. 

Total amount of county revenue for fiscal 
year ending June, 1850, was 14,627.145. 

Rufus Carey filed his bond as County 
Collector for 1854. 

June, 1854, E. M. Fisher resigned as 
Drainage Commissioner, and Justus Stevens 
was appointed to the office, and entered at 
once upon its duties. Mr. Stevens continued 
as Drainage Commissioner until March, 1856, 
when he resigned. 

At the March term, 1856, of the Super- 
visors, the Building Committee, Justus Stev- 



ens, W. P. E. McKinstry and William M. 
Matson, reported that $4,970.31 were due 
Lloyd & Whitmarsh as the balance for build- 
ing the jail. 

At a meeting of the Supervisors, May, 
1851, the following members answered the 
roll-call: Clarion, A. G. Porter; Lamoille, 
Isaac H. Norris; Ohio, John Ross; Walnut, 
Greenbury Triplett; Bureau, C. C. Corss; 
Dover, Enoch Lumry; Berlin, Enos Smith; 
Westfield, Michael Kenedy, Jr.; Hall, John 
W. Pinnell; Selby, William Hoskins; Prince- 
ton, Jacob T. Thompson; Center, Elijah 
Hays; Concord, George Wilkinson; Mineral, 
Albert Bush; Brawby, Ira O. Beaumont; Ma- 
con, Cyrus Sweet; Indiantown, Asa Barney; 
Arispe, George McManis; Fairfield, Jacob 
Sells; Greenville, Nehemiah Hill; Milo, 
William B. Whipper. 

Benjamin L. Smith, Clerk, and E. M. 
Fisher, Sherifi". 

At a special meeting, April 29, 1852, the 
following members answered lo roll-call: 
Clarion, A. G. Porter; Lamoille, Tracy 
Reeve; Ohio, John Ross; Walnut, Christo- 
pher Wolf; Dover, Enoch Lumry; West- 
field, Edmund Polke; Hall, Abram Wixam; 
Selby, William Hoskins; Princeton, M. 
Trimble; Center, James Hamrick; Concord, 
Thomas Stevens; Macon, Cyrus Sweet; In- 
diantown, Asa Barney; Arispe, S. E. Mor- 
ris; Leepertown, William Shields; Milo, S. 
M. Clark. On motion, A. G. Porter was 
elected Chairman by a unanimous vote. 

At the May term, 1853, the following 
Supervisors responded to their names: 
Clarion, David Lloyd; Lamoille, Timothy 
Edwards; Ohio, John Ross; Walnut, Richard 
Brewer; Greenville, Jacob Eastlick; Fair- 
field, Hiram McKenzie; Dover, Enoch Lvun- 
ry; Berlin, Enos Smith; Westfield, Michael 
Kenedy; Hall, C. W. Combs; Selby, Will- 
iam Hoskins; Princeton, Arthur Bryant; 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



283 



Center, James Hamrick; Concord, John 
Mason; Mineral, James P. Hartley; Brawby, 
George Norton; Macon, Lewis Holmes; In- 
diantown, Asa Barry; Arispe, S. E. Morris; 
Milo, S. M. Clark; Gold, Joseph Johnson. 
The towns of Bureau and Leepertown did 
not answer to the roll-call. B. L. Smith 
was County Clerk, and Osmyn Smith was 
Sheriff". Arthur Bryant was chosen Chair- 
man. 

June term, 1854, the following were the 
newly elected Supervisors present: Prince- 
ton, Justus Stevens; Center, James Hamrick; 
Selby, William Hoskins; Hall, John E. 
Terwilliger; Leepertown, David McElwain; 
Arispe, S. E. Morris; Greenville, Lewis 
McKune; Clarion, David Wells; Berlin, 
Enos Smith; Ohio, William Ross; Westfield, 
Nathan Gray; Milo, Joseph W. Harris; 
Macon, Allen Horton; Mineral, J. B. Hart- 
ley; Gold, Joseph Johnson; Indiantown, Asa 
Barney; Walnut, Richard Brewer; Lamoille, 
Tracy Reeve; Bureau, William M. Matson; 
Dover, Enoch Lumry; Concord, T. C. Dow. 
Mr. Morris was chosen Chairman pi-o tern., 
J. V. Thompson was County Clerk, and 
Osmyn Smith, Sheriff". Justus Stevens was 
elected permanent Chairman. 

June 12, 1855, the following was the new 
Board: Mineral, Jesse F. Abbott; Gold, Eben 
Boyden; Walnut, Richard Brewer; Fairfield, 
James Cain; Manlius, D. D. Carpenter; In- 
diantown, B. C. Crouch; Ohio, G. W. Close; 
Dover, Demarcus Ellis; Lamoille, R. B. 
Frary; Westfield, John C. Gibson; Center, 
James Hamrick; Macon, Lewis Holmes; 
Brawby, Charles Kent; Bureau, William M. 
Matson; Leepertown, David McElwain; Sel- 
by, William P. E. McKinstry; Clarion, Mil- 
roy McKee; Arispe, Samuel E. Morris; 
Berlin, Enos Smith; Princeton, Justus 
Stevens; Concord, Moses Stevens; Hall, 
JohnE. Terwilliger; Milo, Joel Whitmore. 



Justus Stevens was again chosen Chairman 
for the year. 

At the meeting April 28, 1856, the follow- 
ing constituted the new Board: Indiantown, 
B. C. Couch; Greenville, Jacob Eastlick; 
Milo, J. E. Hays; Selby, William Hoskins; 
Center, Mark Halroyd; Princeton, Joseph 
Mercer; Hall, H. W. Munson; Berlin, J. L. 
Olds; Dover, William C. Stacy; Ohio, Cyrus 
Wilson; Bureau, C. C. Corss; Westfield, 
Nathan Gray; Manlius, Thomas Hope; La- 
moille, William B. Howard; Mineral, Ed- 
ward D. Kemp; Arispe, S. E. Morris; Clarion, 
M. A. McKey; Walnut, Mark Shirk; Gold, 
Jasper Wood. S. E. Morris was elected 
Chairman. The County Clerk was J. V. 
Thompson, and the Sheriff S. G. Paddock. 
The next year, 1857, Z. K. Waldron was the 
Sheriff". 

June, 1857, the Board was: Arispe, Alan- 
son Benson; Bureau, Harrison Epperson; 
Mineral, Hiram Humphrey; Milo, J. E. 
Hays; Concord, M. G. Loverin; Clarion, M. 
A. McKey; Ohio, Sterling Pomeroy; Berlin, 
Charles G. Reed; Dover, W. C. Stacy; 
Princeton, J. T. Thompson; Hall, H. W. 
Terry; Indiantown, L. D. Whiting; Lamoille, 
E. W. Fassett; Westfield, Nathan Gray; 
Macon, Lewis Holmes; Manlius, A. B. Kins- 
man; Brawby, O. J. Marsh; Leepertown, 
James Nickerson; Walnut, D. M. Reed; 
Greenville, A. A. Smith; Center, E. B. Trip- 
lett; Selby, Thomas Tustin; Fairfield, George 
Whiting. Mr. McKey was elected Chairman, 
J. V. Thompson Clerk, Z. K. Waldron, 
Sheriff". 

June 8, 1858, theBoard was the following: 
Mineral, Silas Batty; Arispe, Alanson Ben- 
son; Gold, A. W. Boyden; Princeton, J. H. 
Bryant; Dover, Simon Elliott; Manlius, Milo 
Foot; Wheatland, T. Gordon; Westfield, 
Nathan Gray; Lamoille, David Hall; Milo, 
J. W. Harris; Bureau, C. Langworthy; Ber- 



284 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



lin, William W. Lewis; Concord, M. G. 
Loverin; Leepertown, James Nickerson; 
Greenville, Simeon Odell; Ohio, Sterling 
Pomeroy; Clarion, A. G. Porter; Macon, 
John Richards; Brawby, Thomas Sumner; 
Hall, H. W. Terry; Center, E. B. Triplett; 
Selby, Thomas Tustin; Indiantown, L. D. 
Whiting; Fairfield, George Whiting; Wal- 
nut, William C. Willey. The County Clerk 
was S. G. Paddock, and Sheriff, Z. K. Wal- 
dron. John H. Bryant was elected Chair- 
man. 

June, 1859, the following new Board met; 
Mineral, Silas Battey; Princeton, John H. 
Bryant; Walnut, O. E. Chapman; Dover, 
Simon Elliott; Wheatland, Thompson Gor- 
don; Westfield, Nathan Gray; Lamoille, 
David Hall; Milo, Joseph W. Harris ; 
Macon, Lewis Holmes; Fairfield, Salmon 
Jewell, Manlius, Aaron B. Kinsman; Gold, 
Andrew Marple; Leepertown, James Nicker- 
son; Greenville, Simeon OdeJl; Ohio, Ster- 
ling Pomeroy; Clarion, Albert G. Porter; 
Berlin. Enos Smith; Brawby, Thomas Sum- 
ner; Hall, H. W. Terry; Bureau, J. E. 
Terwilliger; Center, E. B. Triplett; Selby, 
Thomas Tustin; Concord, William M. 
Whipple; Indiantown, L. D. Whiting; 
Arispe, Oren Wilkinson. Stephen G. Pad- 
dock, Clerk, and David E. Norton, Sheriff. 
John H. Bryant was again unanimously 
elected Chairman for the year. 

At the meeting September 10, 1860, the 
following were declared the new Board: 
Clarion, W. R. Bruce; Mineral, W. Fair- 
man; Milo, J. W. Harris; Macon, Lewis 
Holmes; Wheatland, R. Hunter; Westlield, 
M. Kenedy, Jr. ; Manlius, A. B. Kinsman; 
Center, S. M. Knox; Gold, A. Morrassey; 
Leepertown, J. Nickerson; Princeton, S. A. 
Paddock; Berlin, G. Rackley; Arispe, G. 
M. Radcliffe; Walnut, D. M. Reed; La- 
moille,Tracy Reeve; Ohio, John Ross; Green- | 



ville, Jacob Sells; Fairfield, S. W. Sheldon; 
Brawby, F. Sumner; Concord, J. L. Sweet; 
Hall, H. W. Terry; Bureau, J. Trimble; 
Dover, S. Triplett; Selby, T. Tustin; Indian - 
town, L. D. Whiting. Same Clerk and 
Sheriff as preceding year. S. A. Paddock 
was elected Chairman. 

May, 1861, the new Board was Indian- 
town, C. A Dean; Ohio. G. A. Dodge; Min- 
eral, W. Fairman; Lamoille, D. Hall; 
Wheatland, R. Hunter; Milo, R. M. Kerns; 
Manlius, C. L. Kelsey; Westfield, M. Ken- 
edy; Bureau, Cyrus Langworthy; Brawby, 
C. C. Latimer; Clarion, D. Lloyd; Dover, 
E. Lumry; Gold, A. Morrassy; Leepertown, 
J. Nickerson; Greenville, S. Odell; Hall, 
J. W. Pinnell; Berlin, G. Rackley; Wal- 
nut, D. M. Reed; Center, H. F. Boyce; Ma- 
con, J. Richards; Fairfield, R. H. Sheldon; 
Arispe, B. N. Stevens; Concord, J. L. 
Sweet; Selby, T. Tustin; Princeton, John 
H. Bryant. S. G. Paddock, Clerk, and 
Donnel McDonald, Sheriff. John H.Bryant 
was again elected Chairman. 

June, 1862, the following new Supervisors 
were present: B. Benton, Clarion; W. P. 
Buswell, Mineral; J. M. Curtis, Concord; 
S. Edwards, Lamoille; J. G. Freeman, 
Princeton; Bureau, J. Heaton; Dover, T. 
W. Nichols; Selby, J. S. Searle; Greenville 
J. Sells; Walnut, M. Shirk; Indiantown, 
H. B. Smith; Hall, H. Snyder; Gold, J. 
Wood. The other members were reelected, 
and therefore the same as for 1861. Messrs. 
Hunter of Wheatland, and Boyce of Center, 
were not present at this session of the Super- 
visors. C. L. Kelsey was elected Chairman 
for the current year. i 

For 1863 the following changes were 
made in the members: Mineral, C. W. Ab- 
bott; Ohio, J. H. Bolus; Westfield, H. L 
Briggs; Indiantown, C. A. Dean; Bureau, 
C. A. Heaton; Wheatland, R. Himter; Milo, 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



285 



R. M. Keerns; Manlius, A. B. Kinsman; 
Gold, A. S. Lathrop; Fairfield, G. P. Mc- 
Kay; Macon, L. Mason; Center, D. T. Nich- 
ols; Dover, J. Prouty; Leepertown, W. M. 
Shields; Selby, J. Smith; Hall, H. Snyder; 
Princeton, J. Warfield; Greenville, J. Yearn- 
shaw; Lamoille, S. Edwards. After three 
ballots without election, Mr. Edwards was 
elected Chairman, S. G. Paddock, County 
Clerk, S. Battey, Sherifif. 

May, 1864, the Board met, and the follow- 
ing new members were elected for this 
year: Bureau, L. Blanchard; Clarion, J. Clapp; 
Concord, W. Fairman; Fairfield, N. J. 
Hogeboom; Wheatland E. Hunter; Manlius, 
G. W. Kolp; Macon, L. Mason; Lamoille, A- 

B. Minnerly; Gold, A. Morasy; Selby, 
H. F. Woodin; Center, D. T. Nichols; Do- 
ver, T. W. Nichols; Indiantown, D. Peirson; 
Brawby, G. Robinson; Ohio, J. Ross; Green- 
ville, J. Sells; Hall, H. W. Terry; Princeton, 
H. "W. Waller. Paddock, Clerk, Battey, 
Sherifi". G. Rackley was elected Chair- 
man. 

In 1865 appeared the following new mem- 
bers: Fairfield, Van S. Bastian; Bureau, 
Levi Blanchard; Clarion, Winslow R. 
Bruce; Macon, Charles Chase; Selby, Joseph 
N. Kris; Concord, W. F. Lawton; Dover, 
Enoch Lumry; Gold, Andrew Marple; Milo, 
J. L. McCullough; Princeton, Parker N. 
Newell; Walnut, David M. Reed; Ohio, 
Daniel P. Smith; Manlius, A. J. Stanch- 
field; Hall, H. W. Terry; Westfield, Michael 
Young. Paddock, Clerk, M. G. Loverin, 
Sheriff. B. N . Stevens was elected Chair- 
man by acclamation. 

May 28, 1866, the following Board assem- 
bled: Mineral, Silas D. Abbott; Fairfield, V. 
S. Bastian; Ohio, J. H. Bowles; Macon, 
Charles Chase; Bureau, C. C. Corss; Clarion, 

C. L. Dayton; Greenville, A. S. Eastlick; 
Walnut, G. W. Garwood; Lamoille, Z. S. 



Hills: Concord, W. F. Lawton; Selby, J. J. 
Long; Milo, J. L. McCullough; Leepertown, 
D. F. McElwain; Gold, A. Morassy; Prince- 
ton, P. J. Newell; Center, D. T. Nichols; 
Dover, T. W. Nichols; Berlin, G. Rackley; 
Neponset, Ezra Stepup; Arispe, B. N. Stev- 
ens; Hall, J. H. Seaton; Indiantown, L. D. 
Whiting; Westfield, M. Young; Wheatland, 
R. Hunter; A. J. Stanchfield was absent. Mr. 
Hunter was elected Chairman. 

At the August meeting, 1867, appeared the 
following new members-elect: Clarion, B. 
Benton; Lamoille, C. H. Bryant; Indian- 
town, G. E. Darr; Westfield, C. Gray; Ohio, 
George Hammer; Concord, W. F. Lawton; 
Milo, J. L. McCullough; Wyanet, M. M. 
Thompson; Arispe, J. H. Welsh; Selby, H. 
F. Woodin; Princeton, S. G. Paddock. The 
Coimty Clerk was C. D. Trimble, and the 
Sherifi" was N. C. Buswell. Mr. Rackley was 
elected Chairman, pro tern. S. G. Paddock 
was elected Chairman for the year. 

June, 1868, the new members attending 
the meeting, as follows: Wheatland, A. An- 
derson; Princeton, A. Bryant, Jr.; Manlius, 
L. Major; Westfield, J. McCreedy; Prince- 
ton, P. J. Newell; Walnut, D. M. Reed; 
Arispe, B. N. Stevens; Bureau, R. Jenkin- 
son; Greenville, J. Vaughan, Jr.; Clarion, 
F. Walker. Mr. Rackley was elected Chair- 
man. 

May, 1869, the following new members 
reported: Wheatland, Abraham Anderson; 
Princeton, George Crossby; Dover, R. M. 
Coulter; Neponset, James Garrond; Indian- 
town, J. H. Moore; Leepertown, J. C. Rhyne; 
Princeton, John Shugart; Hall, H. W. Terry; 
Selby, H. F. Woodin. C. D. Trimble, County 
Clerk, and Atherton Clark, Sherifi". 

At the June term, 1870, there was a new 
County Clerk, J. W. Templeton, and the 
following is all that appears on the records 
as to who were the Supervisors, and there is 



3 86 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



no record of what township they respectively 
represented. Nor does any full name appear 
of any of the Supervisors. The following is the 
imperfect list: Anderson, Bryant, Blanchard, 
Bastian, Cooper, Chase, Crossby, Gerrond, 
Hamrick, Johnson, Knight, Kies, Lawton, 
Major, McKinstry, More, Porter, Eackley, 
Stevens, Shields, Trimble, Terry, Wilson and 
Whiting; and J. W. Templeton, Clerk; A. 
Clark, Sheriff. 

June, 1871, the Clerk again makes the fol- 
lowing short record of the new Board, as the 
members at the first meeting: Bryant, Bas- 
tian, Blanchard, Chapman, Cooper, Fawcett, 
Hammer, Hamrick, Kies, Lewis, McKinstry, 
H. J. Miller, S. Miller, McCullough, More, 
Norton, Paddock, Porter, Smith, Shields, 
Vaughan. Van Ormer, Way and Welsh. 
Eleven ballots were had for Chairman. The 
chief candidates were Mr. Porter and S. G. 
Paddock. On the eleventh ballot the vote 
stood fourteen for Paddock, one for Porter, 
and eight for More. 

In 1872, the following new members an- 
swered at the May meeting: Clarion, Franklin 
Walker; Lamoille, R. B. Frary; Ohio, George 
Hammer; Walnut, O. L. Bearss; Greenville, 
John Vaughan; Fairfield, V. S. Bastian; 
Westfield, Daniel Boucher; Berlin, Enos 
Smith; Dover, W. P. E. McKinstry; Bureau, 
Levi Blanchard; Manlius, A. B. Kinsman; 
Gold, Anthony Morassy; Hall, Henry Snyder; 
Selby, J. N. Kies; Princeton, S. G. Paddock; 
Wyanet, James Hamrick; Concord, Jesse 
Emmerson; Mineral, E. H Canibear; Leep- 
ertown, N. H. Averill; Arispe, J. H. Welsh; 
Indiantown, C. N. Stevens; Macon, Benjamin 
Way; Neponset, M. A. Lewis; Milo, J. L. 
McCullough; Wheatland, Silas Miller. 

1873 — Clarion, Franklin Walker; Lamoille, 
E. A. Washburn; Ohio, Albert Shifflit; Wal- 
nut, O. L. Bearss; Greenville, Horace Hill; 
Fairfield, W. W. Craddock; Westfield, James 



S. Wilson; Berlin, Enos Smith; Dover, 
George W. Palmer; Bureau, Levi Blanchford; 
Manlius, O. Smith; Gold, Anthony Morassy; 
Hall, Henry Snyder; Selby, R. B. Rawson; 
Princeton, S. G. Paddock, and E. R. Virden, 
Assistant; Wyanet, James Hamrick; Concord, 
W. F. Lawton; Mineral, Hiram D. Davis; 
Leepertown, N. H. Averill; Arispe, John H. 
Welsh; Indiantown, Jonas H. More; Macon, 
Benjamin Way; Neponset, M. A. Lewis; 
Wheatland, Andrew Anderson. 

1874-75— New members: Ohio, S. B. 
Lower; Greenville, C. L. Clink; Westfield, 
James McCreedy; Dover, Simon Elliott; 
Manlius, Lafayette Major; Gold, S. W. Jack- 
son; Hall, Henry Snyder; Princeton, Reuben 
B. Foster; Concord, Josiah Battey; Mineral, 
H. D. Davis; Macon, Thomas J. Halley; 
Milo, L. J. Bates; Ohio, D. P. Smith; West- 
field, John C. O'Key; Berlin, George Rack- 
ley; Dover, Warren Poole; Bureau, U. J. 
Trimble; Gold, Robert D. Ready; Hall, 
Henry Snyder; Selby, S. P. Salmon; Prince- 
ton, R. B. Foster and H. C. Field; Concord, 
Jacob L. Sweet; Mineral, C. W. Abbott; 
Arispe, John H. Welsh; Indiantown, G. B. 
Cushing; Macon, Thomas J. Haley; Nepon- 
set, D. T. Boyer; Milo, J. M. Tate. 

1876, the following new members were 
elected: Westfield, Martin Corley; Berlin, 
J. D. Phillips; Manlius, William Mercer; 
Gold, R. D. Ready; Hall, Henry Snyder; 
Selby, S. P. Salmon; Princeton, E. B. Fos- 
ter; Concord, Jacob L. Swat; Leepertown, 
Arzy Masters; Indiantown, Duncan Masters; 
Macon, T. J. Haley; Neponset, David S. 
Boyer. 

1877— Lamoille, E. P. Edwards; Ohio, D. 
P. Smith; Greenville, W. L. Hay; West- 
field, Martin Corley; Berlin, J. D. Phillips; 
Dover, Warren Poole; Bureau, Thomas Mow- 
ry; Manlius, Joseph Barrett; Selby, M. S. 
Ketch; Princeton, R. B. Foster and A. C. 





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^a/U^!€y?v. 



HISTOKY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



289 



Boggs; Wyanet, Sullivan Aldrich; Mineral, 

A. L. Canibear; Arispie, John H. Welsh; 

Neponset, D. S. Boyer; Milo, Charles Mason. 

1878— Greenville, T. M. Sells; Fairfield, S. 

D. Withington; Westfield, Louis Zearing; 
Berlin, J. T>. Phillips; Dover, Warren Poole; 
Wyanet, Thomas Morary; Manlius, Joseph 
Barrett; Sheffield, R. D. Ready; Selby, 
Henry Stadler; Wyanet, Sullivan Aldrich; 
Neponset, James Gerroud; Wheatland, Will- 
iam H. Bates: Milo, J. W. Harris. 

1879— Westfield, Michael Skiffington; Ber- 
lin, George Rackley; Dover, Warren Poole; 
Bureau, U. J. Trimble; Manlius, Joseph 
Barrett; Hall, Henry Snyder; Selby, M. M. 
Martin; Concord, James M. Curtis; Mineral, 
W. H. Forrest; Indiantown, Samuel G. Lov- 
erhill; Wheatland, W. H. Bante; Milo, J. 
A. Cushman. 

1880— The newly-elect were: Ohio, S. 
Pomeroy; Dover, Jonathan Hayt; Walnut, 
U. J. Trimble; Manlius, J. P. White; 
Princeton, James M. Fisher and Isaac H. 
Elliott; Arispie, OiTin Wilkinson; Clarion, 
N. T. Moulton ; Gold, Nehemiah Spratt. 

1881 — The new members were: Lamoille, 

E. P. Edwards; Ohio, Sterling Pomeroy; 
Greenville, W. L. Hay; Fairfield, George 
Binden; Westfield, Michael Sheffingtoa; 
Doyer, Jonathan Hayt; Wyanet, James Ham- 
rick; Arispie, Orrin Wilkinson; Milo, J. A. 
Clinsman. 

1882 — Clarion, Sereno Bridge; Walnut, 
L. K. Thompson; Greenville, W. L. Hay; 
Fairfield, George Bowden; Westfield, M. 
Skiffington; Bureau, John Hechtner; Man- 
lius, J. P. White; Hall, James H. Seaton; 
Selby, George Hoppler; Princeton, J. M. 
Fisher and C. P. Lovejoy; Wyanet, T. 
Clark Hays; Mineral, W. H. Forrest; Aris- 
pie, O. Wilkinson; Indiantown, Samuel G. 
Loverhill; Ne23onset, D. S. Boyer; Wheatland, 
Edward Murphy; Milo, J. L. McCullough. 



1883— Clarion, C. L. Dayton; Walnut, L. 
K. Thompson; Fairfield, George Burden; 
Greenville, Ben Monson; Westfield, Mich- 
ael Young; Berlin, J. EJ. Phillips; Dover, 
Jonathan Hoyt; Gold, Anthony Morassy; 
Hall, James H. Seaton; Selby, George Hopp- 
ler; Wyanet, T. Clark Hays; Concord, 
James M. Curtis; Mineral, C. W. Abbott; 
Arispie, Owen Wilkerson; Neponset, James 
Gerrond; Wheatland, Edward Murphy ; Milo, 
J. L. McCullough. 

1884— The townships for 1884 have the 
following officers: 

Clarion. — C. L. Dayton, Supervisor; T. P. 
Wells, Clerk; William Marriott, Assessor; 

D. C. Smith, Collector; John Billhouse and 
J. W. Hills, Justices. 

Lamoille. — W. S. Martin, Supervisor; J. 
j H. Smith, Clerk; Joseph Rarabo, Assessor; 
I J. H. Smith, Collector. 

Ohio. — S. Pomeroy, Supervisor; Peter J. 
Conrad, Clerk; Jestin Inks, Assessor. 

Walnut. — L. K. Thompson, Supervisor; 
Harry Fuller, Clerk; Mark Shick, Assessor; 

E. Atkinson, Collector; J. N. Barnes, Justice. 
Greenville. — J. W. Spratt, Supervisor; J. 

H. Small, Clerk; Burton Brown, Assessor; 
I D. D. Draper, Collector. 

Fairfield. — L. W. Brown, Supervisor; 
Henry Cooley, Clerk; J. E. Banker, Asses- 
sor, J. F. McNaughton, Collector. 

Westfield. — M. Skiffington, Supervisor; L. 
H. Lux, Clerk; Peter J. Cassiday, Assessor; 
J. M. Wilson, Collector. 

Berlin. — W. L. Isaac, Supervisor; J. A. 
Perry, Clerk; Elmer Bass, Assessor; M. M. 
Kenfield, Collector; Robert Park, Justice. 

Dover. — J. Hoyt, Supervisor; J. Taylor, 
Clerk; Aaron Dunbar, Assessor; Henry S. 
Swarts, Collector. 

Bureau. — U. J. Trimble, Supervisor; N. 
A. Harrington, Clerk; J. E. Schwartzentraub, 
Collector; S. R. Spratt, Justice. 



290 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Manlius.—J. P. White, Superintecdent; 
J. W. Wallace, Clerk; C. Toutz, A&sessor; 
G. M. Nicholas, Collector; G. W. Prather, 
Justice. 

Gold. — Anthony Morrassy, Supervisor; 
Seth Arnet, Clerk; M. L. Kearns, Assessor; 
P. MeCabe, Collector; R. H. Smith, Justice. 

Hall. — J. H. Seaton, Supervisor; R. B. 
Williams, Clerk; Irwin Barges, Assessor; 
Daniel Cahill, Collector. 

Selby.— George Hoppler, Supervisor; 
George May, Clerk; R. P. Rawson, Assessor; 
Henry Gleich, Collector. 

Princeton.— J. M. Fisher, Supervisor; C. 
P. Lovejoy, Assistant; George S. Skinner, 
Clerk; E. M. Douglas, Assessor; W. Ambrose, 
Collector. 

Wyanet. — T. Clark Hays, Supervisor; 
Will E. Sapp, Clerk; Joha L. Hall, Asses- 
sor; Hiram Cornish, Collector. 

Concord.— Augustus Myers, Supervisor; H. 
P. Humphries, Clerk; D. T. Stoddard, Asses- 
sor; J. M. Martin, Collector. 

Mineral— C. W. Abbott, Supervisor; E. 
J.Ely, Clerk; C. C. Previes, Assessor; E. G. 
Case, Collector. 

Leeper/oton.— N. H. Averill, Supervisor; 
D. R. Moss, Clerk; N. H. Averill, Assessor; 

C. C. Cowen, Collector; Ezra Masters and 
Samuel Russell, Justices. 

Arispie. — O. Wilkinson, Supervisor; J. H. 
Meehan, Clerk; David Chenoweth, Assessor; 

D. J. McHugh, Collector. 

Indiantoivn. — S. G. Soverhill, Supervisor; 
B. C. Couch, Clerk; W. C. Hoblit, Assessor; 
J. R. Biddoulph, Collector. 

Maco^i. — J. J. Haley, Supervisor; D. C. 
Fisher, Clerk; Lewis Holmes, Assessor; 
Andrew J. Fisher, Collector; Mark D.Ander- 
son, Justice. 

Neponset. — James Gerrond, Supervisor; H. 
Bennett, Clerk; Gustavius Tibbetts,Asse8sor; 
J. S. Chalender, Collector. 



Wheatland.— !:>. Murphy, Supervisor; J. 
L. Dawson, Clerk; Robert Hunter, Assessor; 
H. O. Barber, Collector. 

Milo.—J. L. McCullough, Supervisor; G. 
S. Mallett, Clerk; E. H. Smith, Assessor; T. 
A. Nevitt, Collector. 

Among all the supervisors above enumer- 
ated one that was re-elected nearly as persis- 
tently to succeed himself as was George Rack- 
ley or William Hoskins, was O. L. Bearss. He 
entered the Board as an anti-railroad cham- 
pion, or, rather, as the leader of those who 
were opposed to paying the township's sub- 
scription to the railroad. Every year he 
would run on this ticket and he would be 
elected. The bondholders finally com- 
menced suit and then Bearss and his backers 
grew more and more determined. They 
would make no compromise, nor would they 
listen to propositions; finally they said that 
no matter what the road might do in the way 
of complying with the terms of the vote, they 
were opposed to paying on any condition. A 
suit was pending before the United States 
Court in Chicago, and Supervisor Bearss was 
taken there, and the Court wanted to examine 
him, and asked him to take the oath. He 
took the oath but would not testify. He was 
fined $400 by the Court and the officer was 
ordered to take him to jail until the fine was 
paid. Some friends were present and paid 
the fine, and Bearss returned to his constit- 
uents. We believe the township eventually 
refunded him the money. But iu time the 
people tired of this war against the railroad 
debt, and in the end concluded to pay. Then 
they elected L. K. Thompson Supervisor. 
His father, J. V. Thompson, had been a di- 
rector in the road, and therefore they select- 
ed his son as a fitting expression' to this 
change of sentiment in reference to their 
debts. Mr. L. K. Thompson has been re-elect- 
ed since, and is the Supervisor now from 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



291 



Walnut. There are very few townships or 
counties in the State that have not had some 
experience of a somewhat similar kind. They 
did not all have as plucky a Supervisor as 
did Walnut Township, who would face the 
courts as bravely as he did and take the con- 
sequences, but the most of them would fight 
a while and then pay. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

General County Officehs, Continued — Completing the Libt to 
Date — Marriages— First One J. H. Olds and Louisa C. 
Bryant — Powers Exercised by the County Court — Pub- 
lic, Civil and Private Affairs — Etc., etc., etc. 

IN the preceding chapter we gave a full 
list of the county officers to the adoption 
of township organization, and then a consecu- 
tive list of the leading officers of the town- 
ships to date. At this point we return now 
to the year 1850, and give the general offi- 
cers of the county to date. 

At the general election November 4, 1851, 
the following were elected: Aquilla Triplett, 
Associate Justice; William Martin, County 
Treasurer; Aaron B. Church, School Com- 
missioner; Homer Fellows, County Surveyor. 

November 2, 1852, the following: S. Allen 
Paddock, County Judge; J. D. Garton, Cor- 
oner; Osmyn Smith, Sheriff, and Edward 
M. Fisher, Clerk Circuit Court. 1853, No- 
vember 8: Benjamin L. Smith, Judge; Joseph 
V. Thompson, County Clerk; Rufus Carey, 
Treasurer: Homer Fellows, Surveyor; A. B. 
Woodford, Coroner ; Aaron B. Church, School 
Commissioner. In 1856 C. L. Kelsey was 
County Judge. 

1857. — George McMannis, Judge; Stephen 
G. Paddock, County Clerk; Roderrick B. 
Frary, Treasurer; Charles P. Allen, School 



Commissioner; Frank W. Winship, Survey- 
or, and Carleton W. Combs and Lewis T. 
Cobb, Associate Justices. 1859, Abram 
Lash, Surveyor. 

1861.— S. M. Knox, Judge; Stephen G. 
Paddock, County Clerk; Winship, Surveyor. 
Winship then held the office until 1867, when 
H. G. Paddock was elected Surveyor and has 
held the office continually to the present 
time (November, 1884). 

1865 — L. S. Smith, County Judge; re- 
elected in 1869. Cairo D. Trimble elected 
County Clerk in 1865, and J. W. Templeton 
elected in 1870. 

1873 — Jesse Emmerson elected Judge; M. 
J. Keith, County Clerk. 

1877— H. J. Trimble, Judge; and S. G. 
Paddock, County Clerk. By the new Con- 
stitution the term of Judge and Clerk was ex- 
tended one year, and in 1882 the same offi- 
cers were re-elected and are the present 
incumbents. 

County Treasurers. — R. B. Frary re- elected 
1859. In 1861, Ora A. Walker; 1863, Charles 
P. Allen; 1865, Isaac H. Elliott; 1867, Will- 
iam McManis; 1869, Austin Wiswall; 1871, 
Ralph McClintock; 1873, Samuel Edwards; 
1875, Edward A. Washburn, re-elected 1877, 
1879, 1881, and is the present incumbent. 

School Commissioners. — 1859, Charles Rob- 
inson; 1863, Chester Covell; 1865, Marvin E. 
Ryan, who died in the latter part of 1866, 
and in January, 1867, Albert Ethridge was 
appointed to fill the vacancy. 1869, Albert 
Ethridge was elected. He resigned Sep- 
tember, 1872, and Joseph Mercer was ap- 
pointed to fill the vacancy. 1873, Jacob Mil- 
ler was elected; 1877, George B. Herrington 
elected; 1881, Jacob Miller again elected and 
is the present incumbent. 

Carleton W. Combs held many township 
and county offices. He was Deputy and 
County Clerk and Associate Judge. He is 



292 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



spoken of by those who knew him long and 
well as one of the most genial and pleasant 
men ever in the county. He was a native of 
Tennessee, born in Granges County, in June, 
1809, and came to Bureau in 1834, and set- 
tled in Hall Township, on Section 18, after- 
ward made a farm on Section 8. He left 
this county years ago and is now a resident 
of Nebraska. When he came to this county 
he brought his parents, his wife and two 
children with him. The two children were 
Benton and Mary. There were of his chil- 
dren born here: Ho W., Atlanta, Iris, Eena, 
Orta and William. None of his family are 
now in the county. 

Marriages. — Having given nearly a complete 
account of the county officials and the civil 
history of the county, we may now give 
something of the social side of the story, and 
we can just now think of nothing more 
pui'ely social than that old, old habit of mar- 
rying and giving in marriage. 

The first marriage after the county had as- 
sumed its full legal existence was June 15, 
1837, Justin H. Olds and Louisa C. Bryant. 
The ceremony was performed by John H. 
Bryant, Esq. There had been marriages in 
the territory of what constituted Bureau 
County earlier than this, and of these we 
have given an account in the preceding pages 
of this book, but this was the first marriage 
by the authority of Bureau County. It was 
a month, or July 13, 1837, before the second 
marriage occurred. The parties were Elias 
Funderburg and Nancy Smiley. August 
24, 1831, Isaac Funderburg and Mary Long 
were married. August 5, Stephen Burnham 
and Hester Ann Coulter were married by 
Rev. Henry Headley. September 21, John 
Snider and Margaret Harris were married by 
Elisha Searl. October 25, John Clapp to 
Maria Smith. 

One of the emoluments of the County 



Clerk's office was the license fee, and hence the 
one great source of supplies depended upon 
the activity of the marriage market. As it 
started off with only one wedding to the 
month, there did not seem to be much in- 
ducement for a Clerk to stay in the office at 
that time. True, he got the fees of his office 
— all of the fees, too — but business was dull 
and invariably the Clerk had to do some out- 
side business to make a family support. 
Hence, generally, as soon as a man had 
worked and secured an office, he had to begin 
a vigorous compaign to find a deputy who 
would take all the emoluments for attending 
to it, and in case he did not find such a dep- 
uty, he would resign in self-protection. 

November 20, 1837, was married by Elisha 
Searl. J. P., John Perrine and Rachel Whit- 
aker; December 13, by John Searl, J. P., 
Joseph S. Meyers and Delina Searl; Decem- 
ber 24, by Squire Daniel Bryant, Liberty 
Stimpson and Leah Clark; November 30, by 
Rev. Z. Hall, S. F. Deming and Mary Zearing. 

This concluded the first year's work in this 
line by the new county, and the marrying 
ones it seems retired until the holidays were 
over. January 7, 1838, by William Franken- 
berger, Esq., John Britt and Nancy Watkins. 
January 25, by Rev. Z. Hall, Thomas Mer- 
cer and Nancy Brigham. 

This was ex-County Clerk Mercer, who is 
now in Seattle, W. T., with his second wife 
and three grown daughters. 

January 28, by Rev. James B. Chenoweth, 
John Galer and Martha Miller. 

On the same day, by Squire William Frank- 
erberger, Samuel F. Fay and Mary Mercer. 

January 18, Squire Nathaniel Applegate 
married Randolph Hasler and Susannah Will- 
iams. 

February 8, Rev. Lucien Farnham mar- 
ried Andrew F. Smith and Lucy Chamber- 
lain. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



293 



February 2, Morris Spalding, Esq., mar- 
ried Constant R. Searl and Cyrene G. Lang- 
worthy. 

April 12, Squire Frankerberger married 
Thomas Vincent and Julian Frankerberger. 

May 8, Rev. Chenoweth, Samuel Huston 
and Mary E. Lyman. 

August 16, Rev. Farnham, Charles Leeper 
and Delilah Spencer. 

The license in the above case is recorded 
by D. Gr. Salisbury, Deputy County Clerk. 

August 30, the same D. G. Salisbury being 
then Probate Justice of Bureau County, mar- 
ried Harrison Epperson and Abigail Heaton. 

May 14, Rev. Franklin Langworthy mar- 
ried Charles Luce and Olivia Monroe. 

September 3, by Rev. Farnham, Benjamin 
Porter and Caroline Smith. 

July 5, by Rev. Aaron B. Church, Joseph 
Smith and Olivia Pratt. 

August 6, by same, Oliver Everett and 
Emily Everett. 

October 31, by same, William O. Cham- 
berlain and Lucy Toplifif. 

This is the "Dr. Bill" of whom the poet, 
John H Bryant, has immortalized in his des- 
cription of his courtship with old Moumese's 
dusky daughter, a full account of which 
may be found in another part of this work. 

November 1, by Rev. George Smith, Ste- 
phen F. Harrington and Lavina A. Scott. 

November 19, by Rev. Church, Joseph 
Foster and Elizabeth B. Vaughn. 

October 25, by Rev. Chenoweth, Garner 
C. Mills and Elenor Riley. 

Same day, by same preacher, Allen Tomp- 
kins and Sarah Ann Laughery. 

Same day and preacher, Alfred F. Clark 
and Harriett Doolittle. 

November 25, by Rev. Headley, William 
Robbins and Mary Hyberle. 

November 27, by Rev. Church, Samuel 
Triplett and Mary Ann Vaughn. 



November 29, by Rev. Church, Sidney 
Smith and Laura Doolittle. 

This was all there was in this line in the 
year 1838. It shows a commendable activity 
in this important industry. 

But there was no holiday rest this year 1839 
as there had been the year before, for on the 
1st day of January, 1839, Squire Moses Spald- 
ing man-ied George W. Minnier and Sarah 
Ireland. 

January 22, by Rev. Farnham, Selden D. 
Moseley and Harriet N. Gage. 

February 14, by Rev. Chenoweth, George 
Dennison and Susan N. Headley. 

February 27, by Rev. Farnam, Elisha Fas- 
sett and Jane Ann Jenkins. 

March 21, by Judge Salisbury, Martin 
Tompkins and Mary Riley. 

March 21, by Squire Spalding, David Bee- 
ver and Sylvia Williams. 

April 3, by Squire Daniel Bryant, Samuel 
I. Haight and Laura A. Miller. 

November (day of month not given), by 
Rev. Lumry, James Coddington and Catha- 
rine Fearer. 

December (day not given again), by Rev. 
Lumry, Abel Osman and Mary Rumbell. 

March 26, by Rev. Lumry, Levi B. La- 
throp and Laura Judd. 

May 19, by Squire Spalding, John Triplett 
and Rozanna Leonard. 

May 24, by Rev. Lumry, William B. Har- 
ford and Martha Ann Ellis. 

May 2, same, James Porterfield and Eliza 
Brigham. 

June 5, by Rev. Joshua Vincent, William 
E. Bell and Almira Headley. 

July 7, by same. Ambler Edson and Tem- 
perance P. Bruce. 

June 26, by Rev. Church, Oscar G. Cham- 
berlain and Elizabeth Merritt. 

June 24, by James H. Dickey, Noah Wis- 
wall and Elizabeth Lovejoy. 



294 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



August 1, by Rev. Owen Lovejoy, David 
Wells and Mary Smith. 

August U, by Eev. P. J. Strong, Wilson 
M. Swan and Mary F. Wilhite. 

This was the last marriage license recorded 
by Clei-k B. L. Smith. The August election 
was just over and S. F. Demming being elect- 
ed Clerk he records the next license, which 
is dated September 19, and certifies to the 
marriage of Abott Ellis and Matilda L. Dur- 
ham. 

October 19, Rev. Owen Lovejoy, Alfred 
Anthony and Mary M. Gushing. 

October 29, by Squire Spalding, "William 
Hudnut and Catharine Manier. 

November 19, by Squire E. S. Phelps, 
Jacob Craisand and Catharine Genslinger. 

December 4, by Rev Chenoweth, H. O. 
Merriman and Sarah H. Kinney. 

This is the Merriman who was among the 
early attorneys here and afterward went to 
Peoria, and Sarah Kinney was a daughter of 
Simon Kinney, and a sister of the celebrated 
H. L. Kinney. Of both these people a more 
complete account may be found in another 
chapter. 

December 19, by Rev. Chenoweth, Alford 
Lyford and Mary Emmerson. 

This concluded the marrying for the entire 
year 1839 in the county. It was only a little 
over an average of two per month for the 
year. 

In August, 1843, C. W. Combs appeared as 
the County Clerk, having been elected to 
succeed Demming. 

The first money appropriation ever made 
by Bureau County was |15 to procure plank 
to cover bridges across the sloughs emptying 
into West Bureau Creek, on the stage road, 
near Elijah Smith's. Enos Matson was ap- 
pointed agent to expend the money. 

The next item was $50 appropriated for the 
bridge as follows: The "one near James G. 



Forrestall's on Main Bureau." Robert C. 
Masters was apjiointed to expend this money. 

Five dollars was appropriated and Arthur 
Bryant appointed to expend the same on the 
bridge in the southwest quarter of Town 16, 
Range, 9 east. 

And ?15 was also appropriated for the roads 
in Section 16 north, Range 11 east, and Will- 
iam Hoskins to superintend this work. 

This was all the appropriations made at 
this first term of the County Board, except 
some small items for services. 

Roads, roads, roads was the one great first 
subject to the people west of the river. We 
do not know but from this action of the first 
meeting of the Board, we can readily under- 
stand why what is now Bureau County was so 
anxious to detach itself from Putnam and 
become independent. 

The old style County Commissioner's Court 
was a judiciary and executive, and legislative 
body to some extent. It embodied the old 
idea that it was the duty of the local govern 
ment to regulate all public afl'airs and a great 
many private ones. Hence, at one time in 
this State every county had some such regu- 
lation as the following: 

"It is ordered by this court that the follow- 
ing rates of charges be allowed to be charged 
by the taverns in the county [only two had 
been licensed to keep taverns when this order 
was passed, namely John Vaughan and Jon- 
athan T. Holbrook], to- wit: 

One meal of victuals $ 0.26 

Lodging one person 13i 

Spirits for one dram, i pint or less 12^ 

Stabling and feed for horse 12i 

Oats by the feed at tlie rate per bushel 1.00 

But when sold by bushel 87i 

These are fair samples of the entire list. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



295 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

The Legal Doings— The Courts— Lawyers — Judges, and Thobb 
Who Have Held Office County, State and National — Etc., 
etc., etc. 

THE act creating Bureau County provid- 
ed it should become a part of the Sixth 
Judicial Circuit, and that the coui-t should 
have terms twice a year. Judge Daniel 
Stone, of Peoria, was the Presiding Judge, 
and he issued his proclamation convening the 
first court at Princeton, on the fourth Mon- 
day of June, 1838. Accordingly the court 
met on the day appointed, in the Hampshire 
Colony Church. Present: Daniel Stone, 
Judge; Cyrus Bryant, Clerk; Cyrus Lang- 
worthy, Sheriff; Edward Southwick, Circuit 
Attorney. Judge Stone had appointed Bry- 
ant, Clerk, the commission dated August 19, 
1837. Joseph Duncan, Governor, issued 
Langworthy's commission as Sheriff, July 
11, 1837. The first case on the docket was 
Jacob Galer vs. Richard Pearce, an attach- 
ment suit for $53 for lumber sold to Pearce 
and used in improving his property in 
Princeton, a building on Lot 159. Publica- 
tion was made in the Peoria Register. Prin- 
ter's fee $3.25. The second was an appeal 
from Judge Salisbury's court to the Circuit 
Court. It was Davis & Moon vs. James 
Peters, suit on a promissory note for $94, 
bearing 12 per cent interest. The third 
suit was Nichol & Osborn vs. Alfred Tom- 
kins, appeal. William C. Reagan, N. H. 
Purple, and T. Lyle Dickey were the attor- 
neys present at this court. The first indict- 
ment was for larceny against David Beaty. 
Then they indicted Thomas J. Cole for 
adultery. The criminal cases were continued 
under bonds. 

The December court failed to convene as 
it had been appointed to do, and the next 



term of the court was March 27, 1839; 
Thomas Ford, Judge, and Norman H. Pur- 
ple, State's Attorney. It was in session three 
days and adjourned. In July, 1839, the 
court again convened, same ofiScers, etc., of 
the preceding court. March 24, 1840, 
court again met, same officers and attorneys. 
April 5, 1841, Judge Ford reappointed Cyrus 
Bryant, Circuit Clerk. September, 1841, 
court again met, same officers and attorneys. 
April, 1842, same again, except Setb B. Far- 
well, State's Attorney. September term, 
1842, John D. Caton was the Presiding 
Judge; Stephen Smith, Sheriff; other officers 
the same. In May, 1842, Sheriff Lang- 
worthy appointed Samuel Jones Under 
Sheriff. 

At the August election, 1842, Stephen 
Smith was elected Sheriff, Cyrus Bryant 
was again elected Circut Clerk, and ap- 
pointed E. S. Phelps, Deputy. Henry 
Thomas was elected Coroner. 

In August, 1842, Rudolph G. Sauer ap- 
plied for naturalization to the Circuit Court. 
He seems to have been the first in this line. 
Simon Kinney appears as an attorney in the 
circuit as early as 1842. October, 1843, 
Judge Caton again presiding, and Ben- 
jamin F. Fridley was State's Attorney. The 
same officers held the May term of the court, 
1844, same at the September term. Same at 
the May term, 1845. September term, this 
year, same again. At the May term the same 
again, except Burton C. Cook appeared as 
State's Attorney. At the September term, 
1846, B. F. Fridley again appears as Circuit 
Attorney. May, 1847, B. C. Cook again was 
State's Attorney. Same officers at the fall 
term, this year. At the May term, 1848, 
David Brown apjjeared as the Clerk, and 
at the fall term, 1848, Joseph V. Thomp- 
son appeared as Sheriff, the other officers 
same as j)revious court. R. T. Templeton 



396 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



was County Coroner. At the May term, 
1849, Hugh Henderson was Judge; Justin 
H. Olds, Clerk; J. V. Thompson, Sheriff; B. 
C. CooIj, State's Attorney. At the October 
term, this year, T. Lyle Dickey was Judge. 
May term, 1850, same officers. April term, 
1851, E. M. Fisher was Sheriff, the other 
officers same as previous court. At the Octo- 
ber term, 1851, J. O. Glover appeared slb pro 
tern. State's Attorney. In 1852 the old offi- 
cers were all present, and again at the Sep- 
tember term. There was a term of the court 
in January, 1853, Judge E. S. Leland presid- 
ing; E. M. Fisher, Clerk; Osmyn Smith, 
Sheriff; W. H. L. Wallace. State's Attorney. 
At the March term the same. October term 
same again. January, 1854, the same again. 
October term, same. January term, 1855, 
Stephen G. Paddock was the Sheriff. At the 
June special term, 1855, Madison E. Hollister 
was Presiding Judge. Again October term. 
January term, 1856, same. October term 
same. January term, 1857, Hollister, Judge; 
E. M. Fisher, Clerk; Z. K. Waldron, Sheriff; 
W. Bushnell, State's Attorney. At the Sep- 
tember term, 1857, Martin Ballon, Judge; 
Fisher, Clerk; Waldron, Sheriff; George W. 
Stipp, State's Attorney. January, 1858, 
same. April term, same. September term, 
same. January term, 1859, D. E. Norton 
was Sheriff. September term, 1859, Judge 
Hollister presiding. December, 1859, same. 
March, 1860, same. September, 1860, same. 
December term, 1860, Hollister, Judge; G. 
M. Radcliffe, Clerk; David E. Norton, Sheriff. 
March, 1861, Daniel McDonald was Sheriff, 
and D. P. Jones, State's Attorney. August, 
same. December, same. March, 1862, same. 
August, same. March, 1863, same, except 
Silas Battey appeared as Sheriff. August, 
same. December, do. March, 1864, do. 
The August term, 1854, was postponed to 
September by Judge Hollister. December, 



1864, Henry F. Eoyce, Clerk; Moses G. 
Loverin, Sheriff; Charles Blanchard, State's 
Attorney. Special term of the Circuit 
Court, March, 1865, same. August, same. 
December, same. March, 1866, same. 
Special term, June, same. August, same. 
December term, 1866, Edwin S. Leland, 
Judge. March term, 1867, Samuel L. Rich- 
mond, Judge; Nicholas C. Buswell, Sheriff; 
Henry F. Royce, Clerk. December term, 
Judge Leland presiding. January, 1868, 
Daniel H. Smith was appointed Deputy 
Clerk, and Charles J. Peckham, Deputy 
Clerk. March term, 1869, Clark Gray was 
Clerk. He appointed Scott Chapman, 
Deputy. March, 1870, Atherton Clark was 
Sheriff; Judge Leland, presiding. Septem- 
ber, 1870, same. December, same. March 
term, 1871, Martin Carse was Sheriff. Sep- 
tember, same. December, same. March, 
1872, same. August, same. October, the 
Clerk- elect was George W. Stone. He was 
commissioned by Gov. Palmer. Stone ap- 
pointed Clark Gray his Deputy, and in De- 
cember following he appointed D. H. Smith, 
Deputy. M. G. Loverin was re-elected Sher- 
iff. He appointed Philo H. Zeigler, Deputy. 
March, 1878, Leland, Judge; Stone, Clerk, 
and Loverin, Sheriff. August, same. March, 
1874, same. August, same. December, 1874, 
Alexander Brandon appeared as Sheriff. 
March, 1875, Charles C. Warren was State's 
Attorney. August, same. December, 1875, 
same. March, 1876, Arthur A. Smith, Judge, 
presiding, having exchanged with Judge 
Leland. December, 1876, Judge Leland, 
presiding; Daniel H. Smith, Clerk; Alex- 
ander Brandon, Sheriff. March, 1877, same. 
December term, 1877, Francis Goodspeed, 
Judge. March, 1878, Josiah McRoberts, 
Judge. August, 1879, same. December, 
1879, Judge Goodspeed, presiding. March 
term, 1880, Judge G. W. Stipp, presiding. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



297 



October 9, 1880, Smith appointed Hubble, 
Deputy. December term, 1880, Judge Good- 
speed, presiding. March, 1881, Judge Stipp, 
presiding. August, 1881, Judge Josiah Mc- 
Roberts, presiding. December, Judge Good- 
speed. March, 1882, same. August, same. 
December, James H. Robinson, Sheriff; Judge 
Goodspeed, presiding. March, 1883, Judge 
Stipp held the term of court. 

Judge Goodspeed Resigns. — Judge Francis 
Goodspeed had been in precarious health for 
some time, and in July, 1884, he resigned 
and the Governor, on August 1, 1884, ap- 
pointed to the vacancy Charles Blanchard, of 
Ottawa, as one of the Judges of the present 
Ninth Judicial Circuit; August, 1883, Judge 
McRoberts; December, Judge Stipp. 

R. M. Skinner was elected State's Attorney 
in 1876; served until 1880. In 1880 Charles 
C.Warren was again elected State's Attorney 
and served until November, 1884, when he 
removed to Iowa to engage in the practice of 
his profession. 

The lirst attorney to locate in the county 
was Simon Kinney. In fact, he was living in 
Indiantown before the county was formed. A 
sketch of this remarkable family may be 
found in a preceding chapter. 

J. V. Thompson. — The birth, marriage, 
date of his coming and death are mentioned 
in a preceding chapter. Since writing the 
foregoing we learn the following additional 
interesting facts. Col. Thompson was one 
of the most genial and jovial men that ever 
came to the county. He and his first wife 
were natives of London. When twelve years 
old he was left an orphan, and was appren- 
ticed to a shoemaker. He completed his trade, 
had owned his shop and had several joui'ney- 
men working for him before he was twenty 
years of age. He came to this country, 
stopped in New York two years farming, and 
then came to Bureau County and became a 



farmer here, and so continued until elected 
Sheriff, as above mentioned. He was a Di- 
rector in the old Grand Trunk Railway (now 
the Clinton Branch of the Chicago, Burling- 
ton & Quincy Railroad), and held that posi- 
tion until the road was completed and be- 
came the property it is now. Col. Thomp- 
son was also Clerk, as before mentioned. He 
was very popular, not having a serious enemy 
in the world. He was an enthusiastic party 
man, but his enthusiasm greatly abated after 
Douglas' defeat — his political idol. Col. 
Thompson's death was startling and sudden. 
He was feeling unusually well and had 
driven to Tiskilwa, and there meeting some 
friends and when in the very act of telling 
some very amusing story he was stricken 
dead instantly of paralysis. By his first 
marriage he left two surviving children — 
Louis K. and George P. Lewis is the Super- 
visor of Walnut Township, and George P. is 
an eminent railroad man of Denver. By his 
last marriage there are three children: Mary 
S., of New York City, teacher of elocution, 
and Lucy, wife of Owen G. Love joy, of 
Princeton, and Joseph A., an attorney of 
New York City. 

Cyrus Bryant, the first Circuit Clerk of 
the county, was one of the early settlers, and 
like all the Bryants, possessed a strong and 
original individuality. He was another of 
the brothers of our country's poet, William 
Cullen Bryant, and so far as we can learn, 
every one of the brothers and sisters of this 
family possessed a vein of genuine poetry, 
and were equally marked by a strong and 
vigorous common sense. Cyrus was noted 
for his sturdy independence, and in all the 
affairs of life he had the courage of his con- 
victions. He had not the geniality of his 
younger brother, John H., and therefore it 
was only by the few who knew him best that 
he was fully credited with all the good that 



298 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



there was in his nature. He was quiet, mod- 
est and retiring in his nature, and to those 
who knew little of the sweet sunshine there 
was in his nature he probably would appear 
austere in his manners. He loved the cus- 
toms of his native Massachusetts with an un- 
flagging devotion, and every year he would 
gather about him at his house a few conge- 
nial friends and talk and joke, eat apples, 
and drink cider and sing the old " 'fuge 
songs," and spend the day in jolly merriment 
— as hilarious as a swarm of schoolboys when 
just out of the school-room. And every year 
he kept up this old home custom till his 
death. None would be invited guests to 
these merry-makings except those who could 
sing, and from the quaint old song books of 
New England, of which Cyrus Bryant kept a 
goodly supply. These jolly old fellows would 
literally realize the aspirations of the poet on 
these occasions when he so sweetly sang: 

" Backward, turn backward, oh time in thy flight! 
And make me a child again just for to-night." 

The genealogy of the Bryant family will 
be found in another part of this work. 

The second lawyer to locate in Bureau 
County was Judge Martin Ballou, who is 
still among his old and many friends, hale 
and vigorous for one of his age; a man of 
quiet habits, retiring manners, and gentle in 
his movements; characteristics that have 
marked the whole course of his long life 
here. He has held office nearly continuously 
since his settlement in the county, and yet 
so modestly has he worn his official honors, 
including the judicial ermine of the Circuit 
Court, that but few, except those who had 
direct business with him in his official capac- 
ity, even knew that he was aught else than a 
sound lawyer and a modest citizen of the 
county. 

Judge Ballou studied law in his native 
State with C. K. Field of Fayetteville. 



Here he was admitted to practice. He stud- 
ied in Mr. Field's office three years and 
then attended Cambridge Law School one 
term, and then came West. He was elected 
for this then new circuit of Bureau, Putnam 
and Marshall, 1857. His term expired 
June, 1861. 

A lawyer named Sloan and H. O. Mer- 
riman (afterward of Peoria) had each been 
temporarily in the county. Merriman was 
from the State of New York, and he went 
from here to Peru and then to Peoria. Sloan 
went to Golconda, in southern Illinois, and 
was for some time Circuit Judge there. A 
brother of H. O. Merriman, Walter, came 
about this time, and after remaining a 
short time went to Galena. 

A man named Alexander, from probably 
near Wheeling, came about this time. His 
father owned a great deal of land in 
Virginia and some in Illinois. He was very 
noisy, erratic, and somewhat reckless, and 
only remained a short time and left. 

A lawyer named Hanchett came in 1840, 
and was here only a short time and died. 

Among the early lawyers was a Judge W. 
A. Fraser. He had been a Judge of some 
of the United States Courts, probably in 
Wisconsin, in its Ten'itorial days. A key to 
his whole character is the story of how he 
lost his Judgeship. In the town where he 
was located as Judge there were other at- 
torneys ambitious for his seat, and taking 
advantage of circumstances, one day, they 
notified the President that Fraser was dead 
(drunk), but they omitted to fill in the 
parenthesis, and the result was the President 
appointed another man to the supposed 
vacancy. It was a serious practical joke on 
Judge Fraser, and one, when in his cups, he 
would tell over and over, from morn till 
night. He died in Princeton in 1858. 

William Cole came in 1844, fe-om Ken- 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



tucky. He practiced with fair success until 
he died, in 1850. Hia family left^the 
county after his death. 

As stated above in this chapter, Gov. 
Thomas Ford held the courts here in 1839. 
The circuit was pretty much all northern 
Illinois, from Quincy to Chicago; and as 
late as 1849 this circuit was composed of the 
counties Peoria, Putnam, Bureau, LaSalle, 
Lee, Ogle, Kane, DeKalb and Marshall. 

James Fancher came in 1846. He was an 
excellent young man. He died in 1848, 
aged twenty-eight years. Those who re- 
member young Fancher speak of him in 
terms of warmest feeling. He was buried 
in the old Presbyterian grave-yard two miles 
south of Princeton on the old Moseley road. 
This old burying-ground has been neglected 
for years and the tombstone of Fancher' s 
grave lies prone upon the ground. Near 
Fancher's grave is the headstone of Eramus 
Phelps, who was a bachelor who suicided by 
drowning in 1840. A large portion of 
those interred in this old ground were re- 
moved some years ago to Oakland Cemetery. 
The grounds are on the corner of the Ar- 
thur Bryant farm, and the people or the 
county authorities or some one interested in 
the dead should see that these few remaining 
ashes should be also transferred. 

Charles L. Kelsey came to Princeton in 
1844. He was born April 2, 1818, in 
Hartford, Conn., and died in Chicago, 
April 10, 1867. His father was William 
Kelsey, of England, and his mother was 
Elizabeth (Fowler) Kelsey, of Hartford. 
The Kelseys came to America over 200 
years ago. Charles L. was noted for his 
warm and devoted attachment to Hon. Owen 
Lovejoy, and the circumstance that deter- 
mined him to come to Princeton was hearing 
Mr. Lovejoy make a speech, and at once he 
made up his mind to come. During the 



lives of these two men this friendship was 
never dulled. Mr. Kelsey was admitted to 
the bar one year after coming to Princeton. 
He was noted for strength of mind and dry 
wit, the latter often serving him to unhorse 
an adversary or disarm such violent oppo- 
nents as the early Abolitionists here en- 
countered. As a presiding officer over a 
deliberative body or a meeting of the people 
he is yet frequently spoken of as a master. 
Mr. Kelsey married Elizabeth Benton, a 
daughter of Josiah Benton, noted as a very 
long-lived family, one of whom is now living 
and is over ninety years of age. 

Mrs. Charles L. Kelsey is living in Prince- 
ton. She has two children; a son (Charles 
A.) is now in Texas; he studied law in the 
office of Milo Kendall; and a daughter 
with her. 

Selby Doolittle came in 1845. He had 
studied law with Cooper & Glover in Otta- 
wa. He died here in 1848. A large num- 
ber of his relatives are in the county. Mr. 
Doolittle was gaining a fair practice. 

There was a young man named McKinney 
here in 1844. He stayed but a short time 
and went to St. Louis. 

Milo Kendall came in 1845 from Vermont, 
; and except Judge Ballou is the oldest prac- 
titioner in the county. He studied law 
with Bartlett & Fletcher in Linden, Caledo- 
nia Co., Vt. From his first entry into the 
county to the present time he has commanded 
a full and lucrative share of the practice. 
Ml'. Kendall is not only a big lawyer but is 
large every way, that is, both mentally and 
physically; dignified in carriage, genial and 
social in his intercourse with the world, he 
has won his way worthily to eminence and 
fortune (see biography). 

Milton T. Peters came, 1847, from Iowa to 
this place, originally from Ohio. He prac- 
ticed only one year in Iowa Territory. His 



300 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



early education and training in the law books 
was not very thorough, yet as a case lawyer 
he was strong and a hard working student. 
Like nearly all lawyers of that time, he mixed 
law and politics together, and as a stump 
speaker was strong enough to be a Demo- 
cratic Elector for Buchanan in 1856. He 
resided in Princeton about twelve years and 
is now in Spirit Lake, Iowa. He went to 
California in 1849, and took his family with 
him, but returned and resumed his practice, 
and about the breaking out of the war he 
went to southern Illinois and engaged in 
fruit-raising. From this place he went to 
Chicago, then again to Princeton, and was 
for a time in the firm of Eccles & Kyle, and 
was then in partnership with R. R. Gibons, 
and then with John Scott and then with Rich- 
ard Skinner. 

John J. Long came in 1842. He was born 
September 8, 1841. Married Delia A. Sapp 
in 1873; the latter born October 21, 1846. 
They had two children. 

J. I. Taylor located here in 1847, a native 
of Kentucky; married a daughter of Cyrus 
Langworthy. In person he was said to 
resemble Abraham Lincoln. Was noted as a 
strong jury lawyer, and could tell as good a 
story as Lincoln or anybody else. No man 
more enjoyed his boon companions. He was 
largely self-made and self-educated, and by 
strength of intellect and force of character 
won his way in life. He was possessed of 
much versatility of talent, as he made the 
tonr of Europe and published a book of his 
observations and travels, and here, although 
without a particle of training as an author, 
he was much more successful than the aver- 
age writers upon this somewhat hackneyed 
subject. 

Mr. Taylor returned to Europe, taking his 
daughters there to educate them, and died in 
Geneva. 



Judge Samuel Richmond came here in 1850. 
He was in the practice here about five years 
and then went to Lacon, Marshall Co. He 
was elected Circuit Judge, and died about 
1873. 

About the same time came John M. Grimes 
from Belmont, Ohio. He remained here ten 
years and then removed to Chicago, and 
practiced there quite successfully about five 
years and died. His body was brought to 
Princeton for burial. His family now reside 
here. He was known for one of the jolliest, 
best fellows in the world, and was noted for 
telling some of the most comical anecdotes 
on himself. 

John Porter, Jr. was from Pennsylvania; 
came 1854. Remained here six years and 
then returned to his native State. He en- 
listed in the army and was taken prisoner at 
Harper's Ferry. After he came out of the 
army he went to Springfield, Mass. , and en- 
gaged in the general insurance business. 
Quitting this he again came to Princeton. 
He is now traveling and lecturing on tem- 
perance. 

In the winter of 1856-57 the bar of Prince- 
ton consisted of Milton T. Peters, J. I. Tay- 
lor, George W. Stipp, Milo Kendall, Judge 
M. Ballou, Levi North, C. L. Kelsey, Charles 
J. Peckham, William M. Zearing, C. P. Al- 
len, Joseph S. Williams, J. M. Grimes, Will- 
iam A. Fraser, J. Porter and George O. Ide. 

J. J. Herron was a native of Cumberland 
County, Penn. Was a graduate of Jefferson 
College. He came to Princeton in 1862, and 
entered into partnership with J. I. Taylor. 
He is now often spoken of as one of the most 
forcible lawyers ever in the county. He was 
twice elected to the State Legislature, in 1876 
and 1878. He died in February, 1878, in 
Princeton. His widow, two sons and three 
daughters reside here. 

Col. Robert Winslow came in 1856. He 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



301 



was some time in partnership with Milton 
T. Peters. He was from Chicago; was noted 
for great assiduity and had fair success in his 
cases. He raised a regiment, had it stolen 
from him, and quit the army and located in 
Lacon and formed a partnership with Judge 
Richmond. 

George O. Ide came from Springfield, Mass., 
in 1856. He commenced life here a school 
teacher; was one year in the Circuit Clerk's 
ofiBce. He had prepared himself for the prac- 
tice of law before coming West. In 1857 he 
formed a partnership with Milo Kendall. 
This lasted fourteen years. He then went to 
Chicago and entered into partnership with S. 
G. Paddock, where he is still in the practice. 
A man of excellent attainments, a close and 
industrious student, very strong and emphat- 
ic in his opinions, and was regarded as one 
of the best chancery lawyers in the circuit. 

About the same time came G. Gilbert Gib- 
ons from Pennsylvania. He remained here 
until 1875, and then went to Chicago, where 
he continued in the practice until his death, 
two years ago. He was of German descent, 
and a tine lawyer. He was nervous, quick, 
genial, clever and able, and his entire ac- 
quaintance are ready to certify that he was 
the most companionable of men. His suc- 
cess in Chicago was complete, and his death 
just upon the threshold of his great promise 
was extremely sad. 

Another Princeton lawyer who went to 
Chicago was William M. Zearing. He was 
a Bureau County boy. His family lived near 
Dover, and he was a clerk in a store, and 
between times in compounding pills he bor- 
rowed Blackstone of Milo Kendall and read 
law. He was admitted to the practice, but 
his tastes were for speculation in real estate. 
He went to Chicago and made a fortune in 
that growing city. 

George L. Paddock commenced the prac- 



tice here and removed to Chicago. While 
here he was in partnership with J. I. Taylor. 

Charles Baldwin came in 1857. He at 
once took a prominent position in the county, 
and soon was also a prominent politician. 
His* personal popularity was great. He was 
elected to the Legislature and the State 
Senate, and as a legislator he was honored 
with the important position of Chairman of 
the Judiciary Committee. He soon became a 
prominent business man, and his important 
business and political affairs absorbed his 
entire time to the exclusion of his law prac- 
tice. He was a college graduate, dignified 
and elegant in bearing and devoted to his 
business affairs. His widow and four chil- 
dren are residents of Princeton. 

Lyman Kendall studied with his uncle, 
Milo Kendall. He was licensed by the Su- 
preme Court of Illinois, and located in Dea 
Moines, and from there to Port McHenry, 
where he died, aged twenty-nine years. He 
was regarded here and in Iowa, where he prac- 
ticed law, as the most brilliant and profound 
young lawyer at the bar. He married Miss 
Anna Non-is, daughter of Isaac Norris, who 
with her young son now makes her home 
with her father. 

Lyman Kendall was born in Barnett, Vt., 
August, 1840. He came West when quite 
young, and was reared in the family of his 
uncle, Milo. He was educated in the com- 
mon schools of Princeton. After his sad 
death, his partner, Mr. McHenry, in con- 
versation with Milo Kendall, told him that 
young K. was the best oflSce lawyer he ever 
knew; that his court papers were as nearly 
perfect as it was possible to make them, and 
that his briefs in the Superior Coui'ts were 
so complete a presentation of the case that 
there was nothing more needed on the final 
trial. In the prime of his useful and brilliant 
young life he was stricken down, leaving an 



302 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



aching void, not only in his own family, but 
in a wide and numerous circle of devoted 
friends and admirers. 

Judge G. W. Stipp, whose complete biog- 
raphy appears elsewhere, is one of the pres- 
ent Circuit Judges, and among the oldest 
members of the bar now in Princeton. On 
the bench or at the bar, he is everywhere 
recognized for his integrity and great abili- 
ties. 

James S. Eckels, of the present firm of 
Eckels & Kyle, is a native of Cumberland 
County, Penn. Graduated in Jefferson Col- 
lege, August 3, 1853. He was reared on one 
of the stony farms of Pennsylvania, where 
he faithfully toiled until nearly twenty- 
one years of age. After graduating, he 
taught school, and read some law. He 
taught in an academy in his native State; 
and in February, 1857, graduated in the 
Albany, N. Y., law school. Located in Prince- 
ton, June 16, 1857. He would impress the 
stranger as a man of books, cultured, and a 
life- long student, a brain-worker. He is 
recognized by his brethren of the bar as a 
ripe scholar, able lawyer, of the finest social 
and companionable qualities. Twice he has 
been a candidate for Congress in a largely 
Republican district, and his personal strength 
has always sent him ahead of the ticket in 
the race. His Democracy and temperance 
have always been his strong political char- 
acteristics. 

His son, J. Herron Eckels, is considered 
for his age a very able and brilliant lawyer. 
He is located in Ottawa. 

John T. Kyle was born in Mifflintown, 
Penn. He graduated in Jefferson College in 
1854, and in 1856 graduated in the Eaton 
Law School. He came to Princeton in com- 
pany with James S. Eckels, and the two have 
been continuously in partnership. 

Hon. Owen Lovejoy was a licensed attor- 



ney, but was so little known in this capacity 
that this will be news to some of his own 
acquaintances. He read law at home, and 
about the time he quit ministrations of the 
church and entered political life he was li- 
censed an attorney. 

Owen G. Lovejoy, his son, is now one of 
the members of the Princeton bar. He en- 
tered Milo Kendall's office as a student in 
1870. At that time Kendall & Ide were 
partners in the practice. Mr. Lovejoy was 
licensed to practice in 1873, and is now a 
partner with his preceptor, Mr. Kendall. 
Although Mr. Lovejoy is comparatively 
young in the practice, he is already recog- 
nized by all the bar as a sound lawyer, and 
the most industrious student in the county, 
and, as his abilities are of a high order, it is 
only a question of time when he will take his 
place at the head of his profession. 

W. A. Johnson is the sole representative in 
North Princeton of the profession since W. 
L. Henderson has moved away. He is on 
the threshold of his professional life, and 
already has received a generous recognition 
at the hands of his fellow-lawyers and the 
public. We have no hesitation in predicting 
for him a useful and successful career in his 
chosen profession. 

C. C. Warren has twice been State's Attor- 
ney for Bureau County, being first elected in 
1872 and again in 1880. His present term 
is about to expire, and he will at once re- 
move to Iowa, and go into the practice there. 
He studied law under Blackwell & Walker 
(Judge), and began practice in Rushville. 
He went to California, and was there eleven 
years, and located in Princeton in 187p. He 
is everywhere recognized as one of the ablest 
attorneys ever in the county. 

Richard M. Skinner is yet a young man — 
a Princeton home-made lawyer — and yet has 
already served one term as State's Attorney 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



303 



for the county. He and his jounger brother, 
George, are one of the best firms in the coun- 
ty, and their large and lucrative practice is 
and will continue to grow (see biography). 

The following is the present bar in Prince- 
ton: Judge M. Ballou, Milo Kendall, James 
Eckels, John T. Kyle, John Scott, Ki chard 
M. and George Skinner, H. M. Trimble, 
Capt. R. R. Gibons, Owen G. Lovejoy, W. 
A. Johnson, M. U. Trimble, Jiidge S. M. 
Knox, Judge G. W. Stipp, W. W. Stipp, T. 
C. Clark, J. S. Williams. 

Judge Knox has retired from the practice, 
and is a real estate dealer. He was County 
Judge in 1861. Gradually changed to a 
real estate operator, and has handled a large 
quantity of the Union Pacific Railroad lands. 
His success here has been rather phenomenal, 
and he has now acquired quite a fortune. A 
gentleman noted for suavity of maimers and 
strong and versatile talents, and in every way 
deserves the success in life that has crowned 
his efibrts. 

John Scott is one of the rising lawyers of 
this bar. He is active, indefatigable, and 
of varied talents. At the bar, in the literary 
societies, on the stump, or in the columns of 
the county paper, he is equally at home in 
all of them. And to all these many pastimes 
he is a farmer as well, and here he again is 
full of push, pluck and vim. An argument 
in court, a lecture or essay in a society, a 
pungent political or polemical article in the 
local paper, or a speech from the hustings, 
either or all at once, are ever ready to hand 
with John Scott. And from the zest with 
which he encounters them all, we judge that 
busy action is the pleasure of his life (see 
biography). 

George Sparling was once a Princeton at- 
torney. He was one of the considerable 
number who went to Chicago. 

Judge Starr Smith was here at one time. 



Before coming here he was a judge in Ar- 
kansas. He left here in 1876. 

Col. Murray also once practiced here. He 
died in Indiana. His family is still in the 
county. 

Col. T. J. Henderson, the present and for 
the past eight years a Member of Congress, 
came from Stark County. Ho has again just 
been re-elected to Congress, where it now 
looks as though he had a lease at will. His 
power and popularity are fully attested, not 
only by his neighbors, but by the people of 
the district in the overwhelming majorities 
they always give him at elections (see biog- 
raphy). 

Judge Jesse Emmerson, of Buda, has long 
been one of the leading members of the bar. 
He came to the county when a boy, with his 
family, who are among the old and leading 
people of the county. In 1873 he was elected 
County Jvidge, a position he filled with emi- 
nent ability. His popularity and influence 
are fully attested by the fact that he has 
always been a Democrat, and yet was elected 
to the most prominent oifice in the county 
against an overwhelming political majority. 
As a lawyer, able, honest and just, he worthi- 
ly stands at the head of the profession. In 
social and private life he is yet more 
widely and better known, and universally 
respected. When the writer first met Judge 
Emmerson it was an easy matter to under- 
stand the secret of his popularity and fair 
fame among all the jjeople. He found him 
an open, genial, social and perfect gentle- 
man. His pleasant greeting, his frank and 
manly manners, his broad and pleasant face, 
lit with warmth and kindness, could not be 
mistaken. They ai'e the open sesame to the 
world's warm respect and abiding confidence. 

With but two exception, the writer will 
long gratefully and kindly remember the cor- 
dial manner of his reception among the 



304 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



many men that his duties required him to 
interview in Bureau County. Among so 
many, to find but two ill-bred human porcu- 
pines is a little remarkable; because every 
where there is a class of men that neither 
clothes nor money will change from the two- 
legged hogs that they were originally made. 
In some places are more, of course, than in 
others. Having found but two in the whole 
county, it is palpable that there is a very 
small crop here. These lonely boors should 
be carefully kept alive, as a contrast for the 
rising generation to contemplate the wide 
difference between gentility and meanness. 

Harry Fulton was at one time a lawyer in 
Tiskilwa. He died there some years ago. 
Also, at one time in Tiskilwa, was a lawyer 
named Flagg. He was from Bloomington. 
He soon left the county. Judge C. C. Wil- 
son was once in Tiskilwa. He was appointed 
by Grant, Chief Justice of Utah. 

At Lamoille was a lawyer named Heming- 
way. He continued to practice until he died 
in that place. C. H. Bryant was for some 
time in this place, and went to California. 

Charles A. Barry located in Wyanet in 
1858, from Kane County. He left and 
located in Missouri. 

W. H. Bigelow was at one time in Buda, 
but he left there in such a hurry that we 
failed to get a card of particulars. 

Presidential Electors. — In the Illinois list 
of Presidential Electors who at different times 
have cast the vote of the State for President, 
the first was Milton T. Peters, in 1856; the 
vote was given to James Buchanan. In 1868 
Thomas J. Henderson was an elector from 
the county. The vote was for Grant. 

Representatives. — The Representatives in 
the State Legislature in the sessions of 1838- 
40 were William H. Henderson, Putnam and 
Bureau Counties. 

1840 — John Hamlin, Senator, was the rep- 



resentative from the counties of Peoria, Put- 
nam, Marshall, Bureau and Stark. W. H. 
Henderson was again the Representative. 

1842-44— John H. Bryant and Cyrus 
Langworthy, Representatives. Mr. Bryant 
represented Peoria, Stark and Bureau. Mr. 
Langworthy represented Bureau and Stark. 
This came of the complications in redistrict- 
ing the State, and Mr. Bryant was the " mem- 
ber at large." In this assembly W. W. 
Thompson was the Senator. 

1844-46 — B. M. Jackson and Judge Ben- 
jamin L. Smith were the Representatives. 
The latter from Bureau Countj'. 

1846-48 — Peter Sweat, of Peoria, was the 
Senator; Thomas Epperson, of Bureau, and 
Samuel Thomas, of Stark, were the Repre- 
sentatives. 

1848-50- Melanchthou E. Lasher, Repre- 
sentative. Bureau and LaSalle Counties 
then constituted the district. 

1850-52 — Abraham L. Phillips, of Leeper- 
town. Representative. No member from 
Bureau 1852-54. 

1854 — Owen Lovejoy, Representative. 

1856-58 — Thomas J. Henderson, of Stark 
County, Senator; George M. Radcliffe, Rep- 
resentative; is in Princeton, publishing the 
Neias. 

1858 — John H. Bryant, Representative. 

1860 — Joseph W. Haixis, Representative; 
is living in the county. 

1862 — Daniel R. Howe, Representative; 
he was a preacher in the Chi-istiau Church; 
has left the county. 

1864 — W. C. Stacy, of Princeton, was a 
member of the lower House. He has gone 
to Iowa. He was again elected. Stephen G. 
Paddock was Clerk of the House in 1866-68. 
In the sessions of 1868-70 James H. Paddock, 
Third Assistant Secretary of the Senate. 

1868-70— Lorenzo U. Whiting, Represent- 
ative. 






ty-rTVPhVi/i- < /c2j '^^/Oyn/Jr 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



307 



1870-72— Senator L. D. Whiting, who 
was re-elected 1874, 1878 and 1882, and is 
the present member. He has earned the title 
of the " Father of the Senate." 

This year, Eobert Hunter, of Tiskilwa, was 
the Representative. 

1872-74 — Jacob R. Mulvane was elected 
Representative. 

1874-76— J. H. Moore, Tiskilwa, and J. J. 
Herron, Princeton were Representatives. 

1876-78— J. J. Herron and Charles Bald- 
win, of Princeton, were elected. 

1878-80— Alfred G. Scott, of Sheffield, 
and Simon Elliott, Princeton, were elected. 

1880-82— Simon Elliott and Alfred G. 
Scott, of Sheffield, Representatives from Bu- 
reau. 

1882-84— John H. Welsh, Tiskilwa, Rep- 
resentative: John Lackey and James T. 
Thornton, were from Stark and Putnam 
Counties. 

Congress — John T. Stuart, first Member. 
John Wentworth represented the district 
from 1843 to 1845; his first term. Again 
from 1845 to 1847; then 1847 to 1849. 
Jesse O. Norton was the Member from 1853 
to 1855, and again from 1855 to 1857. 

Owen Lovejoy entered Congress March, 
1859, and continued in the seat until his 
death, 1864. 

May 20, 1864, Ebon C. lugersoll entered 
Congress to fill the vacancy caused by Love- 
joy's death. Ingersoll was then elected the 
three succeeding terms. 

Bradford N. Stevens, of Tiskilwa, was 
elected in 1870, and served two years. The 
only Democrat ever elected in the district. 
He defeated E. C. Ingersoll. 

Franklin Corwin, of Peru, served from 
1873 to 1875. 

Col. Thomas J. Henderson entered Con- 
gress in March, 1875, and has been continu- 
ously re-elected since. His term of office 



for which he has just been re-elected will 
expire March, 1877. 

In the Thirty-second General Assembly, 
James H. Robinson, of Walnut, was Third 
Assistant Door-keeper. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

The Press— The BoREin Advocate— Tbe Pbincetomas- Post- 
Herald — Yeoman — Democrat — Republica.s — Tribune — Pa- 
triot—News — MoToE— Tidings — Press — Register — Inde- 
pendent — Call— Home Ouabd — Times — And About Who Ban 
Them, etc., etc., etc. 

IN the progress of civilization the important 
and commanding event was the inven- 
tion of movable types — cutting in wood the 
letters of the alphabet, in such shape that 
they would by inking and pressure make their 
impression upon paper, and then by making 
each letter separate and movable, it was at 
once seen that they were susceptible of com- 
binations and words, or at first, names could 
thus be transferred to paper, and the opera- 
tion could be indefinitely performed. A few 
of the world's best men looked upon the 
thing as an interesting curiosity, but of no 
practical use. It was ingenious, they 
thought, but that was all. Eventually a few 
sheets were actiially printed, each type being 
inked and separately pressed upon the paper 
in its proper place to spell out the words. 
But the pen could work so much faster that 
no one dreamed there was anything practical 
ever to come of the types. In examining the 
subject now, it seems almost marvelous that 
there were a few minds that even at that day 
saw something of the possibilities that these 
movable types had in store. And they kept 
on experimenting with the curious toy, until 
eventually the idea came to make the type 
stationary and press the paper on the type, 

18 



308 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



and this idea grew, until now we have the 
perfected Hoe press — the most wonderful 
piece of machinery in the world. Nothing 
perhaps in mechanics come so near the 
workings of the mind as this press. Your 
morning paper that you open while still damp 
was a few minutes ago a part of a great roll 
of paper much like a roll of carpet that you 
may see in a carpet store. This wonderful 
press takes this great roll of paper, feeds 
itself, inks itself, prints both sides of the 
paper, folds each paper nicely, counts them 
at the rate of 40,000 an hour, and delivers 
them to the addressing clerk, where another 
machine prints the name and address of the 
subscriber. The whole done quicker than the 
pen could write any one letter on the sheet 
of paper that is thus, like the lightning's flash, 
converted from a roll of white paper into a 
great newspaper which tells the story around 
all the world up to the very latest minute 
If, reader, you have never yet seen one of 
these marvelous pieces of mechanism, make 
it a point the nest time you go to a city to 
look at one. It will enlarge your ideas of 
this world, give you a new respect for the 
immortal geniuses that conceived these won- 
ders, and who have slept in unmarked and 
unknown graves these long centuries, while 
a dull and stupid race of men have been con- 
structing wonderful mausoleums to the mem- 
ory of the most contemptible shams the world 
ever saw — human butchers — political swash- 
bucklers — asses with iron jaws, that, unfort- 
unately never produce mules, because the 
progeny of many are as prolific as themselves, 
and thus they fill the world. 

The press is the Third Estate in this coun- 
try; it has been called the palladium of 
American liberties. One thing is quite cer- 
tain, that the wisest thing our forefathers 
did was to establish a " free press," nominal- 
ly if not actually. True, it is absolutely free 



so far as Government is concerned, but some- 
times it is not free from military dictation 
or from mob violence and rule, and the in- 
stances, though rare, have occurred when a 
foolish, violent and fanatical public sentiment 
has crushed out the truth and suppressed the 
true friend of mankind — the local press. 
But for these gross wrongs the press is able 
to say, for every outrage it has received, it 
has perpetrated outrages in return, often 
with compound interest. To the wisdom of 
the founders of our Government we owe the 
blessings of a free press, and this means free 
speech, free schools, free religion, and 
supremest of all, free thought; for here is 
where the world has suffered most, because a 
man's thoughts are the noblest part of him — 
it is this that makes him superior to the ox, 
and, therefore, it is here he can suiTer the 
greatest wrongs — here where wi'ongs may be 
inflicted that are ineffaceable, incurable, 
shocking. It has been the strength and 
activity of thought that has given us all the 
blessings we enjoy — all that marks the dif- 
ference in us and the dull savages who once 
possessed this fair land — those wretched 
breeders of savagery and stupid suffering, 
something of whose mode of life may be 
drawn from the fact that they would bury 
the live wife in the same grave with the body 
of her dead husband. This is a historic 
fact, although it occurred among a prehisto- 
ric people. They had no free speech, free 
press or free thought. They may have had a 
strong, a great military government at one 
time — a government with a hand of iron and 
speech of lead, and they may have worshiped 
that government as dutiful children may a 
cruel father, but they never had a free 
thought, except of the basest and meanest 
kind, and they were, therefore, a despicable 
people and had none of that civilization that 
eventuates in a free press. 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



309 



One of the greatest men the world has pro- 
duced has said : " The types are as ships 
which sail through the vast seas of time and 
make ages to participate of the wisdom, illu- 
minations and inventions, the one of the 
other; for the image of men's wits remain 
in books exempted from the wrongs of time, 
and capable of perpetual renovation; neither 
are they fitly to be called images, because 
they generate still and cast their seeds in the 
minds of others, provoking and causing 
infinite action and opinions in succeeding 
ages. We see then how far the monuments 
of wit and learning are more durable than the 
monuments of power or of the hands. For 
have not the verses of Homer continued 2, 500 
years or more without the loss of a syllable or 
letter? during which time infinite palaces, 
temples, castles, cities have decayed or been 
demolished. That whereunto man's nature 
doth most aspire, which is immortality or 
continuance, for to this tendeth generation, 
and raising of houses and families; to this 
buildings, foundations and monuments; to 
this tendeth the desire of memory, fame and 
celebration, and in efi'ect the strength of all 
other human desires." 

Do not the types do infinitely moi-e than 
this? Are they not the true som-ce of man's 
highest and purest enjoyment in this world ? 
To the healthy and tolerably cultivated mind 
is there any pleasure so great, so enduring, 
as the acquisition of new truths? It supplies 
the mind its most gracious food. It is the 
perennial fountain of information and knowl- 
edge where the thirsty mind may drink 
deeply — drink draughts of which all the 
nectar of the gods were but dirty puddle 
water. And it is not alone to the mind 
thirsting deeply for knowledge that its bless- 
ings are confined, but it gives equally and 
freely to all — the thinker, the worker, the 
idle, the dissolute, the rich, the poor, the 



king and the outcast, aye, even the wretched 
leper to whom the works of the types are all 
in this world that can save him from a living 
tomb. Here is the philosopher's touchstone, 
the Aladdin's lamp — the genial, warm sun- 
shine penetrating the gloomiest dungeons, 
where it will go and abide forever where 
human life can exist. 

In the dingy printing office is the epitome 
of the world of action and of thought— the 
best school in Christendom — the best church. 
Here divine genius perches, and plumes its 
wings for those lofty flights that attract and 
awe all mankind in all ages; here are kindled 
and fanned to flame the fires of genius that 
blaze and dazzle like the central sun; here is 
generated and renewed the rich fruitage of 
benign civilization. The press is the drudge 
and the pack-horse, the crowned king of all 
mankind. The gentle click of its types is 
heard around all the world. They go sound- 
ing down the tide of time, bearing upon their 
rijjpling waves the destinies of civilization 
and the immortal smiles of the pale children 
of thought, as they troop across the fair face 
of the earth in their entrances and exits from 
the unknown to the unknown, scattering here 
and there the immortal blessings which the 
dull types have patiently gathered to place 
them where they will live forever. Is not 
this the earth's true symphony, which en- 
dures, which transcends that of when " the 
morning stars sang together," the echoing 
anthems when the strings are struck by the 
fingers of the immortals that float up forever 
to the throne of God ? Of all that man can 
have in this word it is the one blessing whose 
rose need have no thorn, whose sweet need 
have no bitter. It is freighted with man's 
good, his happiness and the divine blessings 
of civilization. Hy means of the press the 
lowliest cabin can be made to equal the king's 
palace; it may have equal authority in bid- 



310 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



ding enter its threshhold and be seated in the 
family circle the world's greatest and sweet- 
est singers, the profoundest philosophers, 
the gifted orators, the most eloquent writers. 
Mingling with the humblest cotter's family 
may be found the delightfully immortal 
Burns, who died at thirty-seven, and over 
whose grave the simple, foolish Pharisees of 
his countrymen drew a sigh of relief, and 
were rejoiced that they were rid of the pres- 
ence of the poor outcast and sot, when the 
clods that fell upon his poor body shut out 
the sweet sunlight of Scotland. Or here 
may be found the crowned monarch of man- 
kind, and to wife and children and friends 
he may again tell the story of a Hamlet or 
King Lear; or Lord Macaulay will lay aside 
titles and dignity, and even with the children 
of the household have familiar discourse in 
those rich, resounding sentences that flow on 
forever, like a great and rapid river; or 
Charles Lamb, whose life was so sweet and 
80 sad, a mingling of smiles and tears, may 
tell the children again and again the story of 
the invention of the roast pig; or Johnson, 
his coarseness and boorishness all gone now, 
in trenchant sentences may pour out his 
jeweled thoughts to eager ears; or bid Pope 
tell something of "Man's inhumanity to 
man; " or poor, gifted, erratic Poe, and his 
bird of evil omen, " Never flitting, still is 
sitting just above my chamber door; " or any 
of the other immortals whose names are 
luminous, and will shine on forever with un- 
fading splendors, any or all of whom are at 
the beck and nod of all men, high or low, to 
enter their humble houses or their gilded 
parlors, and cast their reflected lights upon 
the human race, lifting up and bearing all 
aloft. 

Thanks, then, a thousand times thanks, to 
our dear old Revolutionary sires for giving us 
the great boon of a free press. If oar Gov- 



ernment is to endure, and the people are to 
continue to be free, here will be much of the 
reason therefor, because freedom, though 
never so well established, will not maintain 
and perpetuate itself, as there are certain 
laws of heredity lurking in every man, more 
or less, and the latent habits of mind and 
body of his barbarous ancestors. True, the 
Americans are more exempt from this brutal 
bias of mind than any other people, as they 
are further removed than others from an an- 
cestry that worshiped kings and tyrants, dei- 
fied human monsters; yet even here it is as 
true now as when it was first uttered that 
"eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." 
The press, therefore, is essential to the per- 
petuation of our free institutions. 

That the press can do no wrong, it is not 
our intention in any way to assert. So great 
an institution, so varied its interests, so num- 
erous its editors and managers, and so differ- 
ent in degrees of intelligence, that it would 
be a foolish man indeed who would even 
hope that it would become infallible. In a# 
country of much balloting, one of the most 
prolific of domestic animals are the ubiqui- 
tous, eternal demagogues, and then there is 
the bigot and fanatic, sincere, honest and 
idiotic, and the shams and the unscrupulous 
and dishonest, and the barnacles on the hull 
of the ship of State, all contributing their 
mite to the gathering evils. A wise people 
will jealously watch their press, and in time 
warn the people when it commences to go 
astray. In this country the man who votes 
takes a solemn responsibility upon himself; 
the act itself is a pledge to his posterity that 
he will discharge that high duty honestly, 
and earnestly desiring to promote his own 
and their best interests. He and they will 
have to pay the terrible penalty of his ignor- 
ance or dishonesty in this respect. And na- 
ture, when she uses her whip of scorpions, 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



311 



makes no distinction between the results that 
come of ignorance or rascality. While this 
is a mild statement of the responsibility of a 
voter in our Goverament, it is difficult to con- 
vey by language the great responsibilities of 
a newspaper. Its province is to guide and 
teach men the truth; point out the way that 
is safe for them to go. If it teaches a false- 
hood, or suppresses the truth, it is at once a 
monster criminal — levying blackmail upon 
the victims that it dooms to crime and suffer- 
ing. Are we not then justified in the asser- 
tion that the first coming of the dingy little 
country newspaper to a new community is an 
event to be noted and commented upon ? And 
is not its growth and spread and its well 
marked influences fit subjects of eager inves- 
tigation ? 

The first paper published in Bureau Coun- 
ty was the Bureau Advocate, and the first is- 
sue of this paper was dated December 2, 1847. 
A six-column folio; terms $1.50 in advance 
— $1.75 after three months — $2.00 after sis 
months. It does not locate its own ofiice, 
but it was in the American House Block, in 
a little frame that stood where Richardson's 
hardware store now is. There was more 
about this paper that made it memorable than 
the fact that it was the first paper in the 
county. The publisher was Ebenezer Hig- 
gins, and the editorial page was divided in- 
to three departments — two columns each, and 
was Whig, Democrat and Liberty in the re- 
spective departments. The first was called 
"Whig Advocate," and was edited "By a 
Whig Committee;" the next was "Demo- 
cratic Advocate," and was edited " By a 
Democratic Committee;'' and the next was 
"Liberty Advocate," and edited " By a Lib- 
erty Committee." This remarkable trinity 
was The Bureau Advocate. A. happy family 
indeed. This strange combination of the 
political oil, water and vinegar, or, perhaps 



more truly, the high-toned vintage of the 
grape ; Bourbon corn juice and black-strap. 
The last was once a favorite New England 
tipple made of rum and black molasses. At 
all events the arrangement was original and 
secured the best writers in the county in each 
department, and all questions were presented 
to the readers, side by side; it was a running 
debate every week, in which each watched, 
answei'ed and confounded the other in pres- 
ence of the same audience. This would make 
the writers more wary and careful in their 
assertions, and as all sides were in the best 
possible manner laid before the same readers, 
it could not be otherwise than that, other 
things being equal, it was vastly better for 
all than the present plan of too manj' voters 
only reading one side, and therefore remain- 
ing ignorant of what is said on the other side 
of the question. 

The Whig Committee opens out with a 
tremendous " Salutatory," telling in most 
stately and well constructed sentences what 
We are going to do. 

" It will probably be expected in our out- 
set, that we will touch briefly relating to the 
course we intend to advocate. The political 
matters which cause our party divisions are 
very few. * * * ^Ve aim at the good of our 
common country. * * * We believe the peo- 
ple have a right to scan the measures of all 
our public men. * * * On the subject of 
banking we believe there exists a discrepancy 
of public opinion among all parties. The 
Whigs are in favor of banks mostly. * * 
* Some Democrats are in favor of banking 
under certain restrictions. * * We are in 
favor of a moderate tariff. * * And we be- 
lieve in so discriminating as to afford pro- 
tection to such articles manufactured and 
produced among us as may need it. * * * 
We are of the opinion that free trade will 
finally prevail. * * * When this time 



312 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



arrives in the near future then the people 
will know whence the public coffers are 
filled, and they will hold their stewards to a 
more strict account. * * While the Mexi- 
can war exists it will be the absorbing ques- 
tion of the day. Every other matter, whether 
it belongs to the world of politics or else- 
where, is overshadowed by the gigantic hydra, 
the ill-begotten ofispring of an evil spirit in 
an evil hour. * * * 

"We have little to say about slavery. * * 
Every State being a sovereign power has a 
right to continue the institution or abolish 
it, and no other power whatever has any 
equitable right to interfere. * * * if 
our Southern brethren can devise any means 
to rid themselves of the evil it will be our 
duty to assist them. * * * * Happy 
would it be for us if om- country contained 
only the Caucasian race. * * 

"One other subject. * * * i^ the 
event of a conclusion of peace with Mexico, 
if we shall ever be so happy as to arrive at 
that period, * * let the territory we 
gain thereby — whether it be a splendid 
hacienda, a sand hill, a morass, a pond of 
horned frogs, or a bare rock, let it remain 
free. * * * 'W'e are fully committed to 
the Wilmot Proviso." 

This was rather a broad and comprehen- 
sive and well written platform from the 
" Whig Committee." 

Then sails up to the scratch the "Demo- 
cratic Committee" and says: 

" In assuming the editorial management 
of the Democratic department we deem it 
proper to state distinctly the principles by 
which we intend to be governed. * * It 
has been asserted the Advocate is to be a 
union paper, by which we suppose is meant a 
sort of amalgamation of the principles of the 
different parties. This we deny. The Demo- 
cratic department is to be entirely independ- 



ent of the others. It is our intention to sus- 
tain the great principles of Democracy. * 

" We are opposed to a protective tariff, to 
chartered monopolies, and exclusive privileges 
of every description in favor of free trade, 
equal rights and the largest libertj' which is 
consistent with the duties which men owe to 
each other. We are opposed to the aboli- 
tionists, as too much disposed to meddle with 
what concerns them not. * * But we ab- 
hor slavery — adhere to the principles of the 
Wilmot Proviso, and resist the extraordinary 
pretentions of the South, in casting aside the 
creed of Washington, Jefferson and Patrick 
Henry. * * * ^e disclaim all disposi- 
tion to interfere with slavery where it exists. 
* * We contend it should be confined to 
where it now is." 

The Democratic Committee are not so 
lengthy as the Whig Committee. 

Then follows a reprint of the resolutions of 
the New York Democracy, held on the 26th of 
October preceding. The resolutions are for 
free trade strong, and oppose works of 
internal improvement being undertaken by 
the general government; and in ringing 
resolutions endorses the Mexican war and ex- 
tols our patriotic soldiers. 

The " Committee " then proceeds to ably 
comment on the free trade resolutions, heart- 
ily endorses every word of them, and partic- 
ularly in the fact that they passed the large 
convention without a dissenting voice. 

Then follows an article from the Netv York 
Post, that furiously lashes protection and 
banks. And this finishes the two columns of 
the Democratic Committee. 

Then follow the two columns by the Lib- 
erty Committee. The first sentence is: 

" Strike but hear!" The writer then pro- 
ceeds to vindicate the Liberty party from the 
aspersion of being an infidel party — or seek- 
ing the overthrow of the Church. * * 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



813 



Many again suppose the Liberty party made 
up of disorganizers, who would shiver the 
fabric of the government; having no regard 
for the Constitution. * * No! Let 
us abide by the Constitution. * * We 
only seek to change the action of the general 
government in regard to slavery. * * 

We are no more against the Constitution 
than the Whigs or Democrats, when they 
seek to change the action of the government 
in reference to a bank or the question of free 
trade. * * Did it never happen 

that a good ship was badly navigated? * 

* We have no fault to find with the Con- 
stitution. * * The gallant ship of 
State! * * She has traced on her 
prow the objects for which she was built, to 
wit: to establish justice and secure the bless- 
ings of Liberty. From this high and glor- 
ious object we think it has been turned aside. 

* * * So we hold and think we 
can prove it. * * * We want 
to pull down the flag of Slavery and run up 
that of Liberty." 

Then follows an account of the Buffalo 
County Liberty Convention, which nomin- 
ated John P. Hale, of New Hampshire, and L. 
King, of Ohio, for President and Vice-Pres- 
ident. And then quotes an eulogy on the 
nominees from the Westeiti Temperance Stan- 
dard. 

Then is a short article on the "press," ex- 
tolling its good influences. Then follows a 
long article on Hale and King, copied from 
the Emancipator, and this closes the second 
page of the paper. 

After all these committee bows and ful- 
minated party platforms, and pointing out 
the guiding stars, the third page opens with 
another Salutatory, not signed, no "Commit- 
tee" ever purporting to write it, and we infer 
it is from the publisher, Ebenezer Higgins. 
But this is all inference. He, she or it com- 



mences by saying; "As this is the first num- 
ber of our paper and we come with a bow of 
salutation to our subscribers, it will be proper 
to say a few words," etc. 

It next occurs to the writer to say, "Our 
readers need not be informed, that the Advo- 
cate is, in its character as a newspaper, some- 
what peculiar. It is intended to be a chan- 
nel of communication for the Whig, Demo- 
cratic and Liberty parties." 

The writer mildly proceeds to deprecate 
violent party spirit; predicts evil from it if 
not checked, and then coaxingly says, "Come, 
let us reason together." He says, of his 
happy household has been predicted that they 
would soon have each other by the hair and 
ears, but under the command of "Peace be 
to this house," he thinks he can hold the 
frisky youths of his different "committees" 
on a peace footing. He then says that all 
patrons who want "fish, flesh or fowl" can 
glut themselves in the Advocate columns. 

He disclaims that he intends to make money 
— wholly for the good of a suffering people. 
He concludes by calling for subscribers, and 
promising to do his very best. 

The next editorial on this, the fourth 
side of this many sided paper, is to the effect 
that he has not a single exchange to clip 
from. We suppose this defect was soon 
remedied. 

The next is a clipping from the St. Louis 
Union, giving an account of the loss of the 
steamer " Talisman " by a collision with the 
"Tempest," near Cape Girardeau, whereby 
upward of 100 lives were lost. Next the 
burning of the "Phoenix" near Sheboygan, 
300 passengers, and only a few escaped. Then 
comes an original poem, "Autumn, " by some 
Princeton poet. Then follow the law cards 
of Charles L. Kelsey, Martin Ballou and Will- 
iam Chumasero, the last of Peru. Dr. Joe R. 
Jones and W. Woodwai-d, dentists; E. S. 



314 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



Phelps, watches and clocks; S. D. Hinsdale, 
gunsmith; Charles S. Allen, blacksmith; 
Charles Stevens, tailor; Cyrus Bryant, Com- 
missioner of Deeds; then half a column of 
Peru " ads." The next column is headed by 
Benjamin Newell, new goods, medicines and 
groceries, and nearly everything else; S. D. 
Hinsdale, guns and rifles; S. M. Dunbar, 
cabinet making; John W. Braught & Clark 
R. Norton, dissolution; C. L. Kelsey, timber 
land for sale; Circuit Court notice by Cyrus 
Bryant, Clerk; J. Stevens &Son, Indiantown, 
and more Peru ' ' ads. ' ' 

The fourth page is made up of a few mis- 
cellaneous reprint articles and patent medi- 
cine advertisements. 

May 25, 1848, the office of the Advocate 
was removed to the office formerly occupied 
by N. Wiswell. 

Without a word of explanation, on June 1, 
1848, the name of Ebenezer Higgins disap- 
pears as publisher or in any way connected 
with the paper. 

The facts are, as we are informed by Mr. 
Bryant, a committee had purchased the office 
at the start from Higgins, and after it came 
here his connection was more that of an em- 
ployee or printer than anything else. 

August 24, 1848, "the happy family" was 
dissolved and the many headed departments 
disappeared, and the paper became an out- 
and-out Free Soil organ, and hoisted the Van 
Buren and Adams ticket, with a motto at its 
head, "Free Soil, Free Speech, and Free 
Men." 

Wednesday, December 13, 1848, Higgins' 
entire editorial was " This is our last sheet!" 
And the next issue informs the reader that 
Hammond (B. F.) & Welsh (T. W.) had 
bought out Higgins, and John H. Bryant 
was the editor, and then the paper changed 
to the hands of Bryant and Dean. 

The Advocate labored along through fair 



and rough weather, the rough mostly prevail- 
ing, we presume, as the population and busi - 
ness of the county were still too meager to 
give much support to a newspaper. Yet its 
editorial columns had generally been marked 
by unusual ability for a country paper of 
that day. It passed into the hands of Justin 
H. Olds in the latter part of the summer of 
1851, and the name was changed to the Prince- 
ton Post— Yol 3.— No. 2, September 28, 1851, 
Justin H. Olds, Proprietor and Editor and J. 
M. Wilkinson, Publisher. This was just 
thirty-three years ago. The editor says he 
had been just called on by William Smith, 
brother of the killed prophet, Joe, and Will- 
iam showed letters exonerating him in Joe's 
tricks at Nauvoo. 

An article headed "mysterious" says: "Last 
Monday the bodies of two men and one wo- 
man were found near West Bureau Creek, a 
little distance below Sheffield, by a traveler. 
He reported the find and the neighbors col- 
lected by hundreds and the traveler piloted 
them to the place, and lo! the bodies had 
mysteriously disappeared; more neighbors 
then rallied and the search kept up two days, 
but "up to present time" no bodies found. 

(Evidently jim-jams was that traveler's 
name. ) 

This paper gives an account of a Republic- 
an Convention at Aurora, "in which James 
H. Woodworth was nominated. ' ' The Con- 
vention resolved that "free and slave labor 
could not exist together." It was in favor of 
"free labor and freemen" with a big capital to 
each word. It also, ''^Resolved, that the public 
lands belong to the people and should not be 
sold to individuals nor granted to corpora- 
tions, but should be held as a sacred trust for 
the people," etc. 

With the issue of Thursday, November 20, 
1854, J. H. Olds severs his connection with 
the Princeton Fost and as he says, turns his 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



315 



attention to more congenial pursuits. This 
issue announces the last mass meeting in 
Princeton before the election. This meeting 
is called "to reply to Stephen A. Douglas' 
late arguments here on the Nebraska bill." 
The speakers to answer Douglas were: "Love- 
joy, Stipp and Kelsey." The committee call- 
ing the meeting: R. T. Templeton, S. A. Pad. 
dock, G. W. Stipp, Austin Bryant, A. B. 
Church, and J. H. Olds. 

In the issue of November 9, 1854, Charles 
Faxon swings out his "Introductory." 

The issue of December 25, 1852, says the 
engineers are yet busy completing the rail- 
road survey through the county. 

This paper quotes: Wheat (spring) 45 to 
50 cents; corn, 35; oats, 25; coffee, 12iV; flour, 
$2.25; sugar, 7; butter, 18; potatoes, 30. 

May 4, 1854, Wilkinson steps out (no notice 
thereof in the paper), and for awhile Olds is 
alone, and then Faxon steps in as noted 
above. Faxon ran it until 1858, when he 
sold out to John C. Rhue and Hewitt, and 
the new firm changed the name to Bureau 
County Republican, the name it bears to this 
day. Rhue was in the paper but a short 
time when he sold his interest to Hewitt. 

In October, 1851, the name was changed 
to the Frincetonian. The firm name of the 
new proprietors was Coates Kinney & B. 
Clark Lundy. An issue of this paper, dated 
September 25, 1852, had been reduced in 
size and makeup, with a general retrench- 
ment all around, especially in the editorials. 
The only general editorial in this issue is 
the report of the Supervisors' meeting. Not 
a line of local items. There were the notices 
of the death of two children — one of William 
Moulton's and the other E. C. Matson's — the 
former a daughter and the latter a son. Then 
Justin H. Olds, in a card, offers himself as 
an independent candidate for re-election as 
Circuit Clerk. J. I. Taylor has an insurance 



"ad.," and so have the druggists, Dalrymple 
& Bailey. A. L. Merriman gives notice of 
sale under a deed of trust of the lands 
of William Peperel. W. Levisee says he 
has chairs and looking glasses for sale. 
L. M. Beaumont, administrator of C. 
B. Beaumont, a notice of sale. The 
market quotations are: Wheat, 50 cents; 
corn, 22 cents; flour, $2; coffee, 12§ cents; 
sugar, 8; butter, 10; new potatoes, 37^. 
Sidney Smith offers some woodland for sale; 
Arthur Bryant offers Osage orange plants; 
W. H. Winter, druggist; the Hamlin House, 
by E. B. Hamlin; quadrille band by C. A. 
MoflStt; Anson P. Fish says that owing to the 
recent death of his partner, parties must pay 
up; John L. Ament, administrator of G. H. 
Smith, and Adaline L. Morse, and also Mary 
Collar, give notices as administratoi's; Dr. 
W. C. Anthony and Dr. S. Allen Paddock 
have medical cards; Robert E. Thompson 
says he has sold out to Boyd & Baldwin; he 
informs the world that the new firm have 
engaged his old clerk, D. Robinson; E. H. 
& J. R. Phelps advertise water- proof paint 
brick, and Justin H. Olds, Circuit Clerk, 
gives attachment notice in suit of the county 
against Kohn, Mandlebaum & Moore; there 
is another similar notice of Amos Steadman 
against Elijah Hunt; then follow adminis- 
trators' notices of Samuel D. Hinsdale, Lu- 
cius M. Keys, Theodore Nichols, John H. 
Campbell, William Campbell, James M. 
Campbell, Augusta Estey, David A. Schirmer 
and Phillip Schirmer; Chamber & Thomas, 
physicians; the I. O. O. F.'s, Joseph Mercer, 
Secretary; Benjamin Newell gives notice he 
will " take pay in grain and produce on ac- 
counts;" Miss J. S. Martin, millinery; Jane 
E. Hale, millinery; William Jones, whoop- 
ing cough medicine; John Barnard, Justice 
of the Peace; P. W. Newell, new goods; 
John G. Bubach, orange plants; Martin 



316 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Ballou, Alton Ins. Co.; Stephen Purdy and 
Alexander Lore dissolve; William Carse gives 
notice of the close of Carse & Shinkle's 
books; Mrs. Hale gives notice she has quit 
teaching in Princeton and opens millinery 
goods. 

November 13, 1852, -we find returns of 
general election in Bureau County. Not a 
word of other news, and not a single com- 
ment on either the election or anything else. 
This issue was a half-sheet. 

Winfield Scott received 713 votes; Frank- 
lin Pierce, 671; John P. Hale, 431. 

County Judge — S. A. Paddock, 676; Milo 
Kendall, 658; M. Ballou, 444. 

Sheriff — Osmyn Smith, 688; Frederick 
Moseley, 652; A. G. Porter, 425. 

Circuit Cterfc.— Edward M. Fisher, 745 ; 
Lewis M. Olcott, 420; Justin H. Olds, 622. 

Coroner. — J. D. Garton, 707; A. B. Wood- 
ford, 641; Charles S. Allen, 429. 

There were five candidates for State's At- 
torney, all running independent in politics 
except James Strain, who was the " Free 
Democrat " candidate : W. H. L. Wallace, 
375; David P. Jenkins (Whig), 364; William 
Chumasero, 263; Milton T. Peters, 401; 
James Strain, 373. 

In 1858 the name was changed to Bureau 
County Republican, and was published by 
Ehue & Hewitt, John H. Bryant, editor. In 
a little while Rhue sold his interest to John 
H. Bryant, and then the firm was Bryant & 
Hewitt. In 1861 Hewitt went to Washington 
City on some business and died there, and 
Mr. Bryant again had sole charge, Mrs. 
Hewitt retaining her husband's interest. 
This was continued until 1863, when the 
entire oflSce was sold to John W. Bailey, the 
present senior proprietor. Bailey continued 
alone in the publication until 1872, when he 
sold a half interest to L. J. Colton, who was 
not a practical printer but whose fine business 



qualities and extended acquaintance in the 
county made him a valuable acquisition to 
the paper. Mr. Colton is a brother of Cyrus 
Colton, of this county. He is now a farmer 
in Kansas. In 1874 Mr. Colton sold his in- 
terest to Charles P. Bascom, the firm becom- 
ing and remaining as it is now — Bailey & 
Bascom. Until 1863 there had been no very 
tempting field here for paying journalism 
and there had not been, therefore, any con- 
siderable expense justifiable in the different 
publishers, but they had been compelled to 
follow the plan of most of the country press 
of that day, and practice every economy, es- 
pecially in the way of a great deal of machin- 
ery or office material. 

Under Mr. Bailey's administration the 
"old reliable" Bureau County Republican haa 
nearly rivaled Jack's bean-stalk in rapidity 
of growth, until now, if not the largest, it is 
the second largest country weekly paper in 
the State. Its present circulation is over 
4,300, and its supply of presses and materials 
is fully commensurate with its large busi- 
ness. And its job rooms, under the super- 
vision of Mr. Streetor, are simply par excel- 
lence. The paper is a stanch Republican 
organ, and its opinions are universally de- 
ferred to by its army of subscribers. John 
W. Bailey was born in Cincinnati, and at 
seven years of age entered a printing office in 
that city, graduating at the case and in the 
job room. At a very early age he naturally 
commenced writing short sketches for the 
different city papers, and soon was a city re- 
porter, and eventually the night editor of the 
Comtnercial. In 1854 he left the city and 
was engaged in Indiana in assisting to start 
a paper there; then went to Tiffin, Ohio, and 
published the Tiffin Tribune. From here he 
went to the Toledo Commercial and worked 
on this paper until he came to Princeton in 
1863. In his chosen line of life he has been 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



317 



successful far beyond the average. At no 
time making or attempting to make any great 
stir in the world, yet he has worked always 
to the best purpose, and has honestly won 
the crown of complete success. 

Charles P. Bascom is a college graduate. 
He is a son of Dr. Flavel Bascom. He has 
been a resident of Princeton since 1855. He 
is a young man yet, and the readers of the 
Republican may catch occasionally pleasant 
veins of humor from his pen in the locals. 
He is affable, genial and pleasant, and makes 
an important addition to the general inter- 
ests of the office, and is justified in the as- 
pirations that may lead him some day to the 
head of his chosen profession.* 

Bureau County Herald. — In 1848 the 6m- 
reau County Herald was established by 
Philip Payne. This was supposed to be a 
Democratic organ, but Payne seems to have 
soon got to quarreling quite bitterly with his 
Democratic friends, and finally it was a state 
of open, active war. Cyrus Bryant was edit- 
ing the Whig side of the Advocate, and his 
vigorous pen was prodding the Democrats 
and Abolitionists every week. Payne made 
the great mistake of a feeble and stupid at 
tack upon nearly everybody, and Bryant 
lampooned him in doggerel poetry that liter- 
ally ran him out of the country. Payne and 
his paper had a brief and troubled existence 
here, and both soon departed, leaving the 
Advocate master of the situation. The Her- 
ald office went to Kewanee. 

Yeoman of the Prairie Land was the ab- 
breviated name of Dr. S. Allen Paddock's 
paper, started in 1861. He had pui-chased the 
office of Hooper Warren, of Hennepin. It 
had an illustrated or pictorial head, and was 
intended to convey to the reader in the old 

* since the above was in type we learn that in our genealogy 
of this paper we have reversed in one case the true order of suc- 
cesion. It was the Princetonian and then the Post, and not as 
above stated the Pout and then the Princetonian. This is only 
material as a correction in the order of the names of paper. 



States something of an idea of the West and 
its great and rich prairies. Dr. Paddock sold 
to some adventurous soul, who struggled 
against fate a short time and quit. 

Judge Paddock was a stronar sensed and 
able man, though not a printer or publisher. 
He served as County Judge, being elected in 
1852. When the war broke out he was the 
first to respond to his country's call, raised a 
regiment, was elected Lieutenant-Colonel, and 
died when his regiment was on its way to the 
field. 

Bureau County Democrat was started 
March 15, 1856, by C. N. Pine, an eight- 
column, Democratic organ. H. R. Lemar 
was his associate and the printer and pub- 
lisher. It was furiously Democratic, and in 
the political campaign of 1856, supported 
Buchanan and " Old Dick " Richardson, and 
roundly abused Bissell and Lovejoy. A copy 
of the paper of date September 19, 1856, 
tells in biting sarcasm of a traveling lecturer. 
Gen. Pomeroy, of Kansas, at the Congrega- 
tional Church, in Princeton, where a collec- 
tion was taken up for "bleeding Kansas." 
Another editorial describes a gi'eat Republi- 
can demonstration in Princeton. Two trav- 
eling stump speakers came to town, and the 
people met and it was arranged that a Mr. 
Young should speak first, then Justus Stev- 
ens should speak for the Democrats, and then 
the other stranger should close. The paper 
says the programme was carried out, and a 
vote of the audience showed ' ' eight for Fre- 
mont and 125 for Buchanan." Another col- 
umn in flaming headlines tells of a big Dem- 
ocratic rally at Peru; says there were at least 
8,000 people present; a big crowd from 
Princeton, and in the delegation was a large 
vehicle from Hall Township filled with boys, 
cai'rying a banner inscribed "Fathers pre- 
serve the Union for us." Justus Stevens, 
John D. Phillips and H. W. Terry, of Bureau, 



318 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



were among the Vice-Presidents. The chief 
speaker was R. D. Carpenter, a Kentucky 
Colonel (known to the writer as one of the 
veriest blatherskites). The next article is a 
long account of Milton T. Peters, one of the 
Democratic electors that year, walking out of 
his window at night, when asleep, atPontiac, 
and breaking his thigh and otherwise seri- 
ously injuring himself. The balance of the 
issue is fall of abuse of the Fremont men. 

The intensity of Pine's partisan! sm was 
pretty well indicative of the course that we 
understand was in store for him and his 
paper. Buchanan rewarded his services by 
making him Postmaster in Princeton, and in 
1858 Buchanan required his Illinois Post- 
masters to fight Douglas — to be too Demo- 
cratic to vote the ticket — or walk the plank 
for some other man. In this way Buchanan 
raised an army of nearly 5,000 auti-Douglas 
Democrats in Illinois in 1858-60, and we 
believe it is history that every one of the 
leaders in this band became intense Republi- 
cans, hating the South quite as intensely as 
they were in love with slavery in all the Ter- 
ritories the day before. It is not intended 
here to question their motives, biit to state a 
curious fact — a common anomaly among in- 
tense patriots. 

Mr. Pine is still publishing a newspaper 
at this time in Pennsylvania, in Stroudsburg. 

In 1858 Pine sold the office to attorneys 
Eckels & Kyles. and J. S. Eckels says this 
firm really was as follows: Eckels, editor; 
Kyles, paymaster, and Bob Gibons, devil 
and printer. Bob says he had to set the 
small pica editorials of Eckels standing on 
tip-toe, because they (the editorials and not 
Eckels) were so tall, you see. Kyle stood 
heroically at the paymaster's desk for six 
weeks, and then " another soul made happy " 
as he closed out to Gilbert Gibons, and the 
new fu-m was democratically known as Eckels 



& Gibons, with all the hard work on Bob, and 
a kind of lockout in the jaaymaster's depart- 
ment. If ran along thus for nine months, 
and just as Bob got so he could set 5,000 
a day, and at the same time do all the job 
work, and Jim and Gil had got trained down 
to short and few leading thunderers for each 
week's paper, and Bob had a pledge from a 
subscriber in the northwest corner of the 
county to bring in a watermelon in the fall, 
to help support the county paper with, they 
sold out, and with a broken heart he (Bob) 
went at the law, where he is to-day. 

W. H. Mesenkop was the purchaser. He 
was only a bright and inexperienced boy at 
that time, but he was quick to learn, and full 
of resources for those daily emergencies that 
come to any one trying to establish a news- 
paper. He conducted it successfully for a 
short time, and then sold it to C. J. Peckham, 
who worked away till his last shirt was in 
soak, and then he re-conveyed it back to 
Mesenkop, who carried it on until 1863, 
when he sold it to C. N. Smith & Co. (the 
Co. was John). They changed the name to 
the Bureau County Patriot, and in this pa- 
triotic style ran it till 1871, when they sold 
it to J. C. Whitney, who changed it to the 
Bui-eau County Herald, and thus continued 
to herald the good news, such as ' ' Wood 
wanted on subscription," and other abstruse 
scientific problems of life that do so stare 
starving editors in the face, until 1876, when 
an unfeeling Sheriff took possession of the 
office, willy-nilly, and sold it at auction to 
the highest bidder for cash, and Mr. Cash 
removed the whole concern to Kewanee. 
Life's fitful fever, etc. Next! 

Bureau County Tribune. — In 1873, in the 
month of August, W. H. Mesenkop again 
appears upon the tapis as a live newspaper 
publisher. The Bureau County Democrats 
as to an organ to voice their political faith, 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



319 



were as "one who treads alone some banquet 
hall deserted; whose garlands dead and lights 
have fled and all but me departed" — to the 
Republican "band wagon'' perhaps. Horace 
Greeley was a candidate for President, and 
the Democrats made up a purse toward start- 
ing a paper. Mesenkop listened and heeded 
this cash call, and in a few days the Tribune 
was flying its banner to the political breezes. 
In this style it was successfully run by 
Iitesenkop from August to December, 1872, 
when the oiEce was purchased by C. L. 
Smith and P. D. Winship. In 1873 Winship 
sold to E. K. Mercer, and the firm became 
Smith & Mercer. Winship went to Mar- 
shalltown, la., and became a practicing phy- 
sician, where he is now. In 1875 Smith 
sold to E. F. Doran, and after Doran had 
been in the firm nine months, he sold back 
his interest to Smith. In June, 1879, Smith 
sold to E. K. Mercer, the present proprietor 
and editor, who is still sole owner and man- 
ager of the newspaper, with Dean as partner 
in the job department. 

Mr. Mercer is one of the strong and solid } 
writers on the weekly press, and his paper 
to-day is a firmly established, able and widely 
influential Democratic organ. Already in 
power presses and extensive materials of all 
kinds the office is very full and complete, and 
the bold, vigorous and sprightly editorials 
that mark the columns of the paper, upon 
political, literary, scientific or moral ques- 
tions, has given it an enviable position in the 
world of modern thought and cultui'e. 

The Bureau County Neivs. — In December, 
1881, George M. Radcliffe and Charles B. 
Smith started this paper as an independent, 
anti-monopoly, greenback organ. A nine- 
column folio, handsomely printed, ably edited 
and fighting like a Trojan for Ben Butler for 
President. This paper was a religious, 
financial, political, mechanical and editorial 



success from the day of its first issue. Char- 
ley is an experienced newspaper man and a 
thorough, practical printer, while George is 
a "free-trade" widower, who has had a varied 
experience in life, or as he expressed himself 
in a speech at the recent old settlers' meet- 
ing : " I commenced life at a very early 
period of my existence." When a callow 
youth he was Circuit Clerk of Bureau County, 
and while still a very young man was elected 
to the Legislature. He has made political 
speeches, preached the Gospel and published 
papers in nearly all the leading towns in this 
part of the State. We esteem him the 
sprightliest paragraphist in the county. He 
prods the two older and more dignified 
papers of Princeton without fear, favor or 
atfection, and as the slangy gamins say, has 
"a barrel of fun." 

The News is the only paper in North Prince- 
ton. Its already large patronage is rapidly 
growing, and a well equipped ofiice is now 
prepared to meet the wants of many friends 
and patrons. 

This concludes the newspaporial story of 
Princeton. And now a word of something 
of the difi'erent proprietors, of whom we have 
omitted giving an account in the preceding. 

C. J. Peckham is in Independence, Kan., 
a prosperous land agent in that land of 
grasshoppers, hot winds, hard winds and dog 
towns. He was not a practical printer. 

E. F. Doran was a printer, and when he 
got through with Princeton, struck out for 
Nebraska, laid down the "stick" and with 
grim determination seized the plow handles. 

The Walnut Motor. — A five-column local 
paper in the town of Walnut, was started 
July 4, 1876, by a man named Townsend. 
He sold to J. T. Vasbough, who ran it for 
three years, when he sold to Reeve, Phillips 
& Co., and removed to Iowa, where he is now 
publishing a paper. In a little while C. G. 



330 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Glenn became the proprietor of the Motor. 
November 13, 1882, it passed to the hands of 
W. H. Frazer, who ran it for six months and 
sold to William Wilson, the present propri- 
etor, in May, 1883. Mr. Wilson learned his 
trade in Oil City, Penn. When sixteen years 
of age, 1852, he became connected with a 
printing office at Morrison, Whiteside Co., 
where he remained until he completed his 
trade, since which time he has been in dif- 
ferent printing offices in the State, the 
most of the time in Morrison and Prophets- 
town, until he took charge of his present 
paper. Mr. Wilson is entitled to great credit 
and is receiving the confidence and liberal 
support of the people in his portion of the 
county. He is the right man in the right 
place. 

Tiskilwa Tidings was established by Sid- 
ney Averill, Jr., in June, 1884. A six-col- 
amn folio, and independent in politics. The 
good people of Tiskilwa extend to the Tidings 
a generous support, and it is to be hoped Mr. 
Averill may find it sufficiently encouraging 
to make it a large and permanent institution. 

Sidney Averill, Jr., was born near Eahway, 
N. J., January 2, 1855. His father was a 
teacher in Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania 
and Illinois. The family came to Whiteside 
County, 111. , about the beginning of the late 
war. The father has taught in this State 
and West among the Indians, and at other 
points. He is now retired from active life. 

Tiskilwa Register was started in 1877, in 
Tiskilwa, by W. B. Sherwood. It was pub- 
lished one year and discontinued. In a copy 
of this paper we noticed, among others, the 
advertisements of B. N. Stevens & Sons, C. 
H. Wilkinson, Moore & Kitterman, L. O. 
May, C. C. Slygh, Luther Quick and Drs. 
Freeman and Little. 

Tiskilwa Independent. — The first number 
was issued February 27, 1856, by George L. 



Karl. This was a six-column folio, and 
independent in polities. The initial number 
had a " Salutatory " over two columns long, 
which gave the paper a general top-heavy 
appearance. It expired May 8, 1857. 

Buda Call was established October 26, 
1877, by M. M. Monteith, who published 
about two years and discontinued it, and went 
to Peoria, and is again sticking type. He 
was a very good editor, and made a good 
paper. 

In 1879 H. P. Fitch started the Home 
Guard, but after a little while changed to the 
Weekly Call, and sold to D. P. Payne, who 
changed the name to the Buda Gleaner, and 
thus published it for one year, and then sold 
to Dr. C. E. Barney, who changed the name 
to Bureau County Times. October 1, 1882, 
he sold the paper to Charles A. Pratt, the 
present jsroprietor, who was born in Green 
County, Penn., January 20, 1856. He re- 
furnished and fitted up the office anew, and 
changed the name to the Buda Press. An 
elegant quarto, weekly, and about the largest 
paper in the county, full of live and sprightly 
editorials, and fat with handsomely set adver- 
tisements. 

The people of Buda may well be congratu- 
lated on the acquisition of this young man, 
as his energy, thrift, enterprise and ability 
will prove an invaluable acquisition to the 
town and vicinity. He published his first 
newspaper when eighteen years old — the 
Princeville Times. He was some time city 
reporter on the Peoria Democrat before he 
was twenty years old. He established the 
Cass County Journal at Chandlerville, which 
he published two years, and sold it. and then 
was on the staff of the Peoria Transcript. 
He then established the Argus, at Astoria, 
111. , from whence he came to Bureau County. 
He was a natural born newspaper scribbler, 
having commenced to write articles when 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



321 



sixteen years old, while attending school, and 
his varied experience shows him to be also a 
natural born publisher. His success at Buda 
with his present paper is remarkable, and all 
have no hesitation in predicting for him a 
splendid future career. 

Among the publishers who came and went 
in the early day of newspapers in the county 
as above given, appears the name of Hooper 
Warren — a name deserving more than a pass- 
ing word. Hooper Warren started the third 
paper published in Illinois — the Spectator, 
Edwardsville. 111., in the year 1819. D. W. 
Lusk, in his " Politics and Politicians of Illi- 
nois," says it was established as an " anti- 
slavery paper." This statement cannot be 
true. The same writer says: Henry Eddy 
and S. H. Kimmell, who started the Emi- 
grant, in Shawneetown, 1818, the second 
paper in the State, established it as an anti- 
slavery paper. Lusk's statement is as true 
of one paper as the othlr, but it is not the 
fact about either. At that time there were 
people in Illinois who wanted to make it a 
slave State, and there was the large majority 
who were opposed to slavery coming here. 
These did oppose slavery coming into Illinois, 
and there ended the entire question. The 
absurdity of the proposition that Hooper 
Warren's paper was an anti-slavery paper 
(in the universal acceptation of that term), 
is the fact that he started it in 1819. It was 
published in Edwardsville, the county seat of 
Madison County. Alton is in Madison County, 
and is only fifteen miles from Edwardsville. 
Elijah P. Lovejoy was murdered, and his 
press destroyed by a mob in Alton, in 1837, 
because his paper was supposed to be an anti- 
slavery paper. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

County Agricultural Society — The Improved and Unimphoved 
Land in the County— Value and Tax Thereon— And Other 
Information— ETC., etc. 

SATURDAY, June 16, 1855, a notice was 
published for a meeting of the people to 
organize a County Agricultural Society to 
meet in the Court House. This was signed 
by J. I. Taylor, John H. Bryant, Alfred F. 
Clark, H. V. Bacon, Lazarus Reeve, R. T. 
Templeton, Benjamin Newell, Justus 
Stevens, J. V. Thompson and Stephen G. 
Paddock. 

The meeting convened — Caleb Gushing, 
Chairman, S. G. Paddock Secretary. R. J. 
Woodruff, Arthur Bryant and Thomas S. 
Elston were appointed a committee to^ draft 
an address to the farmers, and prepare a 
constitution and by-laws for the society. 
S. G. Paddock was appointed Corresponding 
Secretary, and Milo Kendall his assistant. 
The proceedings were ordered to be published 
in the Post. 

The second meeting convened July 7, 
1855 — Austin Bryant, Chairman, S. G. Pad- 
dock, Secretary. Favorable reports were re- 
ceived from the various townships. The 
Committee on Address reported. The con- 
stitution read and adopted. One thousand 
copies of the address and constitution were 
ordered printed. The committee was thanked 
for its able address and constitution. The 
Society permanently organized, and elected 
the following officers: President, R. J. 
Woodrulf; Vice-President, W. R. Bruce; 
Secretary, S. G. Paddock; Treasurer, E. T. 
Templeton; Directors, Hezekiab W. Terry, 
Alpheus Cook, V. Aldrich, Thomas Grattige, 
Fred. Moseley. 

It was thought best not to try to have a 
fair this year. At the October meeting, 



333 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Aaron E. May, Antony Morriseey and Enos 
Smith were made additional Directors. The 
same officers were re-elected October 2, 1856. 

March 2, 1858, officers elected were: Presi- 
dent, J. V. Thompson; Vice-President, H. C. 
Field; Secretary, S. G. Paddock; Treasurer, 
R. T. Templeton; Directors, J. T. Thomp- 
son; K. S. Steinhauer, John Prouty, W. R. 
Bruce and E. S. Phelps, Jr. 

At the meeting February 10, 1859, Mr. 
Thompson offered a resolution reciting that 
there was much grumbling about the man- 
agement of the society, therefore resolved 
we dissolve it. This was voted down, and 
an amended constitution was adopted. The 
new officers elected at this meeting were: H. 
C. Field, President; W. R. Bruce, James 
M. Dexter and Ira P. Evans, Vice-Presidents; 
S. (t. Paddock, Recording Secretary; E. S. 
Phelps, Corresponding Secretary; R. T. Tem- 
pleton, Treasurer; and William Trimble, 
John B. Crosby, Aquilla Triplett, L. D. 
Whiting and Thomas Tustin, Directors. A 
general committee of one from each township 
was apjDointed as follows: Clarion, David 
Wells; Lamoille, J. P. Knight; Ohio, Charles 
Wood; Walnut, O. Chapman; Greenville, J. 
M. Draper; Fairfield, Whicher Dow; West- 
field, William Morrison; Berlin. Julius Bene- 
dict; Dover. Joseph Morrison; Bureau, C. D. 
Trimble; Manlius, M. Carpenter; Gold, A. 
Morrissey; Hall, E. C. Hall; Selby, Joseph 
N. Kies; Princeton, C. T. Wiggins; Center, 
N. C. Monrose; Concord, I. L. Sweet; Min- 
eral, T. Grattige; Leepertown, D. F. Mc- 
Elwain; Arispie, Alanson Benson; Indian- 
town, Asy Barney; Macon, W. H. Patterson; 
Brawby, William Norton; Wheatland, S. M. 
Clark; Mile, I. G. Freeman. 

The farmers in each township were recom- 
mended to organize a farmers' club. 

February 6, 1860, at the annual meeting 
the society had $474. 50 on hand. The old 



officers were re-elected, except Dr. Woodruff, 
was elected Corresponding Secretary. The 
new Directors were: Fred Moseley, M. L. 
Goodspeed, Alpheus Cook, John V. Cottrell, 
and Edward C. Hale. The old general com- 
mittee was re-appointed, except K. S. Stein- 
hauer for Milo, and J. W. Bush for Ohio. 

September 4, 1862, it was resolved to post- 
pone the fair for that year. Old officers re- 
elected. In 1863 C. P. Allen became the Re- 
cording Secretary. It was resolved to hold a 
four days' fair, commencing October 6. S. 
G. Paddock became Corresponding Secretary, 
and B. S. Farris, Treasurer. In 1864 J. C. 
Weeks, President; John G. Buback, Record- 
ing Secretary; C. P. Allen, Treasurer. In 
1865 H. C. Fields again President; C. D. 
Trimble, Secretary; Directors, John Clapp, 

F. M. Nichols, C. P. Mason and H. W. Terry. 
1867, J. T. Thompson, elected President; S. 

G. Paddock, Secretary; C. P. Allen, Treas- 
urer. 1868, D. McDonald, President, and 
S. F. Robinson, M. Greenman and Enos 
Smith, Vice-Presidents; G. W. Stone, Secre- 
tary; Directors, M. L. Barnhart, P. H. Piper, 
H. C. Field, J. G. Calif and J. W. Harris. 
1870, A. C. Boggs, President; J. T. Thomp- 
son, Treasurer; J. C. Smith, Marshal. 1872, 
President, George N. Palmer ; Vice-Presidents 
Simon Elliott, John V. Catterill, M. Brough- 
ton; Directors, George Hammer, F. Horton, 
William Norris, William Cummings, P. R. 
Shugart; Treasurer, James L. Worthington; 
Secretary, R. R. Gibons; Assistant, T. J. 
Cooper. For the next year C. C. Kellogg 
was President. 1874, Rufus Ford, Presi- 
dent; J. W. Templeton, Secretary; W. H. 
Winter, Treasurer. 1876, Simon Elliott, 
President; E. R. Virden, Secretary. Octo- 
ber, 1876, Justus Stevens, President; J. H. 
Fawcett, Secretary. All Directors re-elected. 
S. G. Paddock, Treasurer; next year old offi- 
cers re- elected, except C. P. Bacom, Secre- 




cM(Lnyti^ (^J 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



325 



tary; M. C. Clark, Assistant; B. F. Cox, 
Superintendent of Grounds. In 1878 the 
gate money was $2,281.42. The society was 
then in debt $4, 100. The next year A. C. 
Bog;g8 was President. Other officers and Di- 
rectors re-elected. 1882, G. N. Palmer, 
President; Ellis B. Wood, W. T. Lewis, 
William McManis, Vice-Presidents; J. W. 
Templeton, Secretary; David Knight, Super- 
intendent Grounds; Atherton Clark, Mar- 
shal. Total receipts, $5,239.75. Disburse- 
ments, .15,162.45. Clark Gray, Secretary^ 
1883, John Crossman, President; Ellis B. 
Wood, William T. Lewis, Robert Hunter, 
Vice-Presidents: M. C. Clark, Secretary; C. 
A. McKinney, Assistant; C. G. Cushing, 
Treasurer; P. H. Zoigler, Superintendent 
Grounds; A. Dunbar, Marshal; Directors, 
Edward Dow, J. M. Draper, L. K. Thomp- 
son, James Dunbar, D. P. Smith, Willet 
Groves, N. Spratt, Daniel Weirick, U. J. 
Trimble, Henry G. Wells, R. Braden, Her- 
man Gray, Edward Murphy, S. D. Abbott, 
Isaac D. Page, A. C. Boggs, Cyrus Colton, 
A. W. Walton, S. J. Miller, William Criss- 
man, J. W. Harris, Ed White, A. R. Gris- 
wold, M. A. Lewis, Ed Borup. Gate fees 
this year were: Hacks, 137; single admis- 
sions, teams, etc., $2,596.15. Total receipts, 
$5,006.65. Disbursements, $4,868.49. Debt 
of society, $3,369.45. 1884, E. B. Wood, 
President; Vice-Presidents same as last 
year, except William Buswell, Third Vice- 
President; Treasurer. E. A. Washburn; Mar- 
shal, Ed White: Directors same as last year 
except Frank Rawson, in place of S. J. 
Miller; J. Stephens, viceM.. A. Lewis; Frank 
Rawson vice Ed ^Vhite. 

The annual exhibit of 1884 was by far 
in all respects the most successful county 
fair, both in display and attendance, ever 
yet held in the county. The gate money on 
Thm'sday reaching the large figures of a 



fraction over 12, 500, indicating a paying at- 
tendance of nearly 12,000 people. 

From 1856, the first year a county fair 
was held, to 1884, there was only one year, 
and that on account of the war, but that a 
regular county fair has been held. This 
was about the first that county fairs were or- 
ganized in the different counties in the 
State. It has been only a few counties, but 
that the life of the county organization 
has been fitful and uncertain, and often run- 
ning for some years, then disbanding and 
reorganizing, and in many the grounds have 
been allowed to go to creditors, and the im- 
provements to decay or removed from the 
grounds. The opposite of this has been 
true in Bureau County. There has been 
a steady and continuous growth, and to-day 
it may be called a permanent and one of the 
most valuable institutions in the county. 
The society owns valuable and very conven- 
ient grounds — comprising over sixty acres of 
land— and extensive and permanent houses, 
sheds, stalls, amphitheater, and all the con- 
veniences of the well-equipped fair ground; 
is but a little in debt, and altogether may 
well be classed as one of the most prosper- 
ous agricultural fairs in the State. The 
people of the county are peculiarly agricult- 
ural in their pursuits. The county is with- 
out great towns and cities; until the present 
year (1884) there has never been a charter 
city in the county. There were simply twenty- 
four postoffices, small villages and trading 
points. The whole was a vast aggregation 
of rich farms, and in the county were nearly 
30,000 people identified with agriculture — 
nearly the entire population, and all directly, 
therefore, dependent upon the warm and 
generous soil, spread in such rolling splen- 
dors about them. In the county are 463,993 
acres of improved land, exclusive of 5,300 
improved town lots. These farms are worth 

IS 



326 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



at least $20,000,000. The total average in 
the county, improved and unimproved, ex- 
clusive of town lots, 546,638 acres. It is 
all rated on the Assessors' books as improved 
land except 82,637 acres. Think of all this 
agi'icultural wealth. The total tax of the 
county for 1884 is $269,665.59. And within 
the memory of persons yet living in the 
county, Charles S. Boyd paid the county tax 
one year — 70 cents. 

There are several counties in Illinois 
which can show a larger tax-roll each year 
than Bureau County. But no exclusively 
agricultural county can. Every county that 
can or does pay as much has large cities, 
towns, and various manufactories within its 
borders. 

The total population of Bureau County in 
the census of 1880, is 33,172. Of these 
17,088 are males, and 16,084, females; 8,781 
males are over twenty-one years of age; and 
from five to seventeen there are males 5,042, 
females, 4,985. There are 3,657 improved 
farms in the county, and live stock valued 
at $3, 170, 334. Estimated value of all farm 
products for a year, $3,294,250. The differ- 
ent leading productions are: Barley, 41,997 
bushels; buckwheat, 1,316; corn, 8,425,683 
oats, 1,188,234; rye, 41,140; wheat, 264,626 
hay, 69,013 tons; potatoes, 170,595 bushels 
sweet potatoes, 1,116 bushels. Value of or- 
chard products, $50,800. There are 16,997 
horses in the county, 40,983 cattle, 535 mules, 
9,872 sheep, 63,901 hogs. All property is 
assessed at one-third value, and at this rate 
the horses are valued, $28.22 each; cattle, 
$8.33; mules, $28.37; sheep, $1.21; hogs, 
$1.73. There are only sixty-three steam 
engines in the county; total assessed value 
$6,817. There are 6,457 carriages and wag- 
^ ons, valued at $11.70 each; 4,651 watches 
and clocks, $2.19 each; 2,994 sewing- 
machines, $4.37 each; 802 pianos, $37.97 



each. There are fifteen water crafts and 
steamboats in the county; average value as- 
sessed $329.85. And $159,245 in goods 
and merchandise. The total manufactured 
articles in the county, 4,080. And agricult- 
ural machinery $46,439. Total of all per- 
sonal property in the county, assessed $2,- 
007,052. The total tax of the county, from 
all sources, 1883, was $280,695. 

It will be noticed that the manufactxu-ed 
articles in the'county are infinitesimal com- 
pared to the resources of the county in other 
respects. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 



HOX. OWES LOVEJOY. 



IN all that pertains to the political history 
of Bureau County, and especially the anti- 
slavery movement that commenced here more 
than a generation ago, in first a protest and 
then in open and active defiance of the fugi- 
tive slave law, the one pre-eminent name is 
that of Owen Lovejoy. Individuals and 
nations are wonderfully the creatures of cir- 
cumstances. This fact becomes the more ap- 
parent and curious the more intimately our 
piursuits or our reading and study lead us to 
minutely examine the history of either gov- 
ernments or individuals. This, as miich as 
anything else, is the source of much of our 
interest in all historical subjects. This will 
explain our here introducing the follow- 
ing paragraphs from the current history of 
Illinois: 

The year 1837 is memorable for the death 
of Illinois' first martyr to liberty, Elijah P. 
Lovejoy. He was born at Albion, Kennebec 
Co.,'Me., November 9, 1802. At the age of 
twenty-one he entered Waterville College, 
and after graduating with the first honors of 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



327 



his class, removed to St. Louis and com- 
menced teaching. A year or two afterward 
he exchanged the occupation of a teacher for 
that of the journalist, became the editor of 
the St. Louis Times, and advocated the 
election of Henry Clay as President of the 
United States. Not long after he had en- 
tered this new field of labor he united with 
the Presbyterian Church, and determined to 
abandon it also for the clerical profession. 
Accordingly, at the age of thirty he repaired 
to the Theological School at Princeton, N. 
J., and entered with great ardor apoQ his 
studies, and in 1833 was licensed to preach 
by the Presbytery of Philadelphia. The 
following summer was spent in preaching in 
Newport, E. I., and at Spring Church, N. 
Y., after which he returned to St. Louis. 
Here he again assumed the editorial chair, 
and issued the first number of the St. Louis 
Observer, a religious newspajjer, November 
22, 1833. Soon after he incurred the ill- 
will of the Catholic Church by characterizing 
their proceedings in laying the corner-stone 
of a cathedral on the Sabbath as a desecra- 
tion of the day, and charging the use of 
the United States artillery and cavalry, 
which were brought into requisition to give 
prestige to the occasion, was a prostitution 
of the purpose for which they were intended. 
From the clerical rancor excited by this out- 
spoken expression of opinion, he thought, 
proceeded the persecutions which he subse- 
quently encountered, though masked in the 
guise of [anti]-Abolitionism. The question 
of slavery even at that early day was one of 
absorbing interest, and it was impossible for 
one of Mr. Lovejoy's vigorous intellect and 
fearless manner of speaking not to become 
involved in its discussion and not to incur 
the hatred of its advocates. The subject hav- 
ing an-eeted his attention he wrote an edi- 
torial on it, and left the city to attend a 



Presbyterian Synod. During his absence it 
appeared in the columns of the Observer, 
and such was the commotion it excited that 
the owners of the press were compelled to 
publish a card to allay the excitement and 
prevent a mob from destroying their proper- 
ty. On his return a paper was presented to 
him by a number of leading citizens and the 
minister who received him into the church, 
in which they expressed the opinion that 
slavery is sanctioned by the Bible, and asked 
him to desist from its further discussion. 
Though the authors of the request repre- 
sented the intelligence and morality of St. 
Louis, if honest, how little they understood 
the personal rights of mankind; and how 
little they supposed this question was des- 
tined in less than half a century to shake the 
continent with civil commotion. This paper 
was inserted in the Observer and also a reply 
from Mr. Lovejoy, in which he claimed the 
right to publish his honest convictions. In 
answer to the Biblical view given of slavery, 
he reminds his censors of the golden rule, 
" Make not slaves of others if you do not wish 
to be made slaves yourselves." His state- 
ment, although couched in the most inofifen- 
sive language, again excited the ire of the 
citizens, aad the proprietors of the press took 
possession of it to prevent a recurrence of 
the disturbance. A friend, however, inter- 
fered, and agreed to restore the press to him, 
provided he would remove it to Alton, where 
he might use it safely. The offer was ac- 
cepted, but after he had gone thither to make 
arrangements for publishing it he was in- 
vited to return to St. Louis. On going back 
be resumed his editorial labors and continued 
there until the summer of 1835, when he 
again became involved in difficulties. 

On the 23d of April, the police arrested a 
negro by the name of Mcintosh, who, while 
on the way to prison, drew his knife and 



328 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



killed one and badly wounded the other. In 
consequence of the murderous assai;lt, a large 
crowd surrounded the jail in which he was 
imprisoned, and taking him thence they 
bound him to a stake and burned him to 
death. The community being largely in sym- 
pathy with the perpetrators of this unlawful 
and fiendish act, it was a long time before 
they were brought to trial. When at length 
the matter was presented to the grand jury, 
the judge, by the most gross perversion of 
facts, informed them that the Observer had 
caused the negro to murder the policeman, 
and that there was no law for punishing them 
who burnt him at the stake. A succeeding 
number of this sheet repelled the flagrant 
charge made by the jiidge, alluded to the fact 
that he was a Catholic, and intimated that 
his views respecting the enforcement of the 
law could only result from Jesuitical teach- 
ings. The editor, aware that the statement 
would be followed by another outburst of in- 
dignation and an attempt to destroy the 
press, immediately caused it to be shipped to 
Alton, where it arrived July 21, 1836. The 
day being Sunday, Mr. Lovejoy proposed to let 
it remain on the wharf until Monday; but 
the ensuing night it was secretly visited by 
a number of persons, who broke it into pieces 
and threw it into the river. When this das- 
tardly act became known the next day, the 
people became excited and the ensuing eve- 
ning a large meeting assembled in the Pres- 
byterian Church, to listen to addresses by 
Mr. Lovejoy and other speakers. The former 
stated that he had come to Alton to establish 
a religious newspaper, that he was pleased 
with the town, and as most of his subscribers 
resided in Illinois, it would be best for him 
to make it his future home; that he regretted 
that his presence had caused so much excite- 
ment, and the people must have a vn'ong ap- 
preciation of his object; that he was not an 



Abolitionist, and had been frequently de- 
nounced by Garrison and others as being pro- 
slavery because he was not in favor of their 
measures; that he was opposed to slavery, 
ever had been, and hoped he always would 
be. This statement corresponds with his 
previous declaration and position in regard 
to slavery. He always manifested a strong 
sympathy for the oppressed, and in common 
with North and South, regarded colonization 
as the best means of freeing the country from 
the curse of slavery. With the progress of 
events, this scheme, though it had enlisted 
the regard of statesmen and philanthropists, 
was abandoned for more practical views. Mr. 
Lovejoy, who never permitted himself to fall 
behind the march of ideas, also took a more ad- 
vanced position. In the same meeting he also 
said that "he was now removed from slavery, 
and could publish a newspaper without dis- 
cussing it, and that it looked like cowardice 
to flee from the place where the evil existed 
and come to a place where it did not exist to 
expose it." With these declarations, extort- 
ed to a great extent by the tyrannical censor- 
ship of the slave power, he no doubt after 
his arrival in Alton intended to comply. In- 
deed he might justly have concluded that it was 
useless to waste his time and energy in en- 
deavoring to benefit a community which was 
endeavoring to exercise over him a bondage 
worse than that which fettered the body of 
the slave. Yet, as the contest between free- 
dom and slavery grew warmer, and earnest 
champions were needed to contend for the 
right, Mr. Lovejoy concluded that duty re- 
quired him to again enter the arena of discus- 
sion. 

As the result of the meeting funds were 
raised, another press was sent for, and the 
first number of the Alton Observer was issued 
September 8, 1836. Its editor, gifted with 
more than ordinary ability, soon extended its 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



339 



circulation, its discussions at first being 
mostly confined to subjects of a moral and 
literary character. By aad by the question 
of slavery was also broached. Mr. Lovejoy 
no doubt smarting under the unjust surveil- 
lance to which he was subjected at the start- 
ing of his paper, seemed now determined to 
exercise his constitutional rights to free 
speech, being willing that the laws of his 
country, not the dictation of ruffians, should 
decide as to whether he abused this privi- 
lege. 

In the issue of June 29, 1837, at the in- 
stance of the Anti-Slavery Society, he favored 
the circulation of a petition for the abolition 
of slavery in the District of Columbia, and 
in the succeeding number he speaks of the 
importance of organizing an anti-slavery so- 
ciety for the State of Illinois. In the same 
paper he also indulged in the following re- 
flections, suggested by the Fourth of July: 
" This day reproaches us for our sloth and 
inactivity. It is the day of our Nation's birth. 
Even as we write, crowds are hurrying past 
our window in eager anticipation to the ap- 
pointed bower, to listen to the declaration 
that, ' All men are created equal;' to hear the 
eloquent orator denounce, in strains of man- 
ly indignation, the attempt of England to 
lay a yoke on the shoulders of our fathers 
which neither they nor their children could 
bear. Alas, what a bitter mockery is this; we 
assemble to thank God for our own freedom, 
and to eat with joy and gladness of heart, 
while our feet are on the necks of nearly 
3,000,000 of our fellow-men. Not all our 
shouts of self -congratulation can drown their 
groans; even the very flag which waves over 
our head is formed of material cultivated by 
slaves, on a soil moistened by their blood, 
drawn from them by the whip of a republi- 
can task-master." As soon as this was read, 
the pro-slavery men assembled in the market 



house and passed a number of resolutions, in 
which, with strange incongruity, they claim 
the right of free speech for themselves, while 
they plot to deprive another of the same privi- 
lege. A committee was appointed to inform 
Mr. Lovejoy that he must cease agitating the 
question of slavery, and they accordingly 
dropped a letter in the postoffice, containing 
a demand to that eS'ect. The editor replied 
to the communication by denying their right 
to dictate to him what it was proper to dis- 
cuss, and at the same time tendered them the 
use of his paper to refute his opinions if they 
were wrong. They, however, chose a more 
summary manner for ending the controversy. 
On the night of the 25th of August a mob 
made an assault on the office of the Observer, 
with stones and brickbats, and after driving 
out the employees, entered and completely 
demolished the press. Mr. Lovejoy himself 
was afterward surrounded in the street by a 
number of ruffians, it was believed for the 
purpose of offering him violence. These out- 
rages were boldly committed, without any at- 
tempt being made by the city officials to bring 
the rioters to justice. The anti-slavery party 
of the town, of course, were justly incensed 
at this wanton outrage and willful disre- 
gard of individual rights, but being largely 
in the minority, all they could do was to 
quietly submit and send for a new press. 
This, however, the proscribed editor was 
never to see. Leaving Alton shortly after to 
attend a presbytery, the press arrived Sep- 
tember 21, and in his absence it was demol- 
ished, and, like its predecessor, thrown into 
the Mississippi. These unlawful proceedings 
had now been perpetrated so often in St. 
Louis and Alton with impunity, that not only 
these localities but other places were rapidly 
becoming demoralized Not long after the 
destruction of the third press, Mr. Lovejoy 
visited his mother in St. Charles, Mo. Here 



330 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



he was violently assailed by a crowd of ruf- 
fians, with the avowed object of taking his 
life, and it was only by the interposition of 
his heroic and devoted wife, that he escaped 
their murderous intent. 

In the meantime the friends of Mr. Love- 
joy sent for the fourth press, and it was in 
connection with this, the tragedy occurred 
which cost him his life. In anticipation of 
its arrival a series of meetings was held in 
which both the friends of freedom and elav 
ery were represented. The object of the lat- 
ter was to effect a compromise, but it was one 
in which liberty was to make concessions to 
oppression; in which the proprietors of the 
Observer were to forego the legitimate use of 
their property to appease an ignorant mob, 
and in which right and modern progress 
were required to submit to injustice and the 
exploded ideas of the past. Mr. Hogan, the 
Methodist minister, endeavored to prove from 
the Bible the inexpediency of the course pur- 
sued by Mr. Lovejoy and his friends, in which 
he remarked "The great Apostle had said all 
things are lawful for him, but all things are 
not expedient; if Paul yielded to the law of 
expediency, would it be wrong for Mr. Love- 
joy to follow his example ? The spirit of God 
did not pursue Paul to his destruction for 
thus acting, but on the contrary com- 
mended his course; Paul had never taken 
up arms to propagate the religion of his 
Master, nor to defend himself from the at- 
tacks of his enemies; the people of Damas- 
cus were opposed to Paul, but he did not 
argue with the populace the question of his 
legal rights; did he say, 'lam a Minister 
of Christ and must not leave the work of ray 
Master, and flee before the face of a mob?'" 
This was strange advice to come from the 
abettor of a faction, first to inaugurate vio- 
lence and at that very time conspiring against 
the life of one who was legally void of offense. 



The reverend gentleman seemed to think the 
aggrieved should exercise forbearance, while 
the mob might insult and 'destroy with im- 
punity. Mr. Beecher, President of Illinois 
College, was present and delivered addresses, 
in which he took a position almost as objec- 
tionable as that of Mr. Hogan. He believed 
that slavery was morally wrong, and should 
not be tolerated for a moment. He contended 
that if the Constitution sanctioned iniquity, 
it was also wrong, and could not be binding 
upon the people; that for his part ho did not 
acknowledge obedience to the Constitution, 
and as long as it tolerated slavery, he could 
not. But when he came to urge the rights of 
his friends to free speech and the peaceable 
use of their property, he invoked all the 
guarantees of the Constitution and Govern- 
ment to protect them in the enjoyment of 
these privileges. He would now have others 
submit to the law, while he was unwilling to 
do so himself. Mr. Lovejoy, who was more 
consistent than either of these gentlemen, 
contended only for his undoubted rights, and 
expressed in a conciliatory manner his unal- 
terable determination to maintain them. 
"Mr. Chairman," said he, "what have I to 
compromise? If freely to forgive those who 
have so greatly injured me; if to pray for 
their temjjoral and eternal happiness; if still 
to wish for the prosperity of your city and 
State, notwithstanding the indignities I have 
suffered in them; if this be the compromise 
intended, then do I willingly make it. I do 
not admit that it is the business of any body 
of men to say whether I shall or shall not 
publish a jsaper in this city. That right was 
given me by my Creator, and is solemnly 
guaranteed by the Constitution of the United 
States and this State. But if by compromise 
is meant that I shall cease from that which 
duty requires of me, I cannot make it, and 
the reason is that I fear God more than man. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



331 



It ia also a very different question, whether I 
shall voluntarily, or at the request of my 
friends, yield up my position, or whether I 
shall forsake it at the demand of a mob. 
The former I am ready at all times to do when 
the circumstances require it, as I will never 
put my personal wishes in competition with 
the cause of that Master whose minister I 
am. But the latter, be assured, I will never 
do. You have, as the lawyers say, made a 
false issue. There are no two parties be- 
tween whom there can be a compromise. I 
plant myself down on my unquestionable 
rights, and the question to be decided is, 
whether I shall be protected in these rights? 
That is the question. You may hang me as the 
mob hung the individual at Vicksburg. You 
may burn me at the stake as they did old 
Mcintosh in St. Louis, or you may tar and 
feather me, or throw me into the Mississippi 
as you have threatened to do, but you cannot 
disgrace me. I, and I alone, can disgrace my- 
self, and the deepest of all disgrace would be at 
a time like this to deny my Maker by forsaking 
His cause. He died for me, and I were most 
unworthy to bear His name should I refuse, 
if need be, to die for Him." 

The boat having the obnoxious press on 
board arrived early in the morning, Novem- 
ber 7, 1837, and the latter was immediately 
removed to the stone warehouse of Godfrey, 
Gilman & Co. The proprietors and their 
friends now assembled with arms to defend 
it. No violence was offered till the ensuing 
night, when a mob of about thirty persons 
came from the drinking saloon and demanded 
the press. This insolent and unjust demand 
was of course refused, when the assailants, 
with stones, brickbats and guns, committed 
an attack on the building. Those within, 
among whom was Mr. Lovejoy, returned the 
fire, by which one of the mob was killed and 
several others wounded. This warm recep- 



tion caused them to retire, some to bear away 
the dying man, others to summon reinforce- 
ments, but the most of them visited the ad- 
jacent grog-shops for the purpose of reviving 
their courage. Soon after, the bells of the 
city were rung, horns were blown, and an 
excited multitude came running to the ware- 
house, some urging on the drunken atid im- 
bruted mob, and others persuading them to 
desist. Ladders were placed against the 
side of the building without windows, where 
there was no danger from within, and several 
persons ascended to fire the roof. Mr. Love- 
joy and some others, on learning their dan- 
ger, rushed out, and firing on the incendiaries 
drove them away. After returning to the 
inside, on reloading their pieces, Mr. Love- 
joy, with two or three companions, not seeing 
any foe on the south side, again stepped out 
to look after the roof. Concealed assassins 
were watching, and simultaneously firing, 
five bullets entered his body, when he ex- 
claimed: "My God! I am shot," and ex- 
pired. 

With the fall of the master spirit, the de- 
fenders of the press surrendered it to the 
mob, who (?) broke it into fragments, and 
threw them into the river. The following 
day a grave was dug on a high bluff in the 
southern part of the city, and the body, with- 
out ceremony, was thi'own into it and covered 
up. Some years afterward the same eleva- 
tion was chosen as the site of a cemetery, 
and in laying out the grounds the main ave- 
nue chanced to pass over tlie grave of Love- 
joy. To obviate the difficulty, his ashes 
were interred in a new locality, and within 
a few years past a simple monument was 
erected over the spot bearing the inscription: 
" Hie jacet Lovejoy: jam parcere sepulto."* 

This is but one of the many similar inci- 
dents in history. In the march of civiliza- 

*Alexander Davidson's History of Illinois. 



332 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



tion, there are more unknown, unhonored 
martyrs, sleeping in unmarked graves, than 
there are honored and well known names in 
history. The shores of time have been strewn 
with their mangled remains. Lovejoy died 
in defense of a free press and free speech. 
The eflfects flowing out from this circumstance 
are curious and interesting subjects for 
philosophical study, and, when we have all 
passed away, they will (that is, cause and 
effect) be gone over with passionless judg- 
ments, and lessons drawn therefrom that will 
stand as beacon lights to all mankind. 

But here we give the story of Elijah P. 
Lovejoy's death, because it is intimately 
connected with the past political history of 
Bureau County. It brings us understandingly 
to the wonderful story of Owen Lovejoy's 
life and times in the county, and is the key 
to the whole. When we have secured the 
key to a man's mission in life, and Owen 
Lovejoy was one of the few men in history 
who had a mission, it is easy enough to tell 
the remainder of the story. The man with a 
mission, on which he stakes his existence, his 
all, his everything here and hereafter, is a 
man of destiny, a hero whose story will at- 
tract men of every age and clime. There is 
no question but that if our country has pro- 
duced such historic characters, Owen Love- 
joy stands among them pre-eminently con- 
spicuous. 

Owen Lovejoy was born January 6, 1811, 
in Kennebec County, Me. His father was a 
clergyman, who resided on a farm where 
Owen was born, and here, as a child and 
boy, he labored till he was eighteen years 
old, enjoying limited school advantages. He 
prepared himself to teach school, and thus 
eventually worked his way through Bowdoin 
College. In 1836 he immigrated to Alton, 
111. Here he spent a year studying theology. 
Upon the death of his brother, he removed 



temporarily to Jacksonville. He was ordained 
a minister of God, and in 1838 came to 
Princeton. 

For seventeen years he was the minister of 
the Princeton Congregational Church, and 
he preached liberty all that time. He be- 
friended the fugitive slaves at all times, and 
his house and purse were ever open to them. 
The slave-owners of the South soon knew him 
as one of the most active managers of the 
"Underground Kailroad" — the slaves' high- 
way through Illinois to Canada. Princeton 
was a " division headquarters" on this rail- 
road. At one time he was indicted by the 
grand jury of Bureau County for " feeding 
and clothing a negro woman." He was the 
" Liberal Party " candidate for Congress as 
early as 1844 in this then very large district. 
He canvassed the district proclaiming his 
opposition to the fugitive slave law. This 
was his well chosen point of attack upon 
slavery, and is it not the evidence of the 
" method in his madness?" In 1847 he was 
a candidate for the Constitutional Conven- 
tion, and was defeated by Simon Kinney by 
twenty votes. This vote was some evi- 
dence of the work he had done in the nine 
years of his residence here. In 1854 he was 
elected to the Illinois Legislature. In 1856, 
after a long and hard fought contest, he was 
nominated by a Republican Convention at 
Bloomington for Congi-ess. So intense was 
the opposition to him that there was a "bolt" 
and the bolters nominated Judge Dickey — 
now of the State Supreme Court. His elec- 
tion at first was considered doubtful, but he 
canvassed the district thoroughly and was 
elected by a large majority. He was elected 
to Congress four times in successfon. He 
remained in Congress from his first election 
until the day of his death, March 25, 1864, 
in Brooklyn, N. Y. 

At the May term, 1843, Mr. Lovejoy was 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



333 



indicted by the grand jury of Bureau County 
for keeping the said " Agnes " in his dwell- 
ing-house, feeding, clothing and comforting 
her the said "Agnes," he the said Owen Love- 
joy, then and there the said "Agnes," so be- 
ing a slave, and owing service as aforesaid, 
unlawfully and wilfully did harbor and se- 
crete," etc. 

The other count was to the same tenor, ex- 
cept it was for another slave, "Nancy. " The 
indictment is signed by W. H. Purple, State's 
Attorney pro tern. At the October term, 
]843, a motion to quash the indictment was 
filed for the cause that, first the name of the 
owner of the alleged slave was not given, nor 
the State, Territory or district where the 
alleged master resided; second, neither count 
sets out any offense within the true intent of 
the statute; third, that the 149th section of 
the criminal code is void, Congress having 
legislated on the same subject, and it having 
exclusive power over the same. The demurrer 
was signed by "Owen Lovejoy in person," 
and "J. H. Collins, of Counsel." The mo- 
tion was overruled; the case called for trial, 
a jury impaneled, and on the 7th day of 
October a verdict of not guilty returned. 

Hon. Isaac N. Ai-nold, in addressing the 
meeting of the Bar Association at Springfield, 
January 7, 1881, in referring to Mr. Lovejoy, 
said: 

"I have spoken of Mr. Butterfield; the 
firm name of Butterfield & Collins, partners, 
was in those early days always associated. 
Mr. Collins was a good lawyer, a man of 
perseverance, pluck and resolution, and as 
combative as an English bull dog. He was 
an early and most violent and extreme Aboli- 
tionist; a cotemporary with Dr. Charles V. 
Dyer, the Lovejoys, Ichabod Codding, East- 
man, Freer, Farnsworth and other Aboli- 
tionists in northern Illinois. I wish I could 
reproduce a full report of the case of the 



People vs. Owen Lovejoy." He then refers 
to the ease we have given above, and states 
the facts nearly as there given, except that 
he says it was in "May, 1842," when it 
should be as given above, "May, 1843." He 
then says: " The trial lasted nearly a week, 
and Lovejoy and Collins fought the case with 
a vigor and boldness almost without a par- 
ellel. The prosecution was urged by the 
enemies of Lovejoy with an energy and vin- 
dictiveness with which Purple and Fridley 
Could have had little sympathy. When the 
case was called for trial a strong pro-slavery 
man, one of those by whom the indictment 
had been procured, said to the State's Attor- 
ney: 

" 'Fridley, we want you to be sure and con- 
vict thi-i preacher and send him to prison.' 

" ' Prison ! Lovejoy to prison !' " replied 
Fridley; " ' your prosecution will be a d — d 
sight more likely to send him to Congress." 

' ' Fridley was right — Lovejoy was sent to 
Congress; where, as you all know, he was 
soon heard from by the whole country. The 
prosecution was ably conducted, and Collins 
and Lovejoy not only availed themselves of 
every technical ground of defense, but de- 
nounced vehemently the laws under which 
the indictment was drawn as unconstitutional 
and void; justifying every act charged as 
criminal. A full report of the trial would 
have considerable historic interest. The 
counsel engaged were equal to the import- 
ant legal and constitutional questions dis- 
cussed. Judge Purple for logical ability and 
wide culture, for a clear, concise style, con- 
densing the strong points of a case into the 
fewest words had rarely an equal. Fridley 
for quaint humor, for drollery and afit illus- 
tration, expressed in familiar, plain, collo- 
quial, sometimes vulgar language, but with 
a clear, strong, common sense, was a very 
effective prosecutor. Collins was indefatig- 



834 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



able, dogmatic, never giving up, and if the 
court decided one point against him, he was 
ready with auother, and if that was overruled, 
still others. 

' ' Lovejoy suggested to me a Roundhead 
of the days of Cromwell. He was thorough- 
ly in earnest, almost, if not quite, fanatical 
in his politics. His courage was unflinch- 
ing, and he would have died for his princi- 
ples. He had a blunt, masculine eloquence, 
rarely equaled, and on the slavery question, 
as a stump speaker, it would be difficult to 
name his superior. Collins and Lovejoy, 
after a week's conflict, won their cause. 
Lovejoy himself made a masterly argu- 
ment, and Mr. Collins' closing speech ex- 
tended through two days. They extorted a 
verdict from a hostile jury. It is very 
doubtful, however, if they could have suc- 
ceeded, with all their efforts, but for the 
accidental disclosm'e of the alleged owner, 
on his cross-examination, of a fact unknown 
to the defense. He said he was taking the 
slave girl Nance from Kentucky to Missouri, 
through Illinois.* He was ignorant that by 
voluntarily bringing his supposed chattel 
from a slave to a free State she became 
free. Messrs. Collins and Lovejoy saw the 
importance of this fact — indeed, the turning- 
point in the case. Lovejoy quoted with 
great effect the lines from Cowper, now so 
familiar: 

• Slaves cannot breathe in England; if their lungs 
Receive our air, that moment they are free — 
They touch our country and their shackles fall. ' 

" ' And,' said he, ' if this is the glory of 
England, is it not equally true of Illinois, 

*A slight error here of Mr. Arnold's statement is that this 
was the testimony of the owner of the slave, that was the turn- 
ing point in the case. The facts are, the name of the owner was 
not Itnown ; he was not present at the trial. The prosecution 
introduced^ witnessnamed Delano, and he swore to a confession 
of Lovejoy's, in which he stated that Lovejoy told him the girl 
had escaped from her owner, who was taking her through Illi- 
nois to Missouri, and the Court ruled if part of the confession 
was taken it must all stand, and the point therefore arose in the 
case in this way, and not upon the owner's evidence or confes- 
sion. 



her soil consecrated to freedom by the ordi- 
nance of 1787 and her own Constitution?' 

" Mr. Collins, in summing up, read the 
great and eloquent opinion of Lord Mans- 
field in the Sommersett case, an opinion 
which Cowper so beautifully paraphrased in 
his poem. 

" Judge Caton's charge, which will be 
found in the Westerti Citizen of October 26, 
1843, was very fair. He laid down the law 
distinctly, that ' if a man voluntarily 
brings his slave into a free State, the slave 
becomes free.' 

" In February, 1859, at the Capitol in 
Washington, speaking of the acts which led 
to this trial, there is one of the boldest and 
most effective bursts of eloquence from 
Lovejoy to be found in all the literature of 
anti-slavery discussion. He had been 
taunted and reproached on the floor of Con- 
gress, and stigmatized as one who, in aiding 
slaves to escape, had violated the laws and 
Constitution of his country. He had been 
denounced as a ' nigger stealer,' threatened 
by the slaveholders, and they attempted to 
intimidate and silence him. They little 
knew the man, and his reply silenced them, 
and extorted the admiration of friend and 
foe. He closed one of the most radical and 
impassioned anti-slavery speeches ever made 
in Congress by unflinchingly declaring: ' I 
do assist fugitive slaves. Proclaim it, then, 
upon the house-tops; write it upon every 
leaf that trembles in the forest; make it 
blaze from the sun at high- noon, and shine 
forth in the milder radiance of every star 
that bedecks the firmament of God; let it 
echo through all the arches of heaven, and 
reverberate and bellow along all the deep 
gorges of hell where slave-catchers will be 
very likely to hear it. Owen Lovejoy lives at 
Princeton, Illinois, three-quarters of a mile 
east of the village; and he aids every fugi- 



HISTORY OF BUEEAU COUNTY. 



335 



tive that comes to his door and asks it. 
Thou invisible demon of Slavery! Dost 
thou think to cross my humble threshold, 
and forbid me to give bread to the hungry 
and shelter to the houseless? I bid yod de- 
fiance IN THE NAME OF GOD ! ' 

' ' I heard Lovejoy declare that, after the 
death of his brother, he went to the grave- 
yard at Alton, and kneeling upon the sod 
which covered the grave of that brother, he 
there, before God, swore eternal war and 
vengeance upon slavery. He kept his 
vow. 

" He was a man of powerful physique, 
intense feeling and great magnetism as a 
speaker, and he now went forth like Peter 
the Hermit, with a heart of fire and a 
tongue of lightning, preaching his crusade 
against slavery . 

' ' In the log schoolhouses, in the meeting- 
houses and places of worship, and in the 
open air, he preached and lectured against 
slavery with a vehemence and passionate 
energy which carried the people wi(.h him. 
The martyrdom of his brother was a suflS- 
cient excuse for his violence, and the name 
of Lovejoy the Martyr, like the name of Eob 
Koy or Douglas in history, became a name 
to conjure with; and he scattered seed broad- 
cast, the fruit of which was apparent in the 
great anti-slavery triumph of 1860. Some 
idea of his dramatic power may be obtained 
from a sermon preached at Princeton in 
January, 1842, on the death of his brother. 
After describing his murder by a cruel mob, 
because he would not surrender the freedom 
of the press, he declared solemnly, that for 
himself, ' come life or death, I will devote 
the residue of my life to the anti -slavery 
cause. The slaveholders and their sympa- 
thizers,' said he, ' have murdered my broth- 
er, and if another victim is needed. I am 
ready. ' 



" His aged and widowed mother was pres- 
ent in the church. Pausing and turning to 
her, he said: 

" 'Mother, you have given one son, your 
eldest, to liberty; are you willing to give 
another?' 

" And the heroic mother replied: 

" ' Yes, my son. You cannot die in a 
better cause.' 

" He lived to see slavery die amid the 
flames of war which itself had kindled. 

"When I heard him speak of his brother's 
martjTdom, I recalled the words applied by 
an English poet to the reformer Wyckliffe, 
illustrating how much Wycklifife's persecution 
had aided to spread his principles. Wyck- 
liffe's body, you will remember, was burned 
and his ashes thrown into the Avon, and the 
poet-prophet says of the incident: 

'The Avon to the Severn runs, 

The Severn to the sea, 
And Wycklyffe's dust shall spread abroad. 
Wide as the waters be.' 

" The death of Elijah P. Lovejoy, on the 
banks of the Mississippi, his lonely grave on 
the bluffs of Alton, were among the influ- 
ences, and not the least, which have caused 
that mighty river and all its vast tributaries, 
on the east and on the west to flow ' unvexed 
to the sea.' No longer 'vexed' with slavery, 
the Mississippi flows on exultingly from the 
land of ice to the land of the sun, and all the 
way through soil which the blood of Lovejoy 
helped to make free. A monument to the 
Lovejoys on the summit of Pilot Knob, or 
some other rocky crag on the banks of that 
river, should tell and commemorate their 
story." 

April 5, 1860, Mr. Lovejoy had the floor in 
the House of Congress, and commenced a 
speech on the subject of the state of the Un- 
ion. It was the moment of the commence- 
ment of those turbulent times that climaxed 



336 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



in blood and war. It was Lovejoy's intro- 
duction to the civilized world as a slavery 
agitator. The scene in the halls of Congress 
on this occasion is probably without a paral- 
lel in history. He had talked but a few min- 
utes, when Roger A. Pryor, of Virginia, rose 
up from the Democratic side of the House 
and menacingly approached Mr. Love joy, 
said, "You shall not come over to this 
side of the House and shake your fist in our 
faces — you shall not.''' Many members were 
at once on their feet, one side demanding 
Lovejoy to speak from his seat; the other side 
vociferating he should speak— should not be 
intimidated. The Speaker was rapping for 
order, members much excited, many talking 
at the same time. Barksdale, of Mississippi, 
approached Lovejoy, called him a " black- 
hearted nigger thief and scoundrel," and 
from several were hurled all manner of epi- 
thets, as "perjurer," " nigger- thief," etc., 
etc. Confusion reigned supreme. The tem- 
porary Speaker called the Speaker to the 
chair and finally quiet was secured by Mr. 
Lovejoy leaving the area and delivering his 
speech from the clerk's desk. It seems there 
was a rule requiring each speaker to speak 
from his seat or the clerk's desk. Amid all 
this hubbub the only remark that escaped Mr. 
Lovejoy's lips was, " I cannot be intimidated." 
When quiet was restored he resumed from the 
clerk's desk. He hated slavery with the con- 
suming, relentless hatred of an intense com- 
bative nature, and he was the supreme master 
of bitter, cutting taunts, which he flung into the 
faces of the Southern members with a serene 
and galling calmness. He told of a Presby- 
terian elder of Tennessee, taking his slave, 
" laying him down on his face on the ground, 
his hands and feet extended to their utmost 
tension and tied to pickets, and the Gospel 
whipped into him with the broad side of a 
handsaw, discolored whelks of sanctification 



being raised between the teeth every time 
this Gospel agency fell upon the naked and 
quivering flesh of the tortured convert." 
[Laughter]. Lovejoy resuming: " I swore 
to support the Constitution, because I believe 
it." Barksdale, interrupting: "You stand 
there an infamous, perjured villain." [Calls 
to order.] Ashmore, "Yes, he is a perjured 
villain; and he perjures himself every hour 
he occupies a seat on this floor." [Renewed 
calls to order.] Mr. Singleton: "And a 
negro-thief into the bargain." Lovejoy: "I 
do not believe in their construction of the 
Constitution." The speaker then proceeded 
at some length unmolested, in which he ar- 
gued that the Constitution did not counte- 
nance slave-holding. Soon after he had fin- 
ished this part of the address and was again 
pouring the vials of his wrath upon slave- 
holders the confusion and interruptions were 
again on foot. He, when asked questions, 
only once so far noticed his questioners as to 
say: " I decline to yield the floor." Toward 
the conclusion of his speech, however, he 
fired a parting salute at the fire- eating fellows 
who had so heaped upon him coarse epithets. 
"I did intend to taunt you about Harper's 
Ferry, but I believe I will not. I am willing 
to concede that you are as brave as other 
men, although I do not think yon show it by 
this abusive language, because brave men are 
always calm and self-possessed. God feels 
no anger, for he knows no fear." * * * 

"Refuse or neglect this," [to abolish slav- 
ery]; "refuse to proclaim liberty through all 
the land, to all the inhabitants thereof, and 
the exodus of the slave will be through the 
Red Sea." 

It is somewhat difficult now to estimate 
the discouragements, the opposition, the 
tavmts, and the secret and open resistance 
Mr. Lovejoy encountered upon his first com- 
ing to Bureau County. At that time but few 



HISTORY OF BUEEAU COUNTY. 



337 



people in Illinois had thought or concerned 
themselves about either slaves or slave- 
owners. They opposed it coming among 
them, and this was all. They cared but lit- 
tle what other States might do. They knew 
that the leading best men in the South, from 
Washington to Clay, were bemoaning the in- 
fliction of slavery upon their portion of the 
country; the Southern men they knew had 
advocated and taken steps looking to event- 
ual emancipation and colonization of the 
slaves and thus, in the slow process of time, 
ridding the country, not only of slavery, but 
of the presence of the negro. If they 
thought about it at all, they respected the 
laws of their country, without stopping to 
think whether the law itself was humane or 
cruel. Hence, it was a rude awakening to 
many when the new preacher, in Princeton, 
began to preach that slaverj' was the crime 
of crimes, and that a slave-catcher was the 
vilest of criminals. In conversation the 
other day with a citizen of Princeton, a man 
growing gray and who gave the informa- 
tion that he had always voted for Lovejoy, 
and for years of all men he had ever met he 
was the ideal, the great and good man, yet 
he introduced the conversation by telling us, 
that when very young he had, with other bad 
boys, many and many a time from their 
covert thrown — at generally very safe range — 
clods at the "Abolitionist Preacher." The 
boys were acting out what they had caught 
around the tire- side and from older persons. 
They thought an Abolitionist a bad man 
through and through. They reasoned that 
a boy was not entirely safe anywhere near a 
man who would steal niggers; he might eat 
white boys. And our informant laughed 
and said he was all his life rejoiced that the 
little rascals were so nervous when they would 
see Lovejoy passing, that they probably 
never got near enough to really apprise the 



object of their wrath that they were calling 
him an Abolitionist, or were throwing clods. 

The records of the Circait Court of Bureau 
County, in early forties, are perpetual wit- 
ness of the progress of Lovejoy in his cru- 
sade against slavery. We have already 
given an account of the indictment at the 
May term, 1843, for " harboring " the fugi- 
tives — "Nancy" and "Agnes." From 
notes in our possession we give one or two 
other difficulties that found their way to the 
courts. 

On the 1st day of August, 1843, Mr. Love- 
joy and Ichabod Codding were starting from 
Mr. Lovejoy's residence to attend an anti- 
slavery meeting at Lamoille, this county, 
when they were met by a well-dressed mu- 
latto, riding a fine horse. He told them he 
had staid over night in the village, and in 
the morning when he went to pay his bill, he 
had handed the landlord (Roth) a $10 Ken- 
tucky bank bill; change could not be made; 
he then learned that the bill was 75 cents, 
when he tendered the exact change and wanted 
the $10 bill back. This the landlord refused. 
Lovejoy and Codding started to the village 
with the negro, and soon met the landlord 
and one Frazier; and again the bill was 
demanded and refused; the landlord then 
claiming it was only $2. The three then left 
for Lamoille, and in conversation with the 
negro, Mr. Lovejoy and Codding learned he 
had considerable money, and had foolishly 
displayed it at the tavern. The landlord and 
Frazier followed the negro to Lamoille, and 
there they went before a justice for a war- 
rant for the negro, for having counterfeit 
money. When Lovejoy and Codding told 
the negro what was going on, and to mount 
his horse and fly, he started; but as soon 
as he was on his horse a man named Davis, 
who had been hired to guard the negro, 
drew his knife, and, getting in front of the 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



negro, began flourishing it in a threatening 
manner. Davis was seized from behind, his 
arms pinioned, and he was thrown upon the 
ground on his back. His forearm was still 
free, and he was trying to use the knife, 
when Lovejoy stepped up and put his foot 
on the arm and held it until the knife was 
taken away, when he was permitted to get 
up, but by this time the negro was safely 
away. 

On the 2d day of August, Davis filed an 
affidavit before Squire Spalding, charging 
Owen Lovejoy, Seth Clapp, Caleb Cook and 
Bertram Lockwood with assault and battery. 
The warrant was returned into Robert C. 
Masters' Court, and Spalding sitting as As- 
sociate. The following judgment was given: 
"After hearing all the proof and allegations 
it is considered that the defendant is guilty 
of a most outrageous assault and battery." 
And a fine of $50 and costs was entered against 
Lovejoy. The case was appealed to the Cir- 
cuit Court and dismissed by the people. On 
the 11th of the same month the same Davis 
sued out a writ against Lovejoy and others 
for riot. All were bound over to the Octo- 
ber term of the Circuit Court. On trial the 
jury disagreed, and the case was'tinally 7ioUe 
pros. In September, 1849, two men from 
Palmyra, Mo., seized John Buckner, a negi'o 
who was mowing grass just north of Prince- 
ton. They bound him with ropes and placed 
him on a wagon and carried him to Tallet's, 
in Princeton. The anti-slavery men swore 
out a writ against the men, charging them 
with kidnapping. They were arrested and 
all repaired to the court house, they still 
holding the negro by the rope that bound 
him. The anti and pro-slavery men for miles 
around gathered and filled the court house. 
The Missourians asked for a change of 
venue. This was argued, and while this 
was going on a warrant for the arrest of 



the negro was being made out before another 
Justice of the Peace. A constable soon came 
into the court room and placed his hand on the 
negro and said: " I arrest you. " That mo- 
ment the negro was seized, lifted over the 
railing, the rope cut, and he was hustled out 
of the door, the door closed, and the Sheriff 
stood with his back to the door, pistol in 
hand, demanding his prisoners before the 
crowd could get out. The negro started as 
hard as he could run and after him was Love- 
joy, crying out, "Run, John!" Mr. Love- 
joy's servant was on hand with a horse and 
he overtook the negro and put him on the 
horse, and he was soon at Lovejoy's home. 
When he reached the house he was barely 
able to crawl into the house from fright. In 
a little while the crowd arrived after the 
negro. Mr. Lovejoy stood at his gate admit- 
ting his fi'iends to pass in and informing the 
crowd that the first one of them that attempted 
to enter his yard gate would do so at his 
peril. A man named Tallet started to enter 
the gate, when Mr. Lovejoy pushed the gate 
and caught Tallet and gave him such a ter- 
rific squeeze that it not only sobered him but 
made him glad to retreat. A large crowd 
collected in the road in front of the house. 
The negro was taken to the barn in the rear 
of the house and placed in the bottom of an 
empty wagon that had just been unloaded 
of wool, and then he was conveyed almost 
under the noses of the crowd, who stood 
there watching the house and supposing he 
was still in it. He was soon on a train on 
the "underground railroad" on his way to 
Canada. Soon as the negro was well away 
the crowd saw a man in the field a consider- 
able distance away, running for life appar- 
ently. The cry went up, " There he is," and 
the race began. The fugitive was after a 
severe race overtaken, and the disgust was 
great when they found out it was one of their 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUXTY. 



339 



neighbors acting as a decoy, who had com- 
pletely deceived them. Any of the old set- 
tlers who may remember a very dark-skinned 
Abolitionist of those days can figure out who 
it was. 

The writer never met Mr. Lovejoy or had 
any personal acquaintance with him. He 
only knew him through his political repu- 
tation, and was not a little surprised when he 
came into the county to learn that for seven- 
teen years Mr. Lovejoy had been the dis- 
tinguished and idolized pastor of the Prince- 
ton Congregational Church. The writer was 
never of his political faith, nor of his church 
creed; he therefore need not further add that 
he was certainly not prejudiced toward 
him in this brief compilation, in which is 
intended to give (the space considered), 
a tolerably accurate account in the way 
of a short sketch of the public life of 
Mr. Lovejoy. Not the details of his great 
and busy career, but a rapidly drawn pic- 
ture of those salient points from which the 
future reader may have some correct idea of 
the man, his strong and weak points. Another 
fact that was somewhat surprising was that 
there had been no complete and accurate 
biography ever published of Mr. Lovejoy. 
Certainly there is an opportunity here — a 
busy and fertile theme for the biographer 
that is seldom presented. 

Among Mr. Lovejoy' s old neighbors we 
found, of course, two classes of people — those 
who idolized him and those who did not — and 
after hearing all we could, we concluded there 
was a grain of truth on each side. In many 
respects he was the most extraordinary man 
this age has produced — both physically and 
mentally. His physical courage was in its 
calm, quiet, deep and unruffled flow never 
surpassed — indeed, we doubt if it was ever 
equaled. He typified it completely when he 
deigned to notice the mad-caps and Hotspurs 



in Congress, in their frothing and impotent 
rage, their howls and shrieks and stupid epi- 
thets that they flung at him, when he said, as 
quoted above, ' ' You may be as brave as any 
men, but yovi do not show it, ' God feels no 
anger, because he knows no fear. ' " 

The closing scenes in this eventful life are 
thus told by Mr. Washburn, of Illinois, in 
Congress, in the course of his memorial ad- 
dress : 

" A man of ii-on constitution, he had always 
enjoyed the most robust health until a short 
time before the expiration of the last Con- 
gress. He was then stricken down by a sud- 
den and severe illness, which detained him 
at the Capital some time after the Congress 
had expired. Returning to his home, he 
partially gained his health during the last 
summer and autumn. Taking his seat in 
Congress at the commencement of the session, 
in the hopeful and buoyant feelings of his na- 
ture he flattered himself with the idea of 
health recovered and energies regained, but 
there was something in his altered look which, 
even to the unpracticed eye, told of disease 
and death, creating in the minds of his 
friends the gravest apprehensions. During 
the holidays, in response to the pressing in- 
vitation of his friends, he visited Portland, 
Me., and delivered a public address on the 
great events which are now challenging the 
attention of the countiy and the world. It 
was his last effort at public speaking, and 
it was worthy of his name and his fame in 
his palmiest days, and the news of his death 
will reach that delighted auditory before the 
accents of his eloquent utterences will have 
died away. 

"Coming back to Washington after the recess 
of Congress, he soon had a return of the dis- 
ease which had prostrated him nearly a year 
before. After several weeks' confinement 
to his room and to his bed, he had so far re- 



340 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



covered as to believe himself able to partially 
resume his duties in the House. He attended 
our sittings a short time for several days, but 
his eye had lost its brightness, and the un- 
wonted and ghastly pallor of his cheek told, 
alas! but too plainly, that death had already 
marked him as its early victim. Stimulated 
by the stirring events of the passing hour, 
the important legislation of Congress, and 
the claims of a constituency whose interests 
he had never neglected or betrayed, and 
whose convictions he had never misrepresent- 
ed, the effort he made to resume his duty 
among us was too much for him. A partial 
relapse was the consequence, and then it was 
determined he should, for a time, leave the 
excitement of the Capital and visit a more 
southern and a more genial climate, in the 
hope that his shattered and broken health 
might yet be restored. He left here for New 
York City some ten days ago, but the trip 
thither was too hard for him to bear, and he 
was unable to pursue his journey further. 
From that time he became rapidly worse un- 
til he expired at the time stated." 



CHAPTER XXX. 

BUEEAU COUNTT IN THE WaB— ThE FiBST Ne\V3 OF THE FiBINO 

Upon Fort Sumteb — Volunteering — Companies, Regiments, 
ETC., etc. 

"Now the birds build their nests in the canon's cold 
lips." 

FROM the dog fight to the long and 
bloody wars of nations there is a vein 
of interest to the average man. The details 
of a bruising prize-fight are widely read, and 
what can there be in such things to interest 
men, except the fact that there is a blood- 
letting to give zest to the really sickening de- 



tails. There have been a hundred books writ- 
ten about war to one about the peaceful pas- 
toral pursuits that engage the great mass of 
men, and from whence comes the very bread 
of life, the wealth of individuals and nations. 
There is a strange fascination about the story 
of violent deaths, of maimings, and this even 
extends to the horrid details of a great de- 
structive epidemic. What is this so deeply 
fixed in nearly all men and that has been 
there always? Among the Indians with 
whom our forefathers so long warred, it was 
well understood that the savages delighted 
to capture a white man alive and unhurt, 
that they might keep him for a gala day for 
all their people, especially the women and 
children, who could dance with wild delight 
as they were tortured to death. So keenly 
was this sport relished that they would cun- 
ningly dra^v out the pain and at times restore 
the fainting victim, and then go over and 
over the sweet delights of witnessing the 
dying agonies. The story of blood and tor- 
ture, like the story of fights of men and 
beasts and of war and its intense horrors, are 
more or less of kin, or, at least, their origin 
can not be originally very different. A few 
years ago white men, at least many of them, 
would periodically delight to fight, frolic, get 
drunk at elections and bruise and scratch and 
fairly tear each other's eyes out in having a 
"good time." At one time not long ago 
neighborhoods, villages, towns and counties 
had their "bullies." A "bully" was the 
champion bruiser, and a class honored and 
respected these brutes immensely. In the 
West and Southwest were the murderous des- 
peradoes — the cowardly beasts who killed 
their scores of men — men who "got the 
drop" on a fellow man, and this meant 
really another cold-blooded, cowardly assas- 
sination. Sensible men feared these infa- 
mous wretches, and fools envied and fawned 




En^ byE GWiliiams i. Bro.MY 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



341 



upon tbem. War is fighting, and fighting 
here means bloodshed and butchery. He 
who imagines the "blood tub" element has 
been eliminated from among men can unde- 
ceive himself by a little observation. Two 
years ago Mafchew Arnold visited this coun- 
try. He is the strongest thinker and writer 
among the literary men of Europe. His 
writings and lectures are full of virile 
thoughts and the best English. In a lecture 
of one hour he was able to say something to 
arrest the attention of every tolerably cult- 
ured man in the land, and give all such men 
something to think and talk about. He vis- 
ited one of our large Western cities and de- 
livered one of his finest lectures to an audi- 
ence of less than 200, at -11 each. Nearly 
simultaneously with his visit and lecture the 
Boston prize-tighter visited the same city, 
and 6,000 people rushed into a hall to see his 
ponderous fists, at $2 each. There were 
only 6,000 because another could not squeeze 
into the building. Here were the represent- 
atives of the two extremes of our civilization 
— the highest and the lowest — the intellect- 
ual and brutal. The largest door money 
ever paid, we believe, was in Boston not 
long ago upon the occasion of a bruiser's ex- 
hibition by Boston's home talent. If this is 
the measure of "Boston the hub" from 
which radiates all that education, culture 
and sestheticism of which polite ears are 
dinned, what, indeed, are we to expect of 
our less civilized cities and localities. The 
multiplied schools and churches of the country 
find the task great of eradicating blood and 
brutality from the habit of men's thoughts. 
But even many men who have no patience with 
these tisti-cufif bruisers, really believe they are 
not showing any out-cropping of their an- 
cient barbarous forefathers by feeling the 
warmest delight'in the details of a bloody 
battle. They never imagine there could be 



the remotest connection in the tastes of the 
one with the other. And poets, preachers, 
orators and eloquent writers sound the praises 
of the soldier brave in battle, regardless of 
the cause in which he dashed on to death. 
Fair, delicate, pure and noble women have 
admired and loved the brave heroes of war. 
Love and admire bravery, contemn and de- 
spise a coward, is as old a sentiment as is 
human language. Trace out the lineage of 
all the above apparently different bents of 
men's admiration, and they cannot but focus 
at the same starting-point — a bloody-minded 
and cruel barbarism. 

The world has had much war, and the 
most of it has been simply cruel, unjust and 
infamous in all its purposes. And he who 
fights in an unjust war cannot be a hero to 
respect or admire, no matter how brave his 
action. And there have been just and holy 
wars, and these have produced the great and 
grand heroes. A war against tyrants, to 
repel invasion, and against the enemies of a 
good government may be, if it is not always, 
a just and worthy cause, and one whose 
bloody battle fields may be sacred grounds. 
The people have generally had to fight their 
way out from the bitter enslavement of 
tyranny to the sunlight of liberty. Every 
war, every battle that) liberated or tended to 
liberate mankind was a noble one. These 
may furnish worthy themes for the most elo- 
quent tongue or pen, and their details may 
give men lessons of the most ennobling kind. 
When Gen. Washington and his compeers 
unsheathed their swords and appealed to the 
God of battles, they engaged in a war holy in 
its purposes and sacred to the dearest rights 
of all mankind. It was a rebellion against 
the mother country, but a war for liberty; 
a rebellion against England that ended in 
her defeat, but in the end was her good as 
well as nearly all mankind's good. It was 



20 



342 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



the grandest struggle in history for liberty 
and human rights, made by men who under 
stood what they were contending for; men 
who were heroes upon the battle field, and 
wise and honest in council. In the history 
of mankind we know of nothing that was a 
greater permanent blessing to the human 
race than this war for independence and its 
results. It freed America, but it freed not 
only England, too, but the whole world has felt 
its glorious effects, and let it be hoped they 
may go on forever. The true lessons of the 
American Revolution have not yet reached the 
rising generations. The facts and dates and 
names, together with the usual Fourth of 
July spread-eagleism is all that we present 
to our school-children's minds and eyes, when 
we tell them the great story of that immortal 
era, and we leave them with no proper com- 
prehension of the causes and eflfects — effects 
that will continue their immeasurable boon 
to every civilized people for untold ages and 
centuries — the great march of advancement 
that may go on in power, surviving the fina^ 
destruction of the government these great 
and good men founded. The marching out' 
sword in hand, from the sway of the tyrant 
by the feeble colonies that were occupying 
this little speck of a portion of the globe, was 
but an infinitesimal part of the good and 
the enduring effects that came to the entire 
human race from the war of the Revolution. 
It has loosened the grip of tyrants in every 
nation in the world, and advanced the whole 
race grandly up along the ascending plain of 
civilization. It demonstrated the lesson that 
can never be lost that man can be largely 
trusted with his own government; that rulers 
have no divine rights; that the great mass 
of mankind are not mere kine who belong to 
tyrant rulers and may be sent at will to their 
shambles. Look at our neighbor, Canada. 
She did not join the colonies in their rebell- 



ion; nor did she fight for independence, 
and yet in fact has gained very nearly as 
much in every respect as did the American 
colonies. Compare the condition of any 
existing nation with itself a hundred years 
ago, and it is easy to trace the advancing 
steps toward the betterment of the condition 
of its subjects to our successful war for self- 
government. 

Thus it becomes evident that no human 
power can curb or circumscribe effects as they 
flow out from great events. They are a part 
of the omnipotent and enduring physical 
law of the universe. Did not England pour 
out her treasures and blood to subjugate our 
people, and is it not now a self-evident fact 
that if she had succeeded, she would have 
inflicted upon herself the immeasurable evil 
of her national life ? And suppose the 
American war had reached no further in its 
effects than to include the colonies and 
Great Britain, that great nation of whom 
Webster once said "its drum-beat, starting 
with the morning sun and keeping step with 
the stars, encircles the globe in one continu- 
ous strain of martial music." And when we 
remember that this great emjsire has since 
that eloquent description of Webster's added 
many millions of people to its vast possess- 
ions, and that to all these — if to no one else 
— were given many of the good effects of the 
war, it may be partially seen what some of 
the transcendant effects were to come of that 
heroic action of our fathers. It is in this 
light that the grand character of Washington 
begins to dawn upon the mind of the student 
of history. When thus compared with the 
history of the average great men, especially 
warriors, his name and fame shine out like 
the great central sun. Every school child is 
familiar with the story of Washington and 
his hatchet, and how many of our full grown 
people can tell the whole story of his putting 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



843 



aside the proffered crown? The first is an 
idle and rather pointless nursery fable, while 
the other is one of those great events in his- 
tory whose vast importance casts its influence 
across the face of the globe, and in its bless- 
ings to mankind will go on forever. 

When the settlers began to come to this 
couQty the soldiers of the Revolution were 
all getting to be old men — men retiring from 
the active affairs of life — and the most of 
the remnant at that time had begun to 
gather about the family circle among the 
children of their children, and here, when 
the ingle burned brightly, they would 
" shoulder the crutch and show how battles 
are won " to their delighted child audiences. 
It is not known that a single Revolutionary 
soldier came here among the settlers, but the 
county has had its full share of represent- 
atives of all other wars of our country since 
that time. In the war of 1812-15, the Mex- 
ican war, and many Indian wars of the 
country — the county has had representatives 
of all these. 

The Rebellion* — Saturday, April 14, 1861, 
was an eventful day in Bureau County. The 
wires that day told the terrible story of the 
firing upon Fort Sumter. Men met each 
other with bated breaths; they were stunned 
by the blow, and in a dazed sort of way the 
one asked the other meaningless questions, 
and heard not the answers often, but contin- 
ued to ask still other questions; and they be- 
gan to gather in knots and small crowds, and 
in time began to discuss the terrible news. 
Then the majority began to doubt the truth 
of the story — they could not at once believe 
that the flag of our common country had been 
fired upon by its own citizens. Every vari- 
ety and shade of belief and disbelief, nearly 
as numerous as the individuals constituting 
the crowd, were entertained and expressed. 

*From notes furnished by S. G. Paddock. 



Very soon any one who had anything to say, 
whether his own opinions or fresh news from 
the seat of war, would quickly command an 
eager surrounding of earnest men. The day 
wore away and the long night of painful in- 
terest came. But few could sleep, and many 
did not even retire and try to rest. The Sun- 
day morning dawned, and the early hour 
found many gathering around the telegraph 
office at the depot eager for more news. 
Soon there were great crowds of excited men, 
women and children, and the intensity of the 
excitement grew apace. The church bells 
rang out their usual Sunday call to come and 
worship God, and yet the staid Deacons and 
laymen lingered away from pews that had 
never missed them upon these occasions be- 
fore. These God-fearing men forgot for the 
moment the Priace of Peace, and it was still 
doubted by many that Saturday's news could 
be true. The news traveled slowly then com- 
pai"ed to now, and all day long and all night 
again Sunday night people were in the 
gravest doubts and fears and faint hopes that 
the first story would prove a false alarm. In 
the meantime the public sentiment was fast 
crystallizing into form; the stun of the first 
blow was passing off, and a deep-seated anger 
was rapidly settling in men's souls. But the 
next day, Monday, confirmed the first reports, 
giving the complete details of the bombard- 
ment and surrender of the fort, and the fur- 
ther news of the call of the President for 
75,000 troops, and Gov. Yates' proclamation 
calling together the State Legislature in ex- 
traordinary session, to enact such laws and 
provide such measures as the exigencies de 
manded. This instantly settled the questions 
in men's minds. The stars and stripes were 
flung to the breeze from the court house 
cupola, the bells were rung, the drum and 
fife were heard at the head of the people. 
All business was stopped, and the people en 



344 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



masse rnshed into the streets. Men cheered 
the flag as they had never cheered it before; 
it looked very different to them to what it ever 
had; it had been fired npon by rebels; it had 
been hauled down and trailed in the dust by 
treason, and there was a vitriolic ring of re- 
venge in the tone of the yells that now greeted 
the glorious emblem of the country. The ex- 
citement of the forty-eight hours was a pent up 
Utica that now burst forth in greatest fury. 
Without waiting the action of the Governor, 
the people began to enlist and get ready to 
go to war. Then the intensity of the excite- 
ment increased and spread. Women and 
children sent up their shouts and their wails 
when their fathers, husbands, sons and broth- 
ers began to buckle on their armor. The call 
was for 75,000 troops to serve ninety days, 
but this did not relieve the minds of women 
and children that war was bloodshed and 
death, and the contentions in woman's gen- 
tle bosom between patriotism and love and 
fear— the insulted flag and the cruel war and 
its attendant horrors came to their minds, 
and they laughed and cried and wept and 
prayed. Men were grim and serious, women 
were noisy and hysterical. 

Tuesday evening — so rapidly were affairs 
forming themselves — the cry went out "to 
the court house," where the people at once 
assembled, a meeting was organized, and 
ringing speeches were made amid the wild- 
est enthusiam. Before the meeting was over 
S. A. Paddock and F. B. Ferris each com- 
menced raising a company, and men began 
to enroll their names in real soldier organi- 
zations. Of Mr. Paddock we are informed 
that for nearly two years previous to this 
time he had foreseen that the end would be 
war, and ho commenced in due time to pre- 
pare himself for it. He had procured and 
studied the army regulations and the tactics, 
and, it is said, was ready at a moment's notice 



to take command of a company and drill and 
organize it into true soldiers. During the 
week the details of the Governor's message 
calling for 6,000 troops from Illinois became 
known. Thursday, the 18th, a large meeting 
was held at the court house, which was called 
to order by R. F. Winslow, Chairman, and 
John H. Bryant, J. W. Harris, C. L. Kelsey, 
S. M. Knox, E. G. Jester, F. Moseley, H. C. 
Field, N. B. Page, and John Long were 
Vice-Presidents, and J. Q. Hewitt and W. 
H. Mesenkop, Secretaries. Milo Kendall, 
Charles Baldwin and C. J. Peckham were 
appointed a committee on resolutions. 

Judge G. W. Stipp, J. I. Taylor, Milo 
Kendall, Owen Lovejoy, J. S. Eckels, S. A. 
Paddock, G. G. Gibons, Justus Stevens, J. 
Bobbins, Jr., and S. M. Knox each made 
stirring and patriotic speeches. Ringing 
resolutions, with no uncertain sound about 
them, were passed with one wild, long 
shout. The following Sunday witnessed the 
whole people to the remotest corners of the 
county in the wildest possible state of ex- 
citement, to which each hour was adding 
fuel to the already consuming flames. At 
Lamoille the squad of recruits enlisted at 
that place and intended for the Princeton 
companies, met on Sunday, the 21st, and a 
speech was made them by Elder Collins, 
when they started for Princeton, escorted by 
many wagon loads of people, with drums 
and fifes and flags flying. They arrived at 
Princeton about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. 
That evening the volunteers and the great 
and excited crowds of people assembled in 
front of the American House, and listened to 
a grand patriotic sermon by the Kev. Hag- 
gerty, of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

Monday, the 22d, was the day for the 
departure of Capt. S. A. Paddock's company, 
the first company to start to the war or 
any war from Bureau County. The North 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



345 



Prairie quota came in a body as early as 8 
A. M., and others were continually arriving, 
all accompanied by their wives, mothers, sis- 
ters, sweethearts and friends of levery kind. 
The noisy part of the crowd's patriotism had 
now spent itself, and a grim silence, much 
more significant, had taken its place. The 
occasional sob of a woman or child was the 
only outward expression of the moving feel- 
ings. At 10 o'clock a dinner was served 
the volunteers at the American and Prairie 
Hotels, and at 11 o'clock the men were 
formed into line and marched to the depot, 
and at 12:30 the company was on the train 
on its way to Springfield. 

At Wyanet, Sheffield, Buda, Neponset, 
Maiden and other parts of the county similar 
action was being had among the people, and 
at many of these points speeches were made 
by most of the speakers who spoke at the 
Princeton meeting. In Tiskilwa Capt. W. 
T. Swain, J. W. Harris, S. E. Morris, J. H. 
More, L. D. Whiting, T. Gordon and J. 
Cook were the active movers and organizers. 

Col. R. F. Winslow and Milo Kendall at 
once commenced to form companies for home 
service. They posted up bills calling on the 
people to organize, and among other things 
they " proposed to have an armory in Prince- 
ton, and all having guns are requested to 
bring them to town Saturday nest, where a 
competent person will take charge of them, 
and who will see they are kept in proper 
order for any emergency. If the war con- 
tinues with success on the part of the rebels 
Illinois will be the great battle ground, and 
it behooves us to be ready for the worst." 
This may sound a little amusing now — it did 
not then. Illinois was not part of " the 
great battle ground " in the war, but she was 
fully represented upon every skirmish and 
battle field of the four years of bloody war. 
Illinois too furnished the General of the 



army and the President of the United 
States during the war. 

Thus, and by her 256,000 soldiers in line, 
the State did have a great and conspicuous 
place in the war. 

Thursday, April 25, the company of Capt. 
F. B. Ferris, G. L. Paddock First Lieuten- 
ant and G. G. Gibons Second, and Capt. 
Barry's company from Wyanet, left on the 
train for Mendota. Monday following Capt. 
W. T. Swain's company from Tiskilwa, and 
the next day (Tuesday) Capt. Page's com- 
pany from Maiden left. 

Col. Taylor had now formed a squadron of 
cavalry. 

Saturday, the 27th of April, a large mass 
convention of the people, where were 5,000 or 
6,000 people, was held in Princeton. The 
President of this meeting was William M. 
Whipple, and E. Lumry, D. Robinson, Jr., 
Dr. Woodruff, Tracy Reeve, J. V. Thompson, 
R. T. Templeton, Vice-Presidents. During 
this week large meetings of a similar kind 
were held in Lamoille, Maiden, Wyanet, 
Tiskilwa, Neponset and many other places in 
the county, all breathing the same spirit of 
patriotism and determination. 

Swain's and Ferris' companies joined the 
Twelfth Regiment, Col. McArthur's. 

About May 9, a company of horse was 
formed in Center Prairie, commanded by 
Capt. C. L. V. Parker, " for home protection 
and to keep strict watch over all strangers 
seen prowling about the country, and to act 
in conjunction with other companies that may 
be formed to repel invasion." 

Capt. Barry's and Capt. Page's companies 
were solicited to go into Col. Scates' thirty- 
day regiment, that was organizing in Spring- 
field, but refused. 

Toward the last of May Capt. J. W. Mer- 
rill organized a company in Neponset. 

From the beginning the county and town 



346 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



authorities gave every encouragement to en- 
listments, by providing for families left be- 
hind, and by bounties, gradually increasing 
the latter as circumstances sot>med to require. 

At first the county orders issued for these 
purposes had currency, and every one was 
willing to take them in trade, but as the vol- 
ume increased and it became apparent that 
they could not all be absorbed by taxes, they 
became uncurrent and soon began to depre- 
ciate from face value. There was no legal 
manner of issuing interest-bearing obliga- 
tions, and without bearing interest or having 
a definite point of maturity, the value became 
more uncertain. The difficulty reached its 
climax when the bounties offered in 1862, at 
the time of the organization of the Ninety- 
third Regiment, became payable, the men had 
been mustered in and there was no money for 
them. The Committee of the Board of Su- 
pervisors, consisting of Messrs. S. Edwards, 
J. Stevens, C. L. Kelsey, J. T. Thomson and 
S. G. Paddock, becoming convinced that no 
money could be had in the county, mot in 
Chicago, and after several days of persistent 
effort succeeded in placing 130,000, 10 per 
cent bonds, at a small discount. That winter 
the Legislature by suitable enactments legal- 
ized what other counties as well had been 
compelled to do, and made provision for fu- 
ture emergencies. That was the only war 
loan for which it was necessary to go out of 
the county, and all other of the nearly .§700- 
000 that was expended for bounties, relief of 
families, and other expenses growing out of 
the war, was provided by our own people, 
and rapidly paid off by taxes, so that within 
a very few years after the close of the war 
the whole expense, so far as the county was 
concerned, was a thing of the past. 

Perhaps this one fact will forever re" 
main as the true index of the public mind 
during the war times that so tested the 



nerve and patriotism of our people. To pre- 
serve the Union in its integrity — to punish 
treason — to subdue rebellion, and, in the lan- 
guage of the Center Prairie Home Horse 
Company, " repel invasion," or, as the other 
proclamation said of the "Princeton Armory," 
"to watch suspicious characters skulking 
about the country." Solemn as is the great 
story of the war, it could not be otherwise 
than that many absurd and some amusing 
things would occur. These only indicate 
how nervous men were, and how their imag- 
inations were heated, and what wild and 
reckless stories were told by the imaginative. 
To " repel invasion " in Illinois, and " watch 
suspicious characters skulking around " the 
by-ways of Bureau County, men, invoking 
the protection of heaven, greased up the old 
match-locks that had lain among the rubbish 
for years and years, and grimly looked fate iu 
the face. " Wars and rumors of wars" was the 
mental pabulum that all served up to each 
other. Many good men in northern Illinois 
supposed that in the southern part of the 
State every bush and bunch of grass secreted 
a cannibal rebel, while many in southern 
Illinois supposed that Lovejoy and his follow- 
ers had hoofs and horns. The political cam- 
paign that had just been passed through had 
left many Republicans ready to suspect 
their Democratic neighbors, and vice versa, 
Democrats imagined Republicans wanted 
civil war and blood letting. The cry " to 
arms!" instantly melted down the barrier, 
and side by side all vied together in their 
activity in war measures — devotion to the 
Union and respect for the country's flag. 

In the latter part of May Col. Taylor's 
cavalry organized, J. I. Taylor, Captain; Z. 
K. Waldron, Second Captain; W. Vannatta, 
First Lieutenant, G. W. Stone, Second Lieu- 
tenant. 

In the early part of June R. F. Winslow 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



347 



was calling for volunteers to join Col. C. C. 
Marsh's regiment, then forming at Joliet, 
which became the Twentieth Illinois. On the 
12th he took twenty-one men to Joliet. Among 
them waa John Ed Thompson, who afterward 
by his merit rose to be Adjutant of the reg- 
iment. He was a splendid soldier, a great 
favorite with all in his regiment, and there 
is not a doubt that he would have continued 
to rise had his life been spared. He was 
killed at Shiloh. 

About June 20, the Templeton Guards 
were formed in Princeton, Captain, J. Vander- 
grifl'; First Lieutenant, C. D. Trimble; Sec- 
ond, C. L. V. Parker. 

Our great national day, July 4, 1861, was 
Bureau County's great soldier day. A camp 
was formed called Camp Lyon. In this camp 
were the Limerick Home Guards, Capt. Vick- 
ery, 90 men; the Union Home Guards (Wy- 
anet), Capt. Knight, 69 men; North Prairie 
Home Guards, Capt. Hayes, 63 men ; Bureau 
Bangers, Capt. Carter, 54 men; Bui-eau 
County Tigers (Maiden), Capt. N. B. Page, 
40 men; Templeton Guards (Princeton), 
Capt. Vandergriff, 50 men; Ellsworth Guards 
(Princeton), Capt. Robbins, 63 men; a cav- 
alry company, Capt. J. I. Taylor; Princeton 
Cadets (boys), Capt. L. K. Thompson, 40; 
Heaton's Point Home Guards, Capt. L.Blanch- 
ard, 56 men; Providence Home Guards, Capt. 
F. Horton, 60; Yates Home Guards (Hollo- 
way), Capt. J. "W. Hopkins, 64; Dover Tigers 
(boys), Capt. D. Wolf, 30; North Prairie 
Dragoons, Capt. Terwilliger. N. B. Page 
was elected Colonel; J. Robbins, Lieutenant- 
Colonel, and A. J. Knight, Major. 

On the same day, July 4, two companies 
went into camp in Tiskilwa, Capt. Barney's 
company of horse, and Capt. Townsend's 
Whitfield Guards. 

In Mineral, at the grove near Col. Buswell's, 
were encamped a company from Sheffield and 
one from Neponset. 



July 12, 1861, Capt. Ferris and about 
twenty of his men returned from Cairo, they 
having re-enlisted for three years and come 
home on a f ui-lough for fifteen days to fill up 
the company and return. 

July 20, the ■ Bui-eau County Cavalry re- 
organized under its old commander, Capt. J. 
I. Taylor. 

July 20 came the terrible news of the dis- 
astrous battle of Bull Run. This shocked 
the whole North, and it was plain to be seen 
that the first announcement had a depressing 
effect on the public mind. It was like the 
angry wave beaten back by the rocky cliff — 
the dash and the roar, and then the recession — 
but soon the mighty ocean of public opinion 
gathered its strength again. The people 
were by the reaction once more roused, and 
the determination to retrieve the day was 
deeper than ever. Then for the first time 
even the thoughtless began to feel the mag- 
nitude of the contest, and the cry ran over 
the land " to let slip the dogs of war," and 
recruiting went on with accelerated speed. 

July 25 Capt. Ferris returned to Cairo 
with about sixty men to fill his company. 

Julian E. Bryant opened a recruiting sta- 
tion at this time, calling for a company to 
join a Teacher's Brigade. This company 
was to become a part of the Thirty-third 
Regiment. 

The great Union Army was now forming in 
earnest, and men, women and children talked 
and dreamed of little else than war. In the 
meantime the politicians of the country were 
once more standing at their guns, loading the 
boxes with ballots while the soldiers were 
loading their guns with bullets. The great- 
er the war raged the fiercer became the poli- 
ticians. Congress concluded it was the great- 
est general in the world and began to take 
the command of the army. Newspapers fired 
the most terrific paper guns, and every Fal- 



348 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



staff in the land bewed down whole heca- 
tombs of men in buckram and Kendall green 
daily and hourly — at least, morning and eve- 
ning. And Greeley, like Peter the Hermit, 
raised alott his paper flag and cried "On to 
Richmond!" Politicians rushed to Spring- 
field, to every State capital and to Washing- 
ton, to organize the army and get their 
friends in so they could step up the political 
ladder themselves. Old friends were traded 
off and sacrificed, woi'thy and capable sol- 
diers were pushed aside, humiliated and out- 
raged, and there was soon a wheel within 
a wheel whenever there was a regiment, a 
brigade or a corps to be formed. And with 
some patriotism became a trade, and loyalty 
a pretense and cover for schemes that the 
country's self-respect would do well never to 
drag to the light of day. Some of the poli- 
ticians feared they might not reap all the 
glory the boys in the field were winning, and 
the air was ladened with charges and counter 
charges, slanders and responsive epithets, 
vituperation and falsehood until foolish men 
seriously wanted the soldiers recalled from 
their death struggle with armed treason in 
the field, to turn them loose upon their neigh- 
bors, for the crime of not singing the peans 
of the same politicians that they did. 

About this time it was noised all over the 
North that our land was overrun with 
"Knights of the Golden Circle." We are in- 
formed that the primary object of this extra- 
ordinary organization was the Conquest of 
Cuba and Mexico. And it is also said the 
original members (antedating the late war) 
were Protestant slave-holders. Of course, 
the ultimate idea was to form in extreme 
southern portion of the northern hemisphere, 
a great and powerful slave oligarchy, and it 
may be that this when once established would 
detach itself from the free States and thus rid 
itself of the meddling of the North. The 



war put a sudden end to this scheme and it 
was said that their emissaries were scattered 
through the North making converts and enlist- 
ing men in the cause of first protecting their 
ownership of slave property and then when 
the peace was gained, they might renew 
the original scheme. Fuel thus was added 
to the flames, and had not the fact come 
about that the scales in the bloody contest 
began to swing toward the North there is no 
telling what the internal controversies in the 
North would eventually have resulted in. 

We are giving no history of these various 
things that were remotely at least a part of 
the late war, of which we are giving an ac- 
count of the county's home operations there- 
in. They are merely referred to. They with 
thousands of other things will be well 
scanned by the historian of the future, when 
that long time comes for the real history of 
the war. 

August 15, 1861, Capt. Swain came home 
for recruits to fill up his company. 

The Secretary of War had commissioned 
Col. R. F. Winslow to raise a regiment for 
the war. August 24 he called a meeting of 
the offlcers of all the different military organ- 
izations in the county for the purpose of 
forming a full Bureau County regiment. At 
the time Winslow made his call William 
Vannatta was organizing a company of cav- 
alry. On the 19th of August Capt. I. H. 
Elliott had departed for Bloomington with 
his company. September '2, Col. Winslow had 
completed arrangements for a camp for ren- 
dezvous and instruction at Princeton, in the 
fair grounds. Here Capt. Page's company 
of Bureau County Tigers had gone Septem- 
ber 14. 

At this time the Secretary of War author- 
ized a regiment of cavalry— Col. Brackett's 
regiment. Capt. S. A. Paddock was author- 
ized to fill a company for this command. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



349 



This at once took about every one of the bold 
riders of Col. Taylor's and Yannatta's squads 
that were really anxious to go the front. 

Capt. G. W. Stipp -was also recruiting a 
company. September 26 he left with forty- 
five men. Lieut. R. R. Gibons remained for 
the purpose of getting more recruits to fill 
Capt. Stipp' s company. 

September 27 Capt. E. A. Bowen with 
sixty-five men left for Geneva, and became a 
part of the Fifty-second Regiment. Capt. 
Merriman's Wyanet company joined the 
First Kansas Cavalry, better known as Jen- 
nison's Jayhawkers. 

R. F. Winslow received directly from the 
Secretary of War authority to raise a regi- 
ment, and established a camp at the fair 
grounds in Princeton, calling in several of 
the organized companies that had taken part 
in the 4th of July, and several from adjoining 
counties. Pending the organization of the 
regiment communications were had with Col. 
Berdan, who was raising a regiment of sharp- 
shooters in St. Louis, and it was proposed 
that the Bureau Regiment should join them 
and form a brigade. The proposition was 
favorably entertained by all, from Col. Wins- 
low to the drummer boys, and everything 
was working to that end. A steamboat was 
chartered to convey the command from De 
Pue to St. Louis, and on being notified of 
its arrival at De Pue orders were issued by 
Col. Winslow for the regiment to be readv 
to march early next morning. While all 
these movements were progressing other mat- 
ters were attracting attention. Although the 
regiment was being formed under authority 
conferred upon Col. Winslow, and although 
there was a general understanding that he 
was to be the Colonel, it became evident dur- 
ing the weeks that he was in charge of the 
camp that most of the officers and a large 
portion of the men were not satisfied with 



the prospect of having him for Colonel. 
Perhaps any other man under the opportun- 
ity for criticism that a sort of trial period 
gave would have been equally unsatisfactory, 
but whether that be so or not it is certain that 
he became extremely unpopular, and it was 
rather an open secret about the time of leaving 
for St. Louis that probably it would not be 
Winslow that would be elected Colonel. It 
is presumable that Winslow did not realize 
this until the St. Louis movement had reached 
its climax, and until after he had ordered 
the march out of camp. On the Sunday 
morning appointed, at an early hour, he head- 
ed the march, and all went well until the 
public square was reached, when he ordered 
a halt, and proceeded to address the men, 
rather urging them that it would be better 
for all concerned not to go to St. Louis, but 
instead to march back to camp and think it 
over. His talk was not very pointed, and at 
a pause some one at the head of the column 
gave the order in a loud, clear voice, " forward 
march! " and as the troops were pointed 
toward the east the march was taken up, and 
Col. Winslow saw his men march off without 
him; still, however, under the orders issued 
by himself the night before, and not counter- 
manded. He attempted to stop them by 
calling after them, but they did not hear 
him. 

It was found that the telegraph would not 
work at Princeton, so a messenger w&s sent 
to Maiden, and the Governor appealed to to 
stop the runaways, as they were called. Up 
to this time there had been no objections 
made to enlistments in any State of men be- 
longing to other States, and the proposition 
for a squad, company or regiment to go to 
another State to enlist caused no surprise nor 
raised any objection. But just at this time 
it began to be looked into somewhat as to 
what each State was doing toward its quotas 



350 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



under the calls for troops, and Gov. Yates 
ordered that no more Illinois men should go 
out of the State to enlist, and the order was 
fresh when our men were on their way to St. 
Louis. The circumstances were not fully 
explained to the Governor, and he ordered 
the party stopped at Alton, and when the 
boat hove in sight a cannon was fired 
for it to round to and land. The men 
mistook this for a salute of honor, and again 
cheered and shouted in great glee. What 
heroes they were already! And the boat 
whistled and steamed along in the current, 
and another and another gun were lired in 
front of it. At last a whizzing cannon ball 
plunged into the water just in front of the 
vessel. The transformation scene on the boat 
was instantaneous — the next shot would tear 
through it unless it promptly started to- 
ward land. " And then there was hurrying 
to and fro, and whisperings of distress, and 
cheeks all pale that but a moment ago blushed 
at the sight of their own loveliness, " and the 
boat started for the shore. The behavior of 
a single individual may serve as an index to 
the whole. A man who was accompanying 
the soldiers expecting to be Chaplain, had 
arrayed himself in a cocked hat and tall 
plumes, and looking like George Washington. 
He supposed the salute at first was in his 
exclusive honor, but when the tune changed 
and the solid facts of the case were realized, 
his hat was ofi" in a jifiy, the chicken feathers 
taken out and trampled under his feet, the 
cock taken out of his hat and he shrank back 
upon himself, and no Quaker ever was more 
a man of peace than was this erst Continen- 
tal hero. The regiment was arrested the 
moment the boat landed, disarmed of their 
swords and guns, and they were headed for 
the old building of the Alton Penitentiary. 

Another camp follower that was out " for a 
barrel of fun " grew unhappy in the walls of 



the gloomy prison. He sought the man who 
seemed to be in command of the prison and 
asked for his liberty. He protested he had 
been arrested by mistake; he had done noth- 
ing. "Done nothing," said the command- 
ant, " you were stealing a regiment." 
"What, me steal the regiment! No; the 
regiment stole me." 

This was a great surprise to all concerned, 
and a grievous disappointment. The men 
were soon ordered to Springfield, and after 
matters were explained to the Governor were 
relieved of any imputation of having at- 
tempted an improper act, for at the time they 
left Princeton none knew of the order against 
leaving the State. Shortly afterward they 
were sent to Chicago, and became a part of 
the Fifty-seventh Regiment. Col. Winslow 
did not seem to be recognized as having any 
sort of claim upon the men by anyone. Ho 
perhaps expected that they would be sent 
back here, or that he would be ordered to re- 
sume his command, but his connection with 
them ended on that bright Sunday morning. 

The Ladies' Relief Society of Bureau 
County can never be too highly commended 
for the efficient part it took in the humbler, 
perhaps, yet far nobler part of ministering 
angels to the soldiers in the field and the 
hospital. These noble women sent the warm 
and genial sunshine to many a cheerless 
heart, to many a dreary cot, and everywhere 
where there was a Bureau soldier. Their gentle 
hands bore aloft the weighty cause, and their 
loving hearts, their prayers, their soothing 
words and noble deeds will live forever. 
They relieved pain, saved lives, buoyed the 
despondent, and from every camp tire, from 
every sick cot, from the strongest and the 
roughest came the hot tears and the aspira- 
tions, " God bless them. " They never 
wearied in well doing, and among them were 
no side questions or political interests to mar 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



351 



their unanimity of action. To name them 
in detail, and tell the story of the blessed 
Ijvbors of each and all would be a great book 
of itself, with a complete war biography of 
every woman nearly in the county. 

January 8, 1802, Daniel Holmes, A. P. Bass, 
M. C. Triplett, of the First Kansas Cavalry, 
were killed in a skirmish at Columbus, Mo. 

In the battle of Fort Donelson, one of 
the earliest and hard fought great battles of 
the West, there were about 1,000 men from 
the county in the fight — Capts. Swain and 
Ferris' companies in the Twelfth Regiment; 
Capt. Brown's in the Twelfth; Capts. Man- 
zer's, Bobbins', Battey's and Barry's, in the 
Fifty-seventh Regiment; and in Marsh's 
Regiment and in Dickey's Cavalry. Henry 
Weaver was of the killed. 

February 18, 1862, Lieut.-Col. S. A. Pad- 
dock, of the Ninth Illinois Cavalry, died in 
Bloomington, 111., aged thirty-eight years. 
An extended sketch of Mr. Paddock appears 
elsewhere. 

Capt. I. H. Elliott was captured in Mis- 
souri by Jeff Thompson, and returned to 
Princeton Febmary 28. He was the first 
man the people had yet seen who had been 
a prisoner of the enemy. Of course he was 
the lion of the hour. The people gave him 
a hearty reception, and presented him with a 
sword and soldier trappings to replace the 
rather common ones he had borrowed of Gen. 
Thompson. 

In the yet greater battle of Shiloh, April 
6, there were between 500 and 600 men 
from Bureau. Maj. N. B. Page, of the Fifty- 
seventh Illinois, and Lieut Wright Sea- 
man, of the Twelfth Illinois, were of the 
killed. 'Wright Seaman was born December 
8, 1829. He was killed in the first day's 
fight, April 6. In the Fifty-seventh Regi- 
ment were the following among the killed: 
James Farley, J. W. Weeks, of Arlington; 



P. A. Johnson, of Princeton; G. B. Earl and 
Joseph Manning, of Tiskilwa ; J. Leek 
and William Griffin, Wyanet; W. A. Zink, 
Buda; James Kfarvin, of the Twelfth Regi- 
ment; E. Doran, Thomas Donnelly and the 
Scovilles, Alphonso Adams, Edward Chi- 
chester, C H. Gross, C. Ahliss. Capts. Fer- 
ris and Swain were mortally wounded. Fer- 
ris died April 18 and Swain the 19th. Lieut. 
R. K. Randolph was taken prisoner while 
undertaking to recover Capt. Ferris, wounded. 

April 8, 1862, appeared Caleb Cushing's 
letter addressed to L. D. Whiting, editor of 
the Bureau County Republiccm, calling for a 
monument to be erected to the patriotic dead. 

June 5, 1862, Princeton was called upon 
for a company to serve ninety days. A. Lash 
took charge of the enlistment. They were 
sent to Chicago for camp duty to guard rebel 
prisoners. 

Dr. M. A. Isaac, of Dover, died in the 
service July 25. 

In August, the following companies went 
into camp at the fair grounds: Capt. 
Lloyd's, of Clarion; Capts. Wilkinson and 
Kinney, of Tiskilwa; Capt. Fisher, Prince- 
ton; Capt. Hopkins, Dover; Capt. N. C. Bus- 
well, Neponset; Capts. Brown, Sparks and 
Hall, Neponset, and Capt. Knight's, from 
Whiteside, These companies organized as the 
Ninety-third Putnam regiment, and elected 
Col. Holden to command; Lieutenant- 
Colonel, N. C. Buswell; Major, J. M. Fisher. 
This regiment, after a rendezvous in Chica- 
go, left for the front November 8. 

August 28, Calvin E. Winship died in 
camp. 

November 25, 1863, Henry Leeper, Com- 
pany E, Ninety-third Illinois Volunteers, 
was killed in a charge at Mission Ridge, 
aged twenty-one years. He was a son of 
Charles and Delia Leeper, and is buried in 
Oakland Cemetery. 



352 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



September, 1862, appeared notices for a 
draft for yet more men for the county. The 
Oommissioner was L. D. Whiting; Enrolling 
Officer, Charles Baldwin; Surgeon, J.R.Jones. 

The total enrollment of the county was 
6,075, of which 1,753 had enlisted. 

*Tivelfih Regimenl. — Companies H and I 
were Bureau County men. The Captains of 
Company 11 were William T. Swain, August 
1, 1861, died of wounds April 18, 1862; 
John M. Mills, April 19, 1862, resigned Sep- 
tember 3, 1862; Wheelock S. Merriman, of 
Wyanet, November 18, 1862, promoted Major 
July 12, 1864, and Alexander Brandon, of 
Sheffield, July 12, 1864, mustered out July 
7, 1865. 

The First Lieutenants of this company 
were John M. Mills, Tiskilwa, August 1,1861, 
promoted; Wheelock S. Merriman, W^yanet, 
April 19, 1862, promoted; Alexander Bran- 
don, September 3, 1862, promoted. The Sec- 
ond Lieutenant was Wheelock S. Merriman. 

The Captains of Company I were Frank B. 
Ferris, Princeton, August 1, 1861, killed at 
Pittsburg Landing ; George L. Paddock, 
April 7, 1862, who resigned as First Lieuten- 
ant June 16, 1862, and William D. Mills, 
April 17, 1862, whose term expired August 
8, 1864, when Robert Bruton became Captain 
August 8, 1864, and mustered out July 10, 
1865. The First Lieutenants were George 
L. Paddock; William D. Mills, April 7, 1862, 
promoted; Addison A. Jackson, June 7, 1862, 
term expired October 24, 1864, and Walter 
L. Odell, October 24, 1864, mustered out July 
10, 1865. 

The mortality in Company H was as fol- 
lows: George W. Jackson, ]\[usician, of Shef- 
tield, died July 22, 1862; Alphonso Adams, 
Sheffield, killed,Shiloh, April 6, 1862; Thom- 
as Donnelly, Sheffield, killed in this battle; 

♦Adjutant General's reports authority for much of the fol- 
lowing history of the regiments. 



John Williams, Sheffield, killed himself at 
Corinth, May 18, 1862; James H. Howard, 
died of wounds August 8, 1864, and Hiram 
Underwood, the same, July 22, 1864. 

And in Company I the following: John W. 
Butt, Wagoner, died of wounds December 
16, 1862; John Casner, Princeton, died No- 
vember 15, 1861; Jacob Hassan, died of 
wounds, October 5, 1862; William Maring, 
died of wounds, November 5, 1862; Edward 
Steier, died October 21, 1861; William H. 
Holeman, died at Chattanooga; William R. 
Kearns and Cyrus N. Shepherd, died at 
Jeffersonville. 

The Twelfth Regiment served uuder the 
following commanders : Brig. - Gen. McArthur, 
Gens. Pope, Thomas A. Davies, R. J. 
Oglesby, Sherman, G. M. Dodge, T. M. 
Sweeny and J. B. McPherson; and were in 
the following battles: Fort Donelson, Shi- 
loh, siege of Corinth, and battle of Corinth, 
Lag's Ferry, and Rome Cross Roads, Dallas, 
Kennesaw, Nickajack Creek, Bald Knob, De- 
catur, Ezra Church, siege of Atlanta and 
Allatoona. 

Twentieth Illinois Infantry. — Of this regi- 
ment Company I was in part Princeton men 
(eleven men). William Wheaton died April 
25, 1862. We find no promotions to note of 
men from Princeton. 

Twenty-seventh Illinois Infantry. — Com 
pany I was a Bureau company. First Captain 
Joseph \V. Merrill, Neponset, August 28 
1861 ; resigned March 7, 1863. Then Will 
iam B. Young, Tiskilwa, September 19, 1863 
died December 16, 1864. 

First Lieutenants: Thomas Sumner, Au 
gust 28, 1861, resigned March 1, 1862 
John A. Russell, March 1, 1862, resigned 
April 5, 1862; Charles Grow, April 3, 1862 
resigned November 23, 1863. Second Lieu 
tenants: John A. Russell, September 28 
1861, promoted; Charles Grow, March 1 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



353 



1862, promoted; William B. Young, Tis- 
kilwa, October 23, 1862, promoted from Cor- 
poral. 

J. H. Patrick, First Sergeant, Neponset, 
died November 18, 1863, of wounds. Charles 
K. Russell, Corporal, killed at Belmont, No- 
vember 7, 1861. George L. Adams, Cor- 
poral, killed at Mission Ridge, November 25, 
1868. Thomas B. Aldrich, Tiskilwa, killed 
at Belmont. L. Bigelow, Neponset, died of 
wounds November 18, 1862. Charles M. 
Owen, died of wounds January 16, 1863. 
James H. Shears, killed at Resaca, May 24, 
1864. 

The Twenty-seventh Regiment was in Bel- 
mont, Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Island No. 10, 
Fort Pillow, Farmington, Corinth, Stone 
River, Shelbyville and Tullahoma, Chica- 
mauga; Mission Ridge and Rnoxville; and 
in the Army of the Cumberland in the Atlan- 
ta campaign, in the Battle of Mud Creek, 
Kennesaw Mountain, Chattahoochee, Peach 
Tree Creek, and in numerous skirmishes and 
sieges. 

The Thirty-third Regiment was mustered 
August, 1861, in Bloomington — Charles E. 
Hovey, Colonel; W. R. Lockewood, Lieuten- 
ant-Colonel; Edward R. Roe, Major; Fred- 
erick M. Crandall, Adjutant; Simeon Wright, 
Quartermaster; George P. Rex, Surgeon. 

Company E. — Captain, I. H. Elliott, who, 
when promoted Major, was succeeded by 
Lyman M. Pratt, who was mustered out July 
5, 1865, and William H. Bryan was commis- 
sioned; the latter mustered out November 24, 
1865. First Lieutenant, Clarendon A. Stone, 
resigned June 18, 1862, and he was suc- 
ceeded by Julian E. Bryant, who was pro- 
moted in a Missouri regiment, June 22, 1863. 

The Colonels of this regiment in the order 
named were: Col. Hovey, promoted to Brig- 
adier; Col. Charles E. Lippincott, and Col. 
J. H. Elliott. 



The Lieutenant-Colonels were: W. R. 
Lockwood, Charles E. Lippincott, E. R. Roe, 
Leander H. Potter, Isaac H. Elliott, Henry 
H. Pope. The Majors were: Edward R. 
Roe, Leander H. Potter, Isaac H. Elliott, 
Henry H. Pope, Elijah H. Gray. 

Company E was a Bureau Company, and 
was officered as follows: Isaac H. Elliott, 
Lyman M. Pratt, W. H. Bryan, Captains; 
Clarendon A. Stone, Julian E. Bryant, 
Edward Marsh, W. H. Bryan, Harrison 
Dwire, First Lieutenants; and Julian E. 
Bryant, Lyman M. Pratt, William H. Bryan, 
Albert Kauffman, Second Lieutenants. 

George G. Foster was killed at Black River 
Bridge; Lyman Pratt was promoted from 
Sergeant to Second Lieutenant; Edward 
Marsh from Sergeant to First Lieutenant; 
Corp. Quimby Loverin, discharged for disa- 
bility, March 15, 1863; Sergt. Edward A. 
Bird, killed at Vicksburg, May 22, 1863; 
Charles Moore, drowned in Mississippi, Sep- 
tember, 1861; Daniel Bunnell, died in Jack- 
sonport. Ark., June 28, 1862; James H. 
Davis, killed at Vicksburg. May 22; Daniel 
H. Graves, killed at Vicksburg; Charles 
Green, died in Ironton, October 23, 1861; 
Corp. Albert Kauffman, wounded seven times 
at Big River Bridge, Mo. ; Thomas J. 
Royce, killed at Vicksburg; Elijah L. Dex- 
ter, promoted to Quartermaster-Sergeant; 
David H. Smith, died in Quincy, August 5, 
1864; Calvin E. Winship, died August 28, 
1862; William N. West, died June 28, 1864. 

The Thirty-third Regiment was organized 
at Camp Butler. September, 1861. Septem- 
ber 20, moved to Ironton; remained here 
during the winter, occasionally scouting. 
They were in the Frederickstown fight. 
March, 1862, moved in Steel's command into 
Arkansas, and joined Curtis' army, and 
thence to Helena. In the battle of Cache 
mv, many skirmishes; in the battle of Cot- 



354 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUXTY. 



ton Plant, where the regiment sustained 
charge of 2,000 Texan Rangers; then made 
a winter campaign in southern Missouri; the 
regiment then went to St. Genevieve, Mo. , and 
thence to Millikin's Bend, La., and partici- 
pated in battles Port Gibson, Champion 
Hills, Black River Bridge, siege of Vicks- 
burg and siege of Jackson. 

In August went to New Orleans, and en- 
gaged in Bayou Teche Campaign; returned 
in the fall to New Orleans; ordered then to 
Brownsville, Tex. ; went to Matagorda, Indi- 
anola, and Port Lavaca. 

January 1, 1864, regiment re-enlisted as 
veterans, and March 14, reached Blooming- 
ton, and received veteran furlough. 

May 17, 1S04, ordered to Brashear City, 
La., and along the line of road doing guard 
duty. September 17, the non-veterans started 
home via New York City, in charge of Rebel 
prisoners, and these returning soldiers were 
mustered out October 11, 1864, at Camp But- 
ler. The veteran portion of the regiment 
were ordered to join the Sixteenth Army 
Corps, near Boiatte Station, and on the way 
to destination the train was thrown from the 
track and nine men killed and seventy 
wounded. March 18, embarked on Lake 
Pontchartrain, for the Mobile expedition. 
Company K remained behind to guard trans- 
portation. The company joined the regi- 
ment April 11, at Blakeley. The command 
marched with Gen. Canby's army corps up 
the east side of Mobile Bay. The regiment 
was under Brig. -Gen. McArthur and Gen. A. 
J. Smith. March 27, arrived in front of 
Spanish Fort, and actively engaged until its 
capture, April 8, with the loss of one killed, 
two died of wounds, and nine wounded. 
After the surrender of Mobile, went to Mont 
gomery, Ala., arriving April 25, and camped 
on Alabama River, and here received the 
news of Lee's and Johnston's surrender, and 



with this news came the end of hostile duty 
of this command. April 14 moved to Vicks- 
burg, where they remained until November 
24, 1865, when the men were mustered out, 
and ordered to Camp Butler. 

Forty-seventh Regiment had Companies A, 
D and H from Bureau County. Royal 
Olmstead, of Wheatland, became Major of 
this regiment May 19, 1865; was mustered 
out January 21, 1866. Royal Olmstead was 
Second Lieutenant of Company D, December 
6, 1862, being promoted from Sergeant. 
When the regiment was reorganized he was 
transferred to Company A, of which he be- 
came the Captain October 11, 1864. Thomas 
Gordon, of Wheatland, August 25, 1861, was 
Captain of Company H; he died October 27, 
1862. The following are the fatalities among 
the privates: Newell Ford, Milo, killed at 
Corinth, October 3, 1882; Harrison N. 
Hodges, Milo, died at Clear Creek, July 7, 
1863; George Trimmer, Wheatland, died 
of wounds October 26, 1862; Charles A. 
Martin, Milo, died at Alexandria, March 21, 
1864; Uriah Wadman, Tiskilwa, died at 
Vicksburg, July 21, 1863; Robert Bennett, 
Milo, died at Black River, Miss., September 
28, 1863; A. J. Sylvester, Milo, died in 
Bureau County, August 20, 1863; A. C. 
Thompson, Tiskilwa, died at Memphis, Jan- 
uary 17, 1863; Edward Burkett, Walnut, 
died in Mound City, August 8, 1865; Alex- 
ander Tinney, Leepertown, died at Selma, 
December 17, 1865; Charles Sterling, Milo, 
died at Selma October 2, 1865; John H. Teeter, 
Milo*, died at Camp Butler, March 31, 1865. 

In February, 1862, the regiment joined 
Pope's command. New Madrid Campaign, 
and moved toward Corinth. May 9 engaged 
at Farrington; on 28th at Corinth; on 29th 
pursued enemy to Boonsville, Miss. In the 
battle of luka, October 3 and 4; battle of 
Corinth, thirty killed, one hundred wounded. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



355 



Pursued Price and Van Corn's army to Eip- 
ley, Miss. In Grant's Mississippi expedition 
with the Fifteenth Army Corps under Gen. 
Sherman, and participated in the cai:)ture of 
Jackson, Miss. In the charge on Vicksburg, 
where twelve men were killed and a number 
wounded. March 14, 1864, were present at 
the capture nf Fort De Eussey, La. In battle 
of Pleasant Hill, April 9. June 5, engage- 
ment with Marmaduke's forces; had eleven 
men killed. Regiment went to Memphis, and 
with Gen. A. J. Smith to Tupelo. 

The veterans under Lieuts. Bonham and 
Royal Olmstead went on the ^Thile River 
expedition, and then through Missouri after 
Price. November 4, 1864, arrived at St. 
Louis, and on the 28th at Camp Butler. 

Fifty -second Regiment. — Company B of 
this regiment was of this county, and of the 
field and line officers were the following: 
Edwin A. Bowen, Lamoille, Colonel, Feb- 
ruary 20, 1864, but never mustered as such; 
was mustered out as Lieutenant-Colonel Oc- 
tober 24, 1864; he was made Lieutenant- 
Colonel March 11, 1863, and was made 
Major May 10, 1862; was Captain of Com- 
pany B October 8, 1861. The other Cap- 
tains of this company were David D. Bailey, 
May 10, 1862, term expired May 24, 1864, 
and Dewitt C. Smith, October 24, 1864, mus- 
tered out July 6, 1865. The First Lieuten- 
ants were Solomon L. Roth, Lamoille, Octo- 
ber 8, 1861, resigned August 13, 1S63; 
Charles H. Fish, Dover, August 13, term 
expired October 29, 1864, and Moses Car- 
man, Lamoille, October 25, 1864, mustered out 
July 6, 1865. Bailey, Carman and Smith were 
promoted from Sergeants. Second Lieuten- 
ants: George W. Graves, Lamoille, October 
8, 1861, resigned May 29, 1862; Charles H. 
Fish, Dover, May 29, 1862, promoted from 
Corporal; Dewitt C. Smith, August 13, 1863, 
and Charles D. Tewksbun-y, July 5, 1865, 
never mustered as Lieutenant. 



William H. Knight, Lamoille, died at 
Geneva, 111., October 28, 1864, Greeley H. 
Pickering died near Ackworth, Ga. , June 10, 
1864. 

The regiment was organized at Geneva, 
111., November, 1861, Col. J. E. Wilson, 
and on the 19th moved out 925 strong. 
Regiment went to St. Joseph, Mo., Cairo, 
Fort Donelson; was in the battle of Shiloh, 
losing here 170 killed, wounded and missing; 
in the siege and battle of Corinth, where 
were seventy killed and wounded; went to 
Hamburg, Tenn.,and luka; were in the Six- 
teenth Army Corps; three- fourths of this 
regiment re- enlisted, came home on a fur- 
lough, returned to Tennessee and were in 
the Atlanta campaign, and were actively en- 
gaged in all the battles and sieges of the Six- 
teenth Army Corps. The regiment marched 
in Gen. Corse's division to Savannah. Then 
in the Carolina campaigns at the battle of 
Bentonville, and passed on to Raleigh and 
Morrison vi lie. Returned via Richmond and 
Alexander, and was in the grand review 
at Washington City; then to Louisville, Ky., 
and mustered out, July 12, 1865. 

Fifty -seventh Regiment. — As already said, 
this was really a Bureau regiment, though 
not exclusively so, and in naming its offi- 
cers and men, only those from this county 
are mentioned. After its troubles at Al- 
ton were settled, the majority of the men 
went to Springfield, thence to Chicago, 
and eventually it became the Fifty-seventh 
Regiment. July 1, 1865, F. A. Battey, 
now of Chicago, was the Colonel in com- 
mand. Only a lad, he entered the service 
and regiment as a private from Mineral, and 
passing up through each successive grade 
won his eagles by merit of service,^unaided 
by political influences. N. B. Page, of 
Company B, was the first Major of the reg- 
iment. He was killed at the battle of 



356 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



Shiloh, April 6, 1862. July 1, 1865, Charles 
Rattray, of Priuceton, was promoted from 
Major to Lieutenant-Colonel. September 26, 
1862, Nathan Linton, of Arlington, was mus- 
tered in as Quartermaster of this regiment. 
His term expired and he mustered out Octo- 
ber 5, 1864 December 26, 1861, Dr. James 
E. Zearing, of Dover, was Surgeon. He was 
mustered out July 7, 1865. Dr. George W. 
Crossley, of Princeton, was Assistant Sur- 
geon. He mustered out by reason of expira- 
tion of term of service, March 26, 1865. N. 
G. Collins, of Maiden, was Chaplain of 
the regiment during most of its service. 
Linas Vansteenburg, of Company B, be- 
came Captain July 16, 1862, and his term 
expired and he mustered out October 16, 1864, 
having been promoted from Sergeant. He 
succeeded Alfred H. Manzer, who mus- 
tered in as Captain of this company Decem- 
ber 26, 1S61, and resigned July 14, 1862. 
Nathan Linton, of Arlington, mustered in as 
First Lieutenant of this company, Decem- 
ber 26, 1861, and subsequently transferred to 
Quartermaster. George N. Barr, of Princeton, 
was promoted from Sergeant to First Lieu- 
tenant September 26, 1862, then to Captain 
December 17, 1864. George B. Shurtz, of 
Westfield, became First Lieutenant October 
16, 1864; served till end of the war, having 
been promoted from Sergeant. John T. Lar- 
kin, of Arlington, was Second Lieutenant 
from December 26, 1861, till March 26, 1865, 
when he mustered out by reason of expiration 
of term. James N. Hoskins, of Selby, was 
Second Lieutenant from July 8, 1865, till 
mustered out; promoted from the ranks. F. 
A. Battey mustered as Captain December 26, 
1861, succeeded to the command of the 
regiment in October, 1864, and George W. 
Wells succeeded him in command of Com- 
pany F, and was mustered as Captain May 
31, 1865. Joseph W. Harris, of Milo, 



was First Lieutenant from December 26, 
1861, till the muster out of the regiment. 
The Second Lieutenants of this company were 
Joseph T. Cook, Tiskilwa, from December 
26, 1861, resigned June 17, 1862, by reason 
of sickness; Andrew Anderson, Wheatland, 
from June 17, 1862, resigned November 6, 
1864, and C. C. Phillips, Tiskilwa; the 
two latter promoted from Sergeants. In 
Company H, Josiah Bobbins, Jr., was the 
tirst Captain. He resigned September 29, 

1864, and was succeeded by Capt. William 
Gale, who was mustered out July 7, 1865. 
John H. Weirick, of Manlius, was First 
Lieutenant from September 29, 1862, to mus- 
ter out January 4, 1864, having been pro- 
moted from Sergeant to Second Lieutenant. 
William Gale, of Princeton, served as Sec- 
ond Lieutenant of Company H, from Sep- 
tember 29, 1862, till promoted to Captain, 
having come up from the ranks. Charles 
Rattray, Princeton, served as Captain of Com- 
pany I from September 2, 1862, until pro- 
moted to Major. Augustus C. Barry, of W^y- 
anet, the first Captain of Company K, 
resigned June 20, 1862, and was succeeded by 
Harlan Page, fi'om First Lieutenant, also of 
Wyanet, who served as Captain till time 
expired December 31, 1864. He was mus- 
tered in as First Lieutenant, December 26, 
1861. Edward Gallagher, of Walnut, suc- 
ceeded Page as Captain, to date from April 
30, 1865, promoted from Sergeant. William 
C. Allen, of Centre, became First Lieutenant 
April 11, 1865, promoted from Sergeant. 
The Second Lieutenants of this company were 
William Brewer, Walnut, mustered in De- 
cember 26, 1861, resigned October 29, 
1862; Jacob S. Carper, Macon, mustered 
in December 16, 1862, resigned; W. Evans, 
Greenville, to take i-ank from July 8, 

1865. The two latter were promoted from 
Sergeants. The following promotions were 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



357 



made to positions outside of the regiment: 
George L. Searle, Tiskilwa, from First 
Sergeant, in Company F, to Captain of a com- 
pany in Colored Pioneer Corps; Frank Jame- 
son, Sergeant in Company F, to Captain in 
a colored regiment; Henry M. Ferrell, Ser- 
geant in Company F, to First Lieutenant of 
a company in Colored Pioneer Corps; Mar- 
shall Battey, Mineral, promoted from Cor- 
poral, in Company F, to First Lieutenant, 
then to Captain, in the One Hundred and 
Eleventh Regiment, United States Colored 
Infantry, and Marshall Eustis, of Buda, 
from Company K, to Captain in the One 
Hundred and Eleventh Regiment, United 
States Colored Infantry. 

The following furnishes as nearly a com- 
plete and accurate list of killed and died of 
the enlisted men while in the service from 
the Bureau County portion of the regiment 
as can be from the data at our command. 
Company A — John Taylor, Princeton, died 
June 2, 1862. Company B — George Stephen- 
son, Corporal, Lamoille, accidentally killed 
June 7, 1862; William Morgan, Berlin, died 
at Peoria, 111., of wounds, April 26, 1862; 
Harrison Wood, Maiden, died of wounds 
received at Shiloh; James Farley, Arlington, 
killed at Shiloh, April 6, 1862; Edward F. 
Hovey, Maiden, died at Savannah, Tenn., 
April 10, 1862; John Hageno, Dover, died 
at Evansville of wounds, April 16, 1862; 
Zebulon Shifflet, Maiden, died at Maiden, 
111., November 14, 1862; Thomas Whittle, 
Dover, died at Paducah, Ky., March 18, 
1862; John Vanlaw, Arlington, drowned in 
Oostenaula River, June 10, 1864; John W. 
Weeks, Lamoille, killed at Shiloh, April 6, 

1862; Henry Nolles, Arlington, died ; 

John Garvin, died October 30, 1864. Com- 
pany D — Adolph Johnson, Princeton, killed 
at Shiloh, April 6, 1862; John Leind, Ber- 
lin, died at Hamburg, Tenn., May 13, 1862. 



Company F — Michael Harris, died at Corinth, 
July 24, 1862; George W. Brace, died at 
Corinth, July 6, 1862; George B. Earl, killed 
at Shiloh, April 6, 1862; Joseph Manning, 
killed at Shiloh, April 6, 1862; William H. 
Phillips, died at Quincy, 111., May 17, 1862; 
Joseph W. Carey, died at Quincy, 111., May 
27, 1862; George W. Scoughton, died at 
Corinth, June 21, 1862; Aurice W. Ven- 
num, died July — , 1864; George H. Wilcox, 
died January 6, 1865; Zirari Rich, died 
September 10, 1864; Andrew Anderson, 
died at Corinth, Miss. ; John Rich, died at 
Wheatland, 111.; George M. Tyner, First- 
Sergeant, killed by cars on Memphis & 
Charleston Railroad in 1862. Company H 
— Amos Van Velsor, Corporal, Princeton, 
died at Monterey, Tenn., May 25, 1862; 
Henry H. Boyd, Princeton, died April 6, 
1862, at Jeffersonville; Joseph E. Chapler, 
Princeton, died at home, July 6, 1862; John 
Frankeberger, Centre, died at Wyanet, 111. , 
September 14, 1864; Robert W. Harkins, 
Princeton, died at Corinth, November 1, 
1862; Albert E. Rhodes, Indiantown, died 
March 30, 1864, at Athens, Ala. ; John W. 
Veitch, Indiantown, died at Nashville, Tenn., 
February 1, 1865; John F. Powers, killed 
by cars on his way home. Company K — 
Ebon F. Emory, Corporal, Macon, died at 
Buda, 111., of wounds. May 19, 1862; David 
A. Allen, Center, died at home, June 1,1862; 
William L. Giifing, Centre, killed at Shiloh, 
April 6, 1862; John Howson, Macon, died at 
Keokuk, Iowa, August 14, 1862; Thomas 
McCoy, Walnut, killed at Shiloh, April 6, 
1862; William Oakes, Concord, killed at 
Shiloh, April 6, 1862; Lafayette Oakes, Con- 
cord, died at Quincy, 111., May 17, 1862; 
Daniel Shehan, Centre, drowned at Fort 
Henry, Tenn., May 7, 1862; Isaac C. Seek, 
Centre, killed at Shiloh, April 6, 1862; 
William A. Zink, Concord, killed at Shiloh, 



358 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



April 6, 1862; Charles Linaweaver, Buda, 
died of wounds, October 13, 1864; George 
Gillespie, Arispe, died; Frank Gallagher, 
Centre, died April 19, 1862. 

The Bureau County portion of the Fifty- 
seventh Regiment, during the recruiting, was 
encamped at the fair ground, just northwest 
of Princeton, which was known as Camp Bu- 
reau. This period included the months of 
September and October, 1861. After it 
reached Chicago from Springfield it took 
quarters in Camp Douglas in the south part 
of the city, where it was organized by con- 
solidation with other companies from other 
portions of the State, and mustered into the 
service December 26, 1861. The regiment 
was then put under discipline, and drilled 
until February 8, 1862, when it departed over 
the Illinois Central Railroad under orders for 
Cairo, thence by steamer "Minnehaha," to 
Fort Henry; thence, without disembarking, 
to I'ort Donelson, where its first experience 
of field service was had, participating in the 
captui'e of that stronghold by Gen. Grant; 
thence by boat up the Tennessee River to 
Pittsburg Landing, where it took an active 
part in the battle of Shiloh, April 6 and 7, 
sustaining a loss of nearly 200 in killed, 
wounded and missing. Among the killed was 
its Major, N. B. Page. It participated in 
the siege of Corinth, during May, 1862; in 
the battle of Corinth, October 3 and 4, 1862, 
where it again met with heavy loss. It oper- 
ated in and about Corinth, on marches, scouts 
and in skirmishes, until the fall of 1863, when, 
as a part of Gen. Sherman's command, it 
moved to Lynnville, Tenn. , where it veteran- 
ized in the winter of 1864, and returned 
home on veteran furlough of thirty days. Re- 
turning South, it was for a short time sta- 
tioned at Athens, Ala., thence marching to 
Chattanooga, Tenn., participating in the At- 
lanta campaign, taking part in the battles of 



Resaca, Rome Cross Roads and Allatoona 
Pass, and meeting with considerable loss at 
the latter place. The Regiment returned to 
Rome, Ga., excepting Company F, and a de- 
tachment of Company D, which, under com- 
mand of Capt.Battey,were sent to Chattanooga 
with 200 prisoners captured at Allatoona. On 
its way back this command was taken prisoner 
at Dalton, Ga., together with the garrison (a 
regiment of colored troops), having tendered 
their services to Col. Johnson, commandant 
of the place, to assist in its defense against 
an attack of the Rebel Gen. Cheatham, of 
Hood's army. Being paroled in a couple 
of days, and after being stationed at 
Chattanooga, in charge of the district of 
Ettowah prison for a short period they 
joined the regiment at Rome. 

November 10, 1864, the regiment left 
Rome, Ga. , with Gen. Sherman on his march 
to the sea. En route it assisted in the 
destruction of the Georgia Central Railroad, 
tearing up and burning the ties and bending 
the rails for many miles. December 10 it 
assisted in driving in the pickets of the ene- 
my about Savannah, and investing the city. 
Here they were upon one-fourth rations for 
three or four days — until the capture of Fort 
McAllister, and communication with the fleet 
was opened — subsisting on rice pounded 
from the straw found in shock in the field. 
With Sherman's army they moved north 
through the Carolinas,fording swollen streams, 
building corduroy roads for miles through 
swamps almost impassable, foraging on the 
country for food, and, withal, most of the 
time, living on the "fat (hog fat) of the 
land." At Columbia, S. C, they assisted in 
the capture of the place from the possession 
of the Rebel Gen. Wade Hampton, and wit- 
nessed the destruction of the city, by burn- 
ing, the night following. Here it helped to 
destroy miles of the Memphis & Charleston 



HISTORY OF BUEEAU COUNTY. 



35» 



Railroad; took part in the battle of Benton- 
ville, near Goldsboro, N. C. ; was present in 
front of Kaleigh at the surrender of the Rebel 
Gen. Joe E. Johnson's army, the last of 
April, 1865. Marching north, it passed 
through Petersburg, Richmond, Fredericks- 
burg and Alexandria, Va., and took part in 
the grand review at Washington, D. C, May 
24, 1865, before President Andrew Johnson, 
Gens. TJ. S. Grant and Sherman. Leaving 
Washington June 3, the regiment moved by 
railroad to Parkersburg, Va. , thence by boat 
to Louisville, Ky., where it mustered out 
July 7, 1865, but retained its organization 
until it reached Chicago, July 14, when it 
received final pay and was disbanded at 
Camp Douglas — its point of first departure 
for the field — after three years and five 
months' active service. 

The following summary furnished by Col. F. A. 
Battey and not appearing in the foregoing, will be of 
interest to old members of the regiment and their 
friends : 

When the Fifty-seventh Regiment left Chicago 
for active service, it had in its ranks about 975 men, 
officered as follows: S. D. Baldwin, Colonel; F. .1. 
Hurlbut, Lieutenant-Colonel; N. B. Page, Major; 
N. E. Hahn, Adjutant; Edward Hamilton, Quarter- 
master; J. R. Zearing, Surgeon; H. 8. Blood, First 
Assistant Surgeon. The office of Chaplain was 
really vacant, although Elder Barry, of Wyanet, was 
with the regiment ostensibly to fill that position. 
Company A: .John Phillips, Captain; J. N. Schil- 
ling, First Lieutenant; W. P. Conkey, Second 
Lieutenant. Company B: Alfred H. Manzer, Cap- 
tain; Nathan Linton, First Lieutenant; John T. 
Larkin, Second Lieutenant. Company C: W. S. 
Swan, Captain; R. B. Morse, First Lieutenant; M. 
S. Lord, Second Lieutenant. Company D; Eric 
Forsee, Captain; Eric Johnson, First Lieutenant; 
Eric Bergland, Second Lieutenant. Company E; 
R. D. Adams, Captain; B. D. Salter, First Lieuten- 
ant; A. S. Otis, Second Lieutenant. Company F: 
F. A. Battey, Captain; J. W. Harris, First Lieu- 
tenant; J. T. Cook. Second Lieutenant. Company 
G: G. A. Busse, Captain; Fritz Busse, First Lieu- 
tenant; C. W. Rosenthal, Second Lieutenant. Com- 
pany H: Josiah Robbins, Jr., Captain; Nelson 



Flamburg, First Lieutenant; George Welch, Second 
Lieutenant. Company I; B. H. Chadbourne, Cap- 
tain; T. M. Doggett, First Lieutenant; W. S. 
Hendricks, Second Lieutenant. Company K: A. 
C. Barry, Captain; Harlan Page. First Lieutenant; 
William Brewer, Second Lieutenant. Some changes 
had taken place in two or three of the companies of 
the Bureau Count}' portion between the time of 
entering camp at Princeton in September, and 
muster in at Chicago the last of December. N. 
B. Page was tirst elected Captain of his Company 
B, but was promoted to Major. O. W. Battey had 
been elected Captain of Company F, but preferring 
the Quartermaster's position took charge as such of 
the Fifty-sixth or Bureau County portion, after 
arriving in Chicago, but upon consolidation with 
the Fifty-seventh the office of Quartermaster was 
filled from that portion of the regiment. At Fort 
Donelson the regiment was assigned to the Third 
Brigade, Col. John M. Thayer, Third Division, 
Gen. Lew Wallace. From Ft. Donelson it marched 
across the country to Ft. Henry. From there it 
went by transport up the Tennessee River to 
Crump's Landing. The boat carrying it was one of 
122 transports all loaded with troops, constituting 
the Army of the Tennessee, the fleet forming one of 
the grandest sights of the war. 

From Crump's Landing the regiment went to 
Pittsburgh Landing, where it became a part of 
Sweeny's Third Brigade, Gen. S. F. Smith's Second 
Division, Army of the Tennessee. By reason of 
the illness of Gen. Smith, Gen. W. H. L. Wallace, 
who was killed at the battle of Shiloh, commanded 
the division at that battle until his death. Col. 
Sweeny having been wounded, the command of the 
brigade on the second day of the fight devolved on 
Col. Baldwin. After Wallace's death the division 
was commanded by Col. Tuttle, of the Seventh 
Iowa. Gen. T. A. Davies was afterward assigned 
to the command of the division. Subsequent to the 
battle of Corinth. October 3 and 4. 1862, Col. M. M. 
Bane, of the Fiftieth Illinois, who was wounded at 
the battle of Shiloh, having returned, assumed com- 
mand of the Brigade. In the early part of 1863 
Col. Baldwin was dismissed from the service, and 
the command of the regiment fell to Lieut.-Col. F. 
J. Hurlbut. During its stay at Corinth the brigade 
and division became a part of the left wing of the 
Sixteenth Army Coi-ps, under Gen. G. M. Dodge, 
commanding the district of Corinth. Under these 
designations of command it served until after the 
conclusion of the siege of Atlanta. Ga., Gen. T. W. 
Sweeny having commanded the division during the 
Atlanta campaign. 

While the brigade was at Rome, Ga., in 1864, 
Col. Bane having resigned. Gen. Vandever was as- 
signed to its command. He was relieved in August 
by Col. Rowett. of the Seventh Illinois Infantry. 
In the reorganization of the army, after the fall of 
Atlanta, the left wing of the Sixteenth Army Corps 
was consolidated with the Fifteenth Army Corps 
under the latter number, commanded by Gen. John 
A. Logan; the Second Division became apart of the 



360 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUXTY. 



Fourth Division, under Gen. John M. Corse. The 
regiment participated in the battle of Allatoona as 
a member of the Third Brigade, Col. Rowett, 
Fourth Division, Gen. Corse. Fifteenth Army 
Corps, Gen. John A. Logan. Col. Rowett having 
been wounded at that battle, the command of the 
brigade devolved upon Lieut .-Col. Hurlburt, and 
that of the regiment upon Maj. Forsee, who soon 
after resigned, whereupon Capt. Page a.ssumed 
command until the return of Capt. Battey from 
prisoner of war, when he assumed command of the 
regiment by seniority. On Sherman's march to the 
sea the Fifteenth Army Corps formed a portion of 
the right wing of the army, under the command of 
Gen. O. O. Howard. At "Savannah, Ga., Company 
C, not having veteranized with the rest of the regi- 
ment, was mustered out by reason of expiration of 
term of service, and returned home. About 125 en- 
listed and drafted men and substitutes out of 250 
previously assigned arrived, and were distributed 
among the different companies. Upon arrival at 
Goldsboro, N. C, Col. Hurlbut went north on leave 
of absence, and while in Chicago was accidentally 
drowned in the Chicago River, Lieut. -Col. Hanna, 
of the Fiftieth Illinois Lifantry, commanding the 
brigade until the return of Col. Rowett at Raleigh, 
N. C. The Fifty-seventh remained a portion of the 
Third Brigade, "Fourth Division, Fifteenth Army 
Corps, until its final muster out of the service. 

The Sixty-fourth Regiment. — Companies B 
and E v?ere a portion of this command from 
this county. Judge George AV. Stipp took 
the company to the command, and he was 
promoted to Major August 8, 1862; resigned 
November 19, 1862. Samuel T. Thomson 
became Major June 3, 1863; mustered out 
November 1, 186-t. Aaron E. May was 
Quartermaster-Sergeant November 1, 1861; 
promoted to Adjutant, January 12, 1862; 
resigned June 28, 1862. Noble Holton, 
First Assistant Surgeon, April 22, 1862; re- 
signed April 12, 1863. Charles Cain, Chap- 
lain, December 10, 1861, not mustered, and 
John J. Long became Chaplain November 1, 
1861. He had been promoted to Sergeant- 
Major, then to Commissary-Sergeant. The 
Captains of Company B were George W. 
Stipp, September 27, 1861, promoted; Sam- 
uel T. Thomson, August 8, 1862, promoted; 
Robert R. Gibons, June 3, 1863, mustered 
out November 14, 186-t, and John Hack, 
June 22, 1865, mustered out July 11, 1865. 
First Lieutenants: Samuel T. Thomson, R. 



R. Gibons, George W. Bell. George W. Rob- 
bins, John Hack and Henry V. Hindman; 
John Bouker promoted First Lieutenant, 
Company A. Second Lieutenants: Robert 
R. Gibons, September 7, 1861, promoted; 
George "W. Bell, August 8, 1862, promoted; 
George W. Robbins, June 3, 1863, promoted; 
Henry Y. Hindman, July 21, 1864, pro- 
moted; Edward Fomard, July 11, 1865. In 
Company E George Borgis, Princeton, was 
Second Lieutenant, October, 4, 1862, and pro- 
moted to First Lieutenant February 19, 1864. 
The fatalities were Jacob "W. Funderburg, 
Princeton, died July 22, 1862; Peru Archer, 
Dover, died at Corinth, November 18, 1862; 
Fred W. Bacon, killed in skirmish, October 
17, 1863; Ansel Brown, died May 31, 1862, 
of wounds; Osley A. Boream, Princeton, 
died in Andersonville prison, July 7, 1864; 
David Flick, Dover, died at Glendale, Miss., 
July 2, 1863; John Flory, Selby, killed at 
Corinth, October 4, 1862; Thomas C. Har- 
mell, Leepertown, died at Quincy, January 
19, 1862; George Langley, "VValnut, died of 
wounds, October 2, 1862; William Wooten, 
"VValnut, killed at Corinth, October 4, 1862; 
John Robinson, Princeton, killed in battle, 
July 22, 1864; "William Rosecrans, died of 
wounds, July 22, 1864; "VVesley Ary, Dover, 
killed at Corinth, October 4, 1862; Frank 
Bard, Walnut, died at Clear Creek, Miss., 
July 29, 1862; Ernest J. B. Colesburg, 
Princeton, died at Rome, Ga., July 17, 1864; 
John Newell, Greenville, died at Clear Creek, 
August 10, 1862; Sidney Saulsbury, Prince- 
ton, died at Glendale, Miss., September 22, 
1863, of wounds; John W. Walters, Dover, 
died at St. Louis, November, 13, 1862; Vol- 
ney Wallace, Bureau, died at Glendale, 
August 31; 1863, Alexander Young, Wheat- 
land, died, at Mound City, September 28, 
1864; Truman R. Moon, killed at Benton- 
ville, N. C, March 21, 1865. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY.. 



361 



The regiment was organized in December, 
1861, at Camp Butler. At first it consisted 
of four companies of Yates' Sharpshooters, 
and afterward Company B and a part of 
Company E, of Bureau County, was added. 
It then went to Quincy, and entered active 
service in February, 1862. The regiment 
participated in the battle of New Madrid, 
and in Pope's Fort Pillow expedition, and at 
Chambers Creek, Corinth, Resaca, Dallas, 
New Hope Church, Kennesaw Mountain, Chat- 
tahoochee, Nances Creek, Decatur, siege of 
Atlanta, Snake Creek Gap and Cedartown. 
November 16, 1864, started on the "march 
to the sea;" engaged in many skirmishes on 
the route; in the Bentonville light, April 
30, 1865; left Raleigh and marched to Wash- 
ington; mustered out July 11, 1865. The 
command was noted for its gallantry at Cor- 
inth, losing seventy killed and wounded; at 
Kennesaw Mountain lost fifty- seven, and twen- 
ty- Sve killed at Dallas, and at Decatur fifteen 
killed and sixty-seven wounded. At Benton- 
ville it captured a lot of prisoners, horses, 
etc., and Gen. Johnson's headquarters, losing 
thirteen killed and wounded here. It served 
in Pope's, Rosecrans', and Sherman's cam- 
paigns in Missouri, Tennessee, and Missis- 
sippi. 

Sixty-sixth Regiment. — Forty-six men 
from Sheffield were in Company C, of this 
regiment, and qtlite a large number of men 
from this county were scattered among the 
various companies. William Wilson, Shef- 
field, was Adjutant, April 30, 1862, served 
until his termed expired. Fitz Hugh Reed, 
Sheffield, was Quartermaster, December 22, 
1864. Second Lieutenant Company C was 
George W. Green, Sheffield, July 4, 1865. 
First Lieutenant Company F was W. H. 
Saunders, Sheffield, November 26, 1862. 
Fitz Hugh Reed was promoted from Commis- 
sary Sergeant, and Saunders was promoted 



from Company C. The first engagement 
was at Mt. Zion, December 28, 1861, under 
Col. Birge, and in the battles of Fort Don- 
elson, Shiloh, siege and battle of Corinth 
and in many heavy marches and skirmishes. 

Sixty-ninth Regiment. — A ninety days 
regiment. Abram Lash, Jr., was Captain 
Company A, David Robinson, Jr., First Lieu- 
tenant, and Edward R. Virden Second Lieu- 
tenant. The regiment was mustered in June 
14, 1862, and out September, 1862. No serv- 
ice in the field. 

The Ninety-third Regiment was mustered 
at Chicago, October 13, 1862, with 998 on 
the rolls. The field-officers were: Holden 
Putnam, of Freeport, Colonel; Nicholas C. 
Buswell, of Neponset, Lieutenant- Colonel; 
James M. Fisher, of Princeton, Major. Six 
of the companies were from Bureau County, 
viz.: Capt. Hopkins', from Maiden; Capt. 
Brown's, from Wyanet; Capt. Wilkinson's, 
from Tiskilwa; Capt. Russell's, from Nepon- 
set; Capt. E. Fisher's, from Princeton and 
Wyanet; Capt. Lloyd's, from Lamoille. The 
regiment first saw service in northern Missis- 
sippi, then on the Yazoo Pass expedition, and 
at Raymond, where they had their first battle. 
Following these came Champion Hill, where 
Capt. Lloyd was killed, the siege of Vicks- 
burg. Mission Ridge (where Col. Putnam was 
killed), Allatoona Pass, the march to the sea, 
the march through the Carolinas to the re- 
view at Washington, and the muster out June 
23, 1865. 

Col. Nicholas C. Buswell succeeded Col. 
Holden in command of the regiment. H M. 
Trimble was Adjutant when it was mustered 
out. Edward S. Johnson was first Quarter- 
master; resigned August 29, 1864. Samuel 
Dorr became Quartermaster. Dr. Samuel A. 
Hopkins resigned as Surgeon December 21, 
1864, when Dr. Charles A. Griswold became 
Surgeon. Thomas H. Hagarty was Chaplain; 



362 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



resigned 1863, and Lewis S. Ashbaugh suc- 
ceeded as Chaplain. He was promoted from 
Captain of Company A. John W. Hopkins 
and James W. Lee were Captains of Com- 
pany B, and David Deselms, Le Roy S. Hop- 
kins, James W. Lee and Allen Ogan were 
First Lieutenants. James W. Lee, Second 
Lieutenant. In Company C, William J. 
Brown, Captain, and William Youngson, 
Milton Cores and William L. Garwood, First 
Lieutenants. Thomas J. Lockwood, Second 
Lieutenant. Company E, Orrin Wilkinson, 
Captain; Lyman J. Wilkinson, William C. 
Kinney, First Lieutenants. Company H, 
John A. Russell and Rufus H.Ford, Captains, 
and Samuel Dorr, Rufus H. Ford, Cyrus H. 
Abbott, First Lieutenants. G. C. Lowrey, 
Second Lieutenant. Company I, Ellis Fisher, 
Mills C. Clark, Jacob S. Kinnan, Captains. 
Elijah Sapp, Jacob S. Kinnan, Thompson M. 
Wylie, First Lieutenants, and Mills C. Clark, 
Ezekiel G. Nefif, Phineas T. Richardson, 
Second Lieutenants. Company K, David 
Lloyd, Clark Gray, Captains. Clark Gray 
Harrison J. Davis, First Lieutenants. H. J. 
Davis, Second Lieutenant. 

Of Company B, Sergeant John Reinhold 
was killed at Missiou Ridge, November 25, 
1863; Richard T. Short, died of wounds May 
16, 1863; Robert Emmerson, died October 
22, 1862; Oscar Webb, killed atAllatoona, 
October 5, 1864; William R. Bates, killed at 
Allatoona; Samuel Crepps, killed at Mission 
Ridge, November 25, 1863; Richard H. F. 
Cook, died at Memphis, June 3, 1863; Austin 
L. Durby, killed at Champion Hills, May, 16, 
1863; Erastus Duglas, died December 20, 
1863, of wounds; Delos Darling, died at 
Andersonville, January 15, 1864; George 
Freeze, killed at Allatoona, October 5, 1864; 
Jacob Gesner, died at Memphis, January 13, 
1863; Henry M. Gesner, died at Quincy, 
August 23, 1863; Louis B. Gesner, was taken 



prisoner; Samuel Gordon, killed at Champion 
Hills, May 16, 1863; James Gormby, died 
March 23, 1863; James Archibald, killed at 
Allatoona; Aaron Keiser, died at Memphis, 
March 4, 1863; Thomas D. Kendle, died of 
wounds. May 16, 1863; John D. Kirkpatrick, 
killed at Mission Ridge; Benjamin Keiaer, 
died of wounds, October 17, 1864; Louia 
Listner, died at Richmond, Va., April 10, 
1864; Thomas B. Mason, died at Anderson- 
ville, May 3, 1864; John B. Martin, killed at 
Allatoona; James McCrouk, died of wounds. 
May 20, 1863; John Matson, killed at Chan- 
cellorsville; Henry Mohler, died at Chicago, 
November 7, 1862; William H. Piper, died 
December 13, 1862; Peter C. Stoner, killed 
at Champion Hills, May 16, 1863; James M. 
Smith, killed at Mission Ridge; William A. 
Thomas, died at Yazoo Pass, April 8, 1863 ; 
James Wormwood, killed at Champion Hills; 
Sergeant Samuel M. Zearing, died of 
wounds, June 14. 1863. 

Of Company C, Sergeant Jacob Hauk, died 
at Memphis, July 6, 1863; Jeremiah Brown> 
died at St. Louis, September 4, 1863; John 
Montgomery, died at Rome, Ga., October 21, 
1864, of wounds; T. Talcott Blood, killed at 
Champion Hills; Conrad Bode, died a pris- 
oner at Belle Isle; John Blake, died at 
home, October 24, 1863; Charles M. Bryant, 
killed at Champion Hills; Cyrus A. Black 
and AlvinB. Church, killed at Allatoona; Paul 
Colburn, killed at Allatoona; Ansel Dimmick, 
died at home, December 18, 1864; John H. 
Fifield, died at Jefferson Barracks, June 25, 
1863; Herman Gilbreath, died at Memphis, 
November 26, 1862; John Jarvis, died July 
12, 1863; Thomas Lineweaver, died at Jack- 
son, Tenn., October 29, 1862; James E. 
Mason, killed at Allatoona; David R. Murphy, 
died of wounds, June 19, 1863; John C. Mc- 
Donald, killed at Allatoona; Thomas H. 
McMurry, killed at Champion Hills; William 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



363 



A. Scroope, killed at Champion Hills; James 
Stanage, died at St. Louis, November 8, 1863; 
George Stickle, died October 29, 1862; 
Thomas Shay, died at Memphis, July 18, 
1863; Isaac S. Smith, died at St, Louis, 
April 20, 1863; James Winner, died at Mem- 
phis, March 14, 1863; Jacob Wyatt, died at 
St Louis, March 19, 1863; Josiah H. Waits, 
died January 15, 1863; Francis' B. Wilcox, 
killed at Allatoona. 

Company E. — Joseph H. Bill, Jr., died 
of wounds. May 26, 1863; Luther DeMer- 
anville, died at Nashville, March 14, 1865; 
Daniel Welsh, died at Memphis, February 
14, 1863; Edwin Alfred, died at Memphis, 
April 8, 1863; William T. Brookie, killed 
at Allatoona; Henry Burch, killed at Mis- 
sion Ridge; William E. Culp, killed at 
Vicksburg; Peter Cavanagh, killed at Alla- 
toona; Elisha P. DeMeranville, died at 
Nashville, March 14, 1865; James H. Davis, 
died at Columbus, Ky., January 19, 1863; 
Wallack Forbes, died at Memphis, July 28, 
1863; M. Lafayette Foos, killed at Cham- 
pion Hills, also Martin Hitchcock; Julius 
Hirth, died May 29, 1863, of wounds; Henry 
Leeper, killed at Mission Kidge; Michael 
McMahan, died in Andersonville, August 4, 
1864; George Riley, killed at Champion 
Hills, also William C. Simmons; Michael ' 
Shea, killed at Mission Eidge; Alexander 
Watson, died at Chattanooga; F. M. Walker, 
died April 12, 1863. 

Company H.— Abraham Smith, died of 
wounds, June 16, 1863; John C. Tompkin, 
died at Memphis, March 19, 1863; George 
S. Robinson, killed at Jackson, May 14, 
1863; Michael Baldorf, died at Ander- 
sonville, August 3, 1864, number of his 
grave, 4618; Levi D. Baker, killed at 
Champion Hills; David Bunnell, died at 
home, September 13, 1863; Hugh Dunn, died 
at Memphis, September 8, 1863; Daniel R. 



Dean, died at Mound City, August 26, 1863; 
James Daly, died at Atlanta, prisoner, De- 
cember 17, 1863; Thomas Gunning, died at 
Point Rocks, January 27, 1864; Chai-les Mc- 
Daniels, died at Memphis, April 11, 1863; 
Frederick Peterson, killed at Mission Ridge; 
Theodore Riley, killed at Allatoona; Daniel 
West, died in Tioga County, Penn., Septem- 
ber 13, 1863; William Webster, died of 
wounds, October 14, 1864. 

Company I.— Ephraim S. Butler, died at 
Memphis, March 9, 1863; F. M. Coddington, 
wounded, mustered out; William Codding- 
ton, died at Andersonville, May 18, 1864; 
Daniel W. Hudnutt, killed at Champion Hills; 
Samuel Laughlin, died at Memphis, March 9, 
1863; Andrew Neighbor, died of wounds, 
July 11, 1863; Elias Nevis, died at Mission 
Ridge of wounds, November 25, 1863; Levi 
Polhamus, died at Millikin's Bend, April 18, 
1883; David R. Reynolds, died at Annapolis, 
March 15, 1865; William H. Richards, died 
at Chattanooga, January 4, 1864, of wounds; 
Daniel R. Smith, died of wounds, Decem- 
ber 5, 1863; John W. Sapp, died at Wyanet, 
March 1, 1863; George W. Young, died at 
Keokuk, January 21, 1863; Lewis Butterfield, 
died at Huntsville, April 25, 1864. 

Company K. — Charles S. Clapp, killed at 
Champion Hills; Albert Mason, died of wounds 
July 29, 1863; August Warner, died of 
wounds. May 27, 1863; Andrew Anderson, 
died January 28, 1863; Martin B. Barrell, 
died of wounds. May 25, 1863; Hubbard 
Briggs, killed at Allatoona; George E. Conk- 
ling, died August 7, 1863; Thomas Craig, 
died at Andersonville prison, September 30, 
1864, number of grave, 10087; Howard 
D. Gibson, died same place. May 27, 1864; 
James Gibson, captured October 5, 1864, 
last heard of him in Andersonville; Duncan 
Gower, killed at Mission Eidge; Jacob Heth- 
rington, died September 9, 1864; Charles E. 



364 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Hart, killed at Champion Hills, May 16, 
1863; Franklin Hinman, died May 25, 1863; 
George E. Kennard, died July 10, 1863; 
Charles Koch, died January 14, 1863; Isaac 
Martin, killed at Champion Hills; John 
Nelson, died at Andersonville prison, Sep- 
tember 22, 1864; Charles M. Peterson, died 
February 9, 1863; John Ranzon, died Jan- 
uary 21, 1863; Charles W. Scurs, killed at 
Champion Hills; Enos W. Smith, died of 
wounds, January 2, 1864; Thomas Smith, 
died of wounds, January 10, 1863; John S. 
Walguist, killed at Champion Hills; Syl- 
vanus Whitehead, killed in railroad accident, 
July 3, 1864; Amos K. Wilkinson, killed at 
Champion Hills; William R. Queen, killed at 
Allatoona. 

One Hundred and Twenty -third Regiment. 
— Companies E and F were from Bureau 
County. Alvin Ballon, Princeton, was Sec- 
ond Assistant Surgeon December 9, 1862; 
promoted Surgeon, March 30, 1864; mustered 
out June 28, 1865. Captains Company E 
were Samuel Coblentz, Westtield, September 
6, 1862, died November 3, 1862; Norman 
Comstock, November 30, 1862, resigned May 
10, 1863 ; First Lieutenant, Norman Com- 
stock, September 6, 1862. Company F — Cal- 
vin B. York, Westfield, Captain, September 
6, 1862, resigned September 9, 1863 ; Will- 
iam H. Delany, Westfield, September 29, 
1863, mustered out June 28, 1865; First 
Lieutenants, W. H. Delany, March 4, 1863, 
promoted; James Biggs, September 29, 1863, 
mustered out July 28, 1865; Second Lieu- 
tenant, James Biggs, September 6, 1862, 
promoted; Jonathan Jones, Westfield, a Ser- 
geant, killed at Perryville, Ky., October 8, 
1862; John A. Skinner, Corporal, Westfield, 
died March 15, 1863; David Farmer, Wag- 
oner, died October 12, 1863; James Baus- 
man died December 26, 1862; John Morrell 
died March 20th, 1863; Jonathan Parker 



killed at Perryville, October 8, 1862; M. D. 
Pratt died July 13, 1863; James White killed 
at Hoover's Gap, June 20, 1863; James Da- 
vis died February 12, 1865; Andrew J. Mullen 
died at Woodsonville, Ky., November 24, 
1862; George Cunningham reported dead. 

One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Regiment. 
— A one hundred days regiment. Solomon 
Z. Roth, Lamoille, became Major! of this 
regiment, June 7, 1864, and mustered out 
October 28, 1864; Edward R. Virden, Cap- 
tain Company A., June 1, 1864, mustered out 
October, 1864. First Lieutenant, Charles 
Robinson, Princeton, June 1, 1864 ; Second 
Lieutenant, James L. Kendall, Princeton, 
June 1, 1864. Company G, the Captains, 
Soloman Z. Roth, promoted ; Roderick B. 
Frary, Lamoille, Juoe 7, 1864, mustered out 
in October. First Lieutenants, Roderick B. 
Frary, and Frank L. Angier, Lamoille, June 
7, 1864 ; Second Lieutenants, Frank L. 
Angier, and James E. Chapman, promoted 
from Sergeant, June 7, 1864, and of Company 
H. William Fairman was Captain, and Lyford 
R. Craig, First Lieutenant. James S. Bar- 
ney died September 11; George R. Lear, 
July 12; Alexander, Harsh, August 6; F. C. 
Hasley, July 10; Samuel Patterson, July 9. 
All these died at Cairo, and Oscar Bartlett 
died in Sheffield. 

One Hundred and Forty-sixth Regiment 
was one year men. James F. Stevens, 
Captain Company F; Duncan Campbell. First 
Lieutenant; George Welsh, Second Lieuten- 
ant, and Abraham J. Sparks, Captain Com- 
pany H; George W. Kolp, First Lieutenant; 
Samuel Sigler, Second Lieutenant. This 
regiment was organized at Camp Butler, 
September 18, 1864, Henry H. Dean, Colonel. 
Their principal duties were guarding drafted 
men. Andrew M. Casner died at Danville, 
111., March 25, 1865; Henry Bapp died at 
home October 20, 1864; Abraham Clute died 
November 11, 1864. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUXTY. 



365 



Oyie Hundred and Forty -eighth Regiment 
was a one year comtnand. Charles J. 
Peckham, Princeton, Lieutenant-Colonel; 
Reuben A. Bathurst, Chaplain. Company A 
— Captains, Charles A. Peckham, promoted; 
John G. Brady, March 13, 1865; First Lieu- 
tenants, John G. Brady, promoted; George 
M. Martin, March 13, 1865; Second Lieuten- 
ants, George M. Martin, promoted; M. Mor- 
rison, March 13, 1865. Company E — Alex- 
ander Eastlick. Greenville, First Lieutenant; 
Frederick R. Sells, Second Lieutenant. Com- 
pany F— Simon Darnell, Second Lieutenant, 
promoted to First Lieutenant, April 20, 1865. 
Company K — Captain, J. M. Mills; First 
Lieutenants, James T. White and Joseph T. 
Cook; Second-Lieutenant, Laomi J. Bates. 
Died: John Burk, James M. Newell, Wood- 
hull Scott, Arthiu' Wright, Jonas P. Hayes, 
John Beeber, George Bassett, Richard Brew- 
er, Caleb F. Dennis, Darius Ide, Samuel Zaik, 
John Calvin, Samuel DeMandville, Nehew 
DeMandville, Almond Fairbanks, George 
Harrington, James MiuTay, W. McLean, 
Daniel Moore, John McErvel, Wilson J. 
Pickard. This regiment was organized at 
Camp Butler, February 21, 1865. Was en- 
gaged in guard duty principally in Tennessee. 

One Htindred and Fifty -first Regiment, 
also a one year enlistment. Silas Battey, 
Major, and Daniel S. Aultman, Chaplain. 
Company F — Sylvester S. Newton, Captain; 
John E. N. Sparks, First Lieutenant. Com- 
pany G — William H. Saunders, Sheffield, 
Captain; William Fairman, First Lieutenant; 
Daniel Clark, Second Lieutenant. The lat- 
ter was promoted from the ranks; W. H. Saun- 
ders recruited the company and was chosen 
Captain. Silas Battey entered the service 
as Captain of Company H, and was promot- 
ed Major; First Lieutenants, Austin J. War- 
der, resigned August 16, 1865; Lyman W. 
Young, who served until mustered out; Sec- 



ond Lieutenants, Austin W. Herder, and 
Richard Hobart. i'oung was promoted from 
Sergeaot, as was Hobart. Died: Vincent C. 
Frankeberger, Jeffersonville, Ind., July 21, 
1865; William Faltz, Dalton, Ga., April 9, 
1865; Oscar S. Newberry, Nashville, Tenn. , 
July 21, 1865; Thornton Reed, Dalton, April 
1, 1865; William D. Swan, Nashville, April 
5; Abram Stone, St. Louis, July 3; Henry 
Yaunt, Nashville, June 15; John R, Cum- 
mings, Columbus, Ga., December 19; John 
Lacons, Dalton. March 23. This regiment 
organized at Quincy, February 23, 1865; 
ordered to Nashville; was in Georgia un- 
der Gens. Steadman, Wilson and Judah. 
It was at the sui-render of Gen. Warford 
with 10,000 men. Maj. Battey was sent to 
Rome, Ga. , to relieve Captain Heir, in com- 
mand of the Post; regiment went to Colum- 
bus, Ga. The only fighting they participated 
in was with guerillas. 

Ninth Cavalry. — Three years; Lieut. Col. S. 
Allen Paddock, who died as previously stated. 
The Majors were William MoMannis, Sep- 
tember, 23, 1861, mustered out October 31, 
1865, and Atherton Clark, May 10, 1865. 
Captains of Company A were S. Allen Pad- 
dock, and William McMannis, the latter pro- 
moted Major; First Lieutenants, William 
McMannis, promoted; Atherton Clark, pro- 
moted; Second Lieutenants, William McMan- 
nis, and Atherton Clark; the latter promoted 
from First Sergeant. The dead were Ed- 
ward Cameron, Indiantown, died at Mem- 
phis, March 24, 1864, James C. West, Con- 
cord, died at St. Louis, November 15, 1862; 
Charles B. Paddock, Sergeant, captured at 
Guntown, and died in prison at Flor- 
ence, S. C. ; Judson M. Waldo, Walnut, died 
in Andersonville prison, October 12, 1864; 
James W. Thompson, Indiantown, died at 
Camp Butler, before assigned, December 21, 
1864. Was organized in Chicago inNovem- 



366 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



ber, 1861; A. G. Bracket, Colonel, went to 
Pilot Knob and joined Third Brigade, under 
Gen. Steele. In skirmish at Waddell's Plan- 
tation, Mo., lost twelve wounded, one missing; 
at Stewart's Plantation, lost two killed, and 
thirty-five wounded; five men died from hard- 
ship in the march to Helena; were now in 
Gen. Steele's army, Third Brigade, Fourth 
Division. In engagement, November 7, with 
Texas Rangers, lost twenty men, killed and 
wounded. Were in fight at Okolona, and 
Coffey ville. Miss., November 6 and 7 ; marched 
to Duvall's Bluff. Engaged at Caldwell and 
Grenada; then went to LaGrange, Tenn. ; 
attacked enemy at Salem, Miss. , and at Wyatt, 
fighting all day at latter place. In engage- 
ments at Salisbury and Moscow, Tenn; went 
under Grierson and Smith to Mississippi ; de- 
feated the enemy at West Point, July 21, 1864; 
in engagements at Okolona, and 23d at Ivy; 
March 16, 1864, regiment mustered as vet- 
erans, and returned on furlough to Illinois. 
April 27, returned to field, under Gen. Stur- 
gis, and in the expedition to Guntown, guard- 
ing rear in retreat, where lost five men killed 
and twenty-three wounded and twelve pris- 
oners. This was out of a command of only 160 
men. Were in the engagement July 4, 1864, 
at Pontiac, and the 14th and 15th at Tupelo, 
and Old Town Creek, Miss. ; in skirmishes at 
Abbeville and Oxford. Engaged at Hurri- 
cane Creek, where four men were killed and 
several wounded; heavy marching; met Hood's 
army at Florence, and hard fighting at Shoal 
Creek. Engaged in many skirmishes along 
the river, and were hotly engaged at Camp- 
bellsville, 'where they fought hand to hand 
with the euemy after their ammunition was ex- 
hausted. Acted a prominent part at Frank- 
lin, Tenn. Engaged in Hood's pursuit, and 
in skirmishes at Brentwood, Franklin, Ruth- 



erford Creek, and Ross Farm; went to East- 
port and luka; arrived at Gainsville, Ala., 
August 20, 1865. Mustered out at Selma, 
October 31, 1865, and sent to Springfield, Ills. 

Tenth Cavalry. — Enlisted for three years. 
William A. Keith, Westfield, Chaplain. Com- 
pany H — First Lieutenant, William A. 
Keith, promoted; Second Lieutenant, W. A. 
Keith, promoted from Sergeant. There was 
only a squad of enlisted men from Westfield 
in this regiment, 

Fourteenth Cavalry. — John J. Wilkins, 
Tiskilwa, Second Assistant Surgeon. Horace 
Austin was First Assistant Surgeon in the 
Thirteenth Cavalry. 

This is the skeleton of the story of Bureau 
County in the late contest. It is the county's 
part, heroically performed, in a long and 
bloody war, where the most exacting demands 
of the country were unflinchingly met, and 
where the consequent hardships, sufferings, 
horrors and even bloody deaths were braved 
without a murmur — without hesitation. Five 
lustrums have come and gone since the first 
wild cry of war jarred the peaceful air of the 
country, and it is now twenty years since 
armed treason struck its flag and surrendered 
forever its unholy crusade against our com- 
mon Government. The dream of bad am- 
bition that would dissolve our Government 
has been put away for at least a century, 
let us hope, forever. 

The effects that have and are yet to come 
of the war, in all their multiform bearings, 
cannot now be told in history, because they 
are continuing and may yet continue for 
many and many a year. Let us hope that 
under nature's kindly ministrations the evil 
effects have passed swiftly away, and that 
the good may be perpetual. 




,'%^' 



%Ar\ €^ 



■yjjir" * 






HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



367 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

Schools — When They Came and Who Beouoht Them — The Sub- 
ject of Education Considered — And General Matters of 
Interest Treated, etc., etc., etc. 

FOR more than 1,700 years the subject of 
schools has been of interest to most of 
the civilized people of the world. In their 
present form they have been a thing of slow 
growth. Like nearly every other permanent 
institution they have been in various degrees 
of efficiency and force, in nearly every age 
and with nearly every different people. For 
centuries among all the autocratic nations, 
schools were only supposed to be for the pur- 
pose of enlightening the nobility, and the 
great mass of men were supposed to have no 
concern in the subject. The educated and 
the uneducated have always been sej)arated by 
a high, and nearly always a supposed im- 
passable wall and deep ditch. Then the 
time came when royal blood was supposed to 
be born above the needs of common mortals, 
and they left education to those of meaner 
blood, and the great old kings could only 
sign their name with their signet rings. 

Early in the second century of the Chris- 
tian age, the present system of schools was 
founded in Egypt. They were simply pie- 
tistic schools to train young men for the 
priesthood. And then for many centuries the 
priests were supposed to be the only men who 
had any concern about education. The 
schools were a mere annex of the Catholic 
Church, and the church was eager to extend 
its power through this as other channels. A 
priest who could read and write became an 
awful person in the minds of the illiterate 
and superstitious world. It was the mastery 
of the magic art, the mysterious powers of 
necromancy, in their estimation, for a man to 
be able to read the thoughts of others fi'om 



the dead pages of papyrus. Can you 
imagine the thoughts of the Indian savage, 
when the white man got him to go to a 
neighbor and carry a block of wood on which 
he had written his request, when the savage 
saw the one write and the other read and 
understand ? It was not only mysterious, but 
wholly incomprehensible and startling. The 
Manitou had never come down and so worked 
wonders for the Indian. And like ignorance 
everywhere, it was folly to tell him such 
wonderful things were not supernatural. 

In the long centuries the schools have to 
some extent grown away from their alma 
mater, the church, and have started along 
life's highway, scorning longer to reach up 
and steady its steps by the extended hand 
that had so long guided and protected it. It 
has come to feel and know that education is 
for all men — even for all women, too — and 
that there is something more in it than com- 
mitting to memory the church prayers, 
rubrics, disciplines and the Lives of the 
Saints. And the singular fact is found in 
history that the church eventually found it 
necessary to say to its too inquiring priests, 
that the pious orders "had not time from 
their prayers and meditations to investigate 
the movements of the heavenly bodies." 
Thus it was forced to become the friend only 
of that education that made believers in its 
dogmas, and the enemy of all so-called 
education that dared to pass beyond this 
sacred ground. And to-day ignorant church- 
men draw the rigid line at about the same 
point. They cannot comprehend that all 
truth and all truths are good mental food. 
They frankly confess that, except themselves, 
men are incapable of such investigation, 
without rushing into confusing doubts when 
they approach the study of the physical laws 
that environ the universe. Hence, their 
ideas of real education are vague and nebu- 



368 



HISTORY OF BUKEAU COUNTY. 



lous. They persist in believing that the 
morals and intellects of the human families 
are distinct things — things that conflict in 
some inscrutable way, and that the best 
Christian, therefore, is not the best thinker, 
but the best believer. 

While the history of the school is one of 
profound interest, yet the subject whether 
the system has reached that stage of perfec- 
tion that it can go no further is a more prac- 
tical and still greater theme for contempla- 
tion. The church, the school, the law and 
the government are always telling the world 
what they have done, in tones of loud and 
confident assertion. These mere arrogant 
assumptions are as often baseless as well 
founded. And to men of ordinary penetra- 
tion of mind they are heard with many grains 
of allowance. What truth there is in the 
claims is freely granted, and the errors are 
generally passed in charitable silence, in the 
unalterable conviction that the truth never 
dies, and that the ultimate judgment will 
come the moment the mind is ready to under- 
stand it. Certainly the greatest improvement 
in the public school is the gradual and nearly 
complete separation of the school from the 
exclusive proprietorship of the church. 
Whether its transfer to the State was the wisest 
thing that could be done with it is another 
and perhaps as yet an unsolvable problem. 
The average man will tell you, if you attempt 
to discuss this part of the subject, that you 
are opposed to education, and if you are the 
enemy of education of com-se you have no 
right to talk about the great work they are 
doing, much less to criticise it, or point out 
any imperfections, or possible improvements; 
because the average man thinks exactly as 
the fleet-footed race horse would ran with 
hobbles on his feet. The very large majority 
of men, not quite so great a proportion now, 
probably, as formerly, seize upon one or two 



axiomatic truths about all such practical sub- 
jects, and from these form instant judgments, 
and are hot and impatient of all doubts as to 
their infallibility upon questions they are 
unable to ever know — questions that may 
command the patient study and tireless inves- 
tigation of the greatest philosophers and 
biologists. When such able investigators 
come eventually to look in upon this vital 
subject, it is easy to imagine some of the 
questions they will confront on the very 
threshold of their examination. For instance : 
Does the vital economy of nature require that 
to educate children they must be herded to- 
gether in crowds — rooms full, great buildings 
full, and then classed and graded and divid- 
ed, and so many assigned to each different 
teacher, or all to one teacher where the num- 
bers are not too great for the holding capacity 
of a single school room ? Is that the one and 
only way to do, to build schoolhouses large 
and small, ranging from the little cabin to 
the splendid university, and the work of 
educating is taken away from the home and 
transferred to the school room, and the paren- 
tal responsibility is taken charge of by the 
teacher? Is this modern invention of rigid 
grading the child's true interests, or the 
teacher's comfort? Are the modern improve- 
ments real or imaginary ? Is committing to 
memory education? Is there anything else 
in the system as now practiced except com- 
mitting to memory ? Is a text book of any 
value in a school room ? If yes, then are both 
a teacher and a text book prime necessities? 
Which should be abolished, if either? And 
while it has only occurred here as a " lastly," 
it is probable it would come to the great phil- 
osophic mind as a "firstly" — what is educa- 
tion? Now, reader, you must bear in mind 
that it is not treason to the intelligence and 
education of the human race for the mind 
that is able to do it, to dispassionately con- 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



369 



eider all these subjects. The ultimate wel- 
fare of civilization hangs upon these and a 
similar scrutiny of all subjects whose wide 
range takes in mankind. And then again, is 
the entire cui-riculum, after you pass reading, 
writing and the four first rules in the arith- 
metic — or addition, subtraction, division and 
multiplication — of any practical value in after 
life, except for those intending to be school 
teachers? And seriously is there any more 
urgency to build great schools to teach Latin 
and Greek than there is for Chinese and 
Choctaw ? Has a man education in fact when 
he knows all the text books and can read and 
translate Latin, Greek and Hebrew? All 
these are questions that should be discussed 
in every literary society, in every newspaper 
and magazine, in public gatherings and in 
the private circle. They ai-e questions of 
transcendent importance, and the overwhelm- 
ing evidence of their importance — the im- 
perative demand there is for correct answers 
to the above and many other questions about 
the schools^is the fact that upon the first 
asking of the questions ninety-nine men in a 
hundred would doubt your being serious, and 
would tell you that they had all been forever 
settled hundreds of years ago. But with suf- 
ficient discussion nearly all men of quick and 
strong comprehension would come to see their 
importance, and that time or age cannot take 
away the right and the duty to look into all 
questions, each for himself, and strike always 
for the truth. It would be another great step 
in teaching men that error is wrong and igno- 
rance a crime. It would widen the door to 
the world's great schoolhouse, broaden and 
deepen the human grasp of thought, and pave 
and smooth the rugged highway for the com- 
ing school and school teacher, as well as bear 
the golden harvests of that distant and glo- 
rious summer of a higher and better civiliza- 
tion. To better the condition of mankind. 



to relieve suffering, give health, lighten and 
equalize the heavy burdens, to make men bet- 
ter, hapj)ier and wiser is the only supremely 
noble work in this world. He who aids most 
in this noble work and transmits such bless- 
ings to the future ages is not only the great- 
est but the best in the tide of time. 

An interesting fact in the long history of 
schools of every kind or variety is the fact 
that their entire, real advances in the way of 
improvement have, like every other social in- 
stitution, been forced upon them by outside 
power. The churches have been thus liberal- 
ized and bettered, and so have the schools, the 
political economy of nations, governments 
themselves as well as all other great social 
concerns. The school men have not been 
marked by any greater reluctance to be 
pushed^ forward than have any of the others. 
Civilization grows always in this apparently 
anomalous and tortuous course. For in- 
stance, a law is adopted. Possibly (though 
not as a rule) it was the very best device for 
all at the time of its adoption But in the 
long couree of time it outlives its usefulness. 
In the great onward highway it is passed 
and becomes a laggard and a criminal. The 
people suffer and suffer, and eventually from 
the ranks of the oppressed there arise seri- 
ous mutterings; it is openly attacked, the 
rebellion grows and deepens and the execu- 
tors of the now bad law strike valiant blows 
in its defense. They are alarmed at this 
spirit of evil, as they regard all innovation on 
the sacred arrangements of the fathers, and 
they yield only when compelled to do so. 
And when they have thus reached and real- 
ized the improvement, they are forever pro- 
claiming the glorious advancement and soon 
come to believe that they really did it all 
themselves— that they fought out the good 
fight and covered themselves with glory. 
These are curious phenomena, presenting in- 



370 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



teresting studies for the student of history, 
and so unvarying are they that they become 
subjects of philosophical investigation. i 

To reach the best possible educational sys- j 
tern is the grand approach to the highest \ 
attainable civilization. It is, therefore, the 
subject of deepest interest to all men. The ; 
old saying has it: " 'Tis education forms the 
common mind." Not true, but it is a stagger 
in the right direction, and is a fit companion 
piece of the grand advancing idea of our 
Revolutionary fathers, when they incorporated 
in the celebrated ordinance of 1787 the bold 
declaration that ''knowledge, with religion and 
morality, are necessary to the good government 
of mankind." The governing power in every 
nation is of necessity an educated one, be- 
cause in every ruler or his advisors there 
must be some knowlege of international law, 
of -domestic relations, of finance, of com- 
merce and the organization of armies and 
navies. England has cared little for the 
education of its common people, but it has 
carefully attended to the education of its 
ruling classes. It has differed radically from 
this country (not so much now as in the jiast) 
in drawing a line and educating the nobles 
to the fullest extent, and neglecting the 
laborers or masses of the people. And yet 
the people when they were left to care for 
themselves have not been far surpassed in 
the race for great intellects. Indeed, is it 
not a startling comment that will force itself 
upon the minds of the student of English 
history, that her great men have come from 
the ranks of the poor — the neglected — in a 
large majority of instances? 

When the survey of the Northwest Terri- 
tory was ordered by Congress, it was decreed 
that every sixteenth section of land should 
be reserved for the maintenance of public 
schools within each township. The ordi- 
nance of 1787 proclaimed that " schools and 



the means of education should forever be 
encouraged." By the act of Congress passed 
April 18, 1818, enabling the people of Illi- 
nois to form a State Constitution, the "sec- 
tion numbered 16 in every township, and 
when such section had been sold or otherwise 
disposed of, other lands equivalent thereto 
and as contiguous as may be, should be 
granted to the State for the use of the inhab- 
itants of such township for the support of 
schools." The act further stipulates "that 
5 per cent of the net proceeds of the lands 
lying within said State, and which shall be 
sold by Congress from and after the 1st day 
of January, 1819, after deducting all ex- 
penses incident to the same, shall be reserved 
for the purposes following: Two-fifths to be 
disbursed, under the direction of Congress, 
in making roads leading to the State; the 
residue to be appropriated by the Legislature 
of the State for the encouragement of learn- 
ing, of which one-sixth part shall be exclu- 
sively bestowed on a college or university. " 
In other words. Congress donated to the 
State a full township, six miles square, for 
seminary purposes, and the thirty-sixth part 
of all the residue of public lands in the 
State and 3 per cent of the net proceeds of 
the sales of the remainder, to support com- 
mon schools and promote education in the 
then infant State. Truly a most magnificent 
and princely donation and provision for edu- 
cation. The sixteenth section, so donated, 
amounted in the State to nearly 1,000,000 
acres; in Bureau County to over 16,000 acres. 
Laws were first passed directing Commis- 
sioners' Courts to appoint three Trustees for 
the school land in each township where the 
inhabitants of such townships numbered 
twenty white persons. These Trustees had 
power to lease the school lands at public out- 
cry, after twenty days' notice, to the highest 
bidder for any period not exceeding ten 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



371 



years, the rents to be paid in improvements, 
or in shares of the products raised. The 
laws were crude, and fell far short of their 
intended object. The school lands, under 
the lessee or rental arrangement, yielded lit- 
tle or no revenue; many of the renters, hav- 
ing no title to or common interest in the 
land, only opened and cultivated enough for 
a bare support, and, of course, produced 
nothing to divide. Then squatters took pos- 
session of a considerable portion, and wasted 
the timber, and in many ways depreciated 
the value of the lands. As a result, the 
cause of education languished, and was at a 
stand -still for years. There were a great 
many influences and obstacles in the way of 
a general diffusion of knowledge. The set- 
tlements were sparse, and money or other 
means of remunerating teachers were scarce; 
and teachers, competent to impart even the 
common rudiments of an English education, 
were few and far between. 

This state of affairs continued until 1825, 
when Joseph Duncan, then a member of the 
State Senate, introduced a bill for the sup- 
port of common schools by a public tax. 
The preamble to the act was as follows: " To 
enjoy our rights and liberties we must under- 
stand them; their security and protection 
ought to be the first object of a free people; 
and it is a well-established fact that no 
nation has ever continued long in the enjoy- 
ment of civil and political freedom which 
was not both virtuous and enlightened; and 
believing that the advancement of literature 
always has been and ever will be the means 
of developing more fully the rights of man; 
that the mind of every citizen in a republic 
is the common property of society, and con- 
stitutes the basis of its strength and happi- 
ness; it is, therefore, considered the pecul- 
iar duty of a free government like ours to 
encourage and extend the improvement and 



cultivation of the intellectual energies of the 
whole." The text of this admirable law 
may be divined from the preamble. It gave 
education a powerful impetus, and common 
schools flourished in almost every settlement 
But notwithstanding all this, the law was in 
advance of the civilization of the times. 
The early settlers had left the older States — 
the Southern States, where common school 
education never has flourished as it should — 
and plunged into the wilderness, braving 
countless dangers and privations in order to 
better their individual fortunes and to escape 
the burdens of taxation, which advanced 
refinement and culture in any people invaria- 
bly impose. Hence, the law was the subject 
of much bitter opposition. The very idea of 
a tax was so hateful that even the poorest 
preferred to pay all that was necessary for 
the tuition of their children, or keep them in 
ignorance — which was generally the case — 
rather than submit to the mere name of tax. 
This law — the Duncan law, as it was 
called — is the foundation upon which rests 
the superstructure of the present common 
school system of Illinois. The law provided 
for the division of townships into school 
districts, in each of which were elected three 
School Trustees, corresponding to Directors 
of the present day, one Clerk, one Treasurer, 
one Assessor and one Collector. The Trustees 
of each district had supreme control and 
management of the school within the same, 
and the employment of teachers and fixing 
their remuneration. They were required to 
make an annual report to the County Com- 
missioners' Court of the number of children 
living within the bounds of such district 
between the ages of five and twentv one 
years, and what number of them were actu- 
ally sent to school, with a certificate of the 
time a school was kept up, with the expenses 
of the same. Persons over the age of twenty- 



373 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



one years were permitted to attend school 
upon the order of the Trustees; and the his- 
tory of education in Illinois discloses the 
fact that it was no uncommon thing for men 
beyond the meridian of life to be seen at 
school with their children. The law required 
teachers, at the close of their schools, to 
j)repare schedules giving alphabetically the 
names of attending pupils, with their ages, 
the total number of days each pupil attended, 
the aggregate number of days attended, 
the average daily attendance, and the stand- 
ing of each scholar. This schedule was sub- 
mitted to the Trustees for their approval, as 
no teacher was paid any remuneration except 
on presentation to the Treasurer of his 
schedule, signed by a majority of the Trust- 
ees. The law further provided that all com- 
mon schools should be maintained and sup- 
ported by a direct public tax. School taxes 
were payable either in money or in produce, 
and teachers would take the produce at mar- 
ket price, or if there was no current value 
the price was fixed by arbitration. Fancy 
the schoolma'am of the present day taking 
her hard-earned salary as a teacher in pota- 
toes, turnips or coon skins! We have heard 
it related of a teacher in one of the counties 
bordering the Wabash River that he was 
paid in coon skins for a ten weeks' school; 
and after his school was out he footed it to 
"Vincennes with his pelts upon his back, a 
distance of over thirty miles, and there dis- 
posed of them. 

When this wise and wholesome law was 
repealed by the Legislature, Gen. Duncan 
wrote, as if gifted with prophecy, "that 
coming generations would see the wisdom of 
his law, and would engraft its principles on 
their statute-books; that changes in the con- 
dition of society might render different ap- 
plications of the same necessary, but that the 
principle was eternal, and the essence of free 



and enlightened government; and legislators 
who voted against the measure will yet live 
to see the day when all the children of the 
State will be educated through the medium 
of common schools, supported and main- 
tained by direct tax upon the people, the 
burden falling upon the rich and poor in 
proportion to their worldly possessions." 
These predictions, yellow with the years of a 
half-century and over, have been faithfully 
fulfilled and verified. 

The Duncan school law remained in force 
only a little over two years, when it was re- 
pealed. The great objection, as we have 
said, to the law, was the tax clause. This 
was, substantially, that the legal voters of 
any school district had power, at any of their 
meetings, to cause either the whole or one- 
half of the sum necessary to maintain and 
conduct a school in said district, to be raised 
by taxation. And if the voters decided that 
only one-half of such required amount was 
to be so raised, the remainder was to be paid 
by the parents, masters and guardians, in 
proportion to the number of pupils which 
each of them might send to such school. No 
person, however, could be taxed for the sup- 
port of any free school unless by his or her 
consent first obtained in writing, though all 
persons refusing to be taxed were precluded 
from sending pupils to such school. In al- 
most every district there were those who had 
no children to educate, and then there was 
an uncivilized element of frontier life, who 
believed education was a useless and un- 
necessary accomplishment, and only needful 
to divines and lawyers; that bone and muscle 
and the ability to labor were the only require- 
ments necessary to fit their daughters and 
sons for the practical duties of life. A prov- 
erb then current was (in many localities), 
" The more book-learning the more rascals." 
i To quote a localism of the day, "gals didn't 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



373 



need to know nothin' about books, and all 
that boys orter know was how to grub, maul 
rails and hunt." That senseless prejudice, 
born of the crude civilization of the early 
period of the country, has descended, in a 
slight dregree, to the present, and yet tinges 
the complexion of society in many different 
localities. 

After the repeal of the Duncan law, edu- 
cation, for nearly a generation, was in any- 
thing but a flourishing condition, either in 
this county or in the State. Like the stag- 
nant waters of a Southern lagoon, it was 
difficult to tell whether the current flowed 
backward or forward. For many years the 
schoolhouses, school books, school teachers 
and the manner of instruction were of the 
most primitive character throughout the 
whole of southern Illinois. The houses 
were the proverbial log-cabin, so often de- 
scribed in the early annals. A few of these 
humble schoolhouses, unused and almost 
rotted down, may still be occasionally seen, 
eloquent of an age forever passed. The early 
books were as primitive as the cabin school- 
houses, and the early teacher was, perhaps, 
the most primitive of all. The old-time 
pedagogue was a marked and distinctive 
character of the early history — one of the 
vital forces of the earlier growth. He con- 
sidered the matter of imparting the limited 
knowledge he possessed a mere question of 
effort, in which the physical element predomi- 
nated. If he couldn't talk or read it into 
a pupil, he took a stick and mauled it into 
him. 

The school-master usually, by common con- 
sent, was a personage of distinction and im- 
portance. He was of higher authority, even 
in the law, than the Justice of the Peace, 
and ranked him in social position. He was 
considered the intellectual center of the 
neighborhood and was consulted upon all 



subjects, public and private. Most generally 
he was a hard-shell Baptist in religion, a 
Democrat in politics and worshiped Gen. 
Jackson as hie political savior. But the 
old-time pedagogue — the pioneer of Ameri- 
can letters — is a thing of the past, and we 
shall never see his like again. He is ever 
in the van of advancing civilization, and fled 
before the whistle of the locomotive or the 
click of the telegraph was heard. He can- 
not live within the pale of progress. His 
race became extinct here more than a quarter 
of a century ago, when the common school 
system began to take firm hold and become a 
fixed institution among the people. The 
older citizens remember him, but to the 
young of to-day he is a myth, and only lives 
in tradition. 

The school laws, after the repeal of the 
Duncan law, were often changed — they were 
revised and changed again before they at- 
tained to the perfection we at present have 
in them. Even now, they are susceptible of 
improvement, though they are superior to 
those of many other States. A peculiarity in 
the different State constitutions is that per- 
taining to education. The constitution of 
1818, while endorsing education in a general 
way, is silent upon the subject of educating 
the masses through the medium of the com- 
mon schools. The framers of the constitu- 
tion of 1848 went a little further; they said 
that the General Assembly might provide a 
system of free schools. It was not, however, 
till after half a century of existence as a State, 
that her delegates, in convention assembled, 
engrafted upon the pages of her organic law 
a mandatory section, declaring " that the 
General Assembly shall provide a thorough 
and efficient system of free schools, whereby 
all children of this State may receive a good 
common school education. 

We have already given very full accounts of 



374 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



the first schools in the county, by whom 
taught and where, in the earliest settlement 
of the county. Hence, now it is only nec- 
essary that we take up the subject by a rapid 
reference of the early days of the school-mas- 
ters as they came to the places in the county 
that were settled at a later date. 

The first teachers in Lamoille were Heze- 
kiah Smith, Mrs. Pierce (from Dover), Rev. 
Vincent Baltist. Howard Johnson taught a 
subscription school at Perkins' Grove. Mariah 
Smith, now Mrs. Clapp, a sister of Hezekiah 
Smith, was also one of the early and efficient 
teachers. 

In Arlington the first teacher was Mrs. 
Carrie Brush. She also taught a school in 
Tiskilwa. Her successor as a teacher in 
Tiskilwa was Senator L. D. Whiting. The 
first schoolhouse built in Arlington was in 
1855, and the first teacher in this was Miss 
Caroline Morton, who was followed by W. H. 
Robinson (this was W. H. R. No. 2, and not 
the one first named), W. H. Hill, M. D. Pax- 
son, Z. S. Hills, C. O. Sawyer, S. C. Whip- 
ple, H. S. Hallock and A. E. Okey. Mem- 
bers of the present School Board are 
T. A. Maul, R. B. Van Lew, and Thomas 
Ryan. 

L. J. Kendall furnishes us the following 
from Lamoille: " Owing to there being no 
records kept, I have been obliged to glean 
what I could from the older citizens in regard 
to the history of the schools. In (about) 
1836 Mrs. Bowen, now Mrs. Walter Porter, 
taught a free school in her house. In 1838 
money was raised by subscription and Heze- 
kiah Smith was employed to teach, on the 
site where Charles Thompson now lives. 
Soon after a building was erected for school 
purposes on the lot now occupied by John 
Igon's shops. The township in 1846 first 
raised money by taxation for schools at the 
rate of 15 cents on $100. In 1851 the first 



Congregational Church was built and the 
basement was used for school purposes until 
1858, when the present brick building 
of two rooms was finished. In 1875, more 
room being required, a frame one-story build- 
ing was built near the brick. Among the 
Principals who have been employed since 
1858 are: Frank Allen, Lyman Kendall, Mr. 
White, Mr. Corning, Z. S. Hills, J. H. Smith, 
A. M. Burns, Mrs. A. M. Richardson, J. E. 
Hathorn, S. C. Whipple, B. F. Stock, Addi - 
son Lowry and E. P. Hussey. 

At present the school census is 246, the 
number enrolled 160, the average daily 
attendance for the past school year 105. 

In 1867 the Arlington School District 
erected a school ^building at an expense of 
114,500. A Principal and two assistants com- 
menced work at once. The same number of 
teachers have been employed continuously 
since, except one year a fourth teacher was 
employed half the time. The average at- 
tendance has ranged from 125 to 150, the 
highest number being 175. The Principals 
were: Profs. S. B. Bathurst, S. C. Whip- 
ple and W. H. Robinson, each serving a 
term of years. 

The first school in Neponset was taught by 
Julia A. Bigelow in the winter of 1855-56. 
She was paid $20 a month. The school was 
for three months. In 1861 two teachers were 
for the first time employed, and an extra 
room had to be seciu-ed to accommodate the 
large number of pupils applying. A frame 
building was erected in 1864 of five rooms. 
This was burned April 13, 1870. In 1870 
the present two- story brick was erected at a 
cost of $15,000. In 1877 the School Board 
arranged a complete grade of the schools, 
and have granted diplomas to graduates 
since that time. There has been no change 
since the course was adopted. 

The graduating classes are as follows: 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



375 



Class of 1878— J. H. Bates. Principal; 
Emma Moore, Laura Emery. 

Class of 1879— J. H. Bales, Prineipal; 
William Priestman, Ida Priestman, Alice 
Nichols, Alice Carse, May Connelly. 

Class of 1880— H. B. Hubbell. Principal; 
Walter D. Whaples, Minnie Watts, May 
Foss. 

Class of 1881— W. R. Green, Principal; 
Dollie Avery, Crayton Boyer, Alma Cook, 
Mabel Mclntire, Nellie Mclntire. 

Graduate in 1882— W. R. Green, Princi- 
pal; Lizzie Lawless. 

Class of 1883 — D. Griffin, Principal; 
Belle Foss, Jessie Gerrond. 

Class June 13, 1884: May Mclntire, Cora 
Priestman, Ada Pratt, Louis Gardner. 

The number of pupils in attendance at 
present (1884) is 175, which varies, of course, 
during the winter and spring sessions. 

The members of the present School Board 
are: P. M. Childs, President; Dr. John 
Priestman, Clerk, and Dr. J. H. Bates. 

Mr. E. Finley has kindly furnished us the 
following items of the De Pue schools: 

This District No. 4, Selby Township, was 
organized November 20, 1852. Eli Leonard, 
John H. Stockman and Joshua Bishop were 
the Directors elected at the lirst meeting. 
Mrs. Elizabeth Spratt was the first teacher 
employed, and on a salary of $2 per week 
and board. The term as indicated by the 
record (rather indefinitely) consisted of about 
four weeks only. Among the earlier teach- 
ers of this school were W. H. Mesenkop, who 
was engaged to teach a term of three months, 
commencing the first Monday of November, 
1857, at a salary of $37 per month and board 
himself. Miss M. A. Wheeler, who was succeed- 
ed by Miss Mary Johnson, taught during the 
year 1858, each at a salary of $5 per week, 
exclusive of board. Since said year the 
following teachers have been employed: 



1859, Isaac P. Holloway, Jesse Davis and 
J. S. Turner; 1860, Thomas T. Dor win; 
1861, Clarinda Hart, Eugene Gilbert and 
Jesse Davis; 1862, Jesse Davis and L. 
Gleason; 1863, C. Bartlett; 1864, Jesse 
Davis; 1865, Fanny McKee; 1865-66, J. 
R. Earnest; 1866-67, Jesse Davis; 1868, 
Charity Long and E. C. Wilson; 1869-70, 
Henry G. Young, Lydia M. Young and F. 
M. Johnson; 1871-74, Alice Colton and W. 
H. Hill; 1874, L. C. Smith; 1875, W. H. 
Hill and L. C.Smith; 1876, L. C. Smith and 
W. H. Hill; 1877, J. R. Earnest and John 
Frazier; 1878, J. R. Earnest; 1878-80, John 
Frazier; 1879-80, E. Bangs; 1881, L. 
Dysinger and Anna Stedman; 1882, Anna 
StedmanandL. Dysinger; 1883, L. Dysinger, 
Anna Stedman and L. M. Breed. 

W. H. Hill taught six years in succession; 
John Frazier four years; L. Dysinger and 
Anna Stedman now in third year. 

Of late years the teachers have been en- 
gaged for the full term of nine months, with 
few exceptions. 

The first school building erected in this 
district was a frame built during the summer 
of 1854; size of building, 24x30, one story. 
The present building is a brick, two stories 
and basement, the latter being ten feet high, 
and used for the Primary Department; the 
upper rooms are each thirteen feet high, and 
are used for the Intermediate and Grammar 
Departments. All of said rooms are 27x33, 
feet, are convenient and well ventilated, and 
contain No. 1 seats and desks. This build- 
ing was erected by Chi-is Mason in 1874, and 
cost about $6,000. The following are the 
present school officers: Paul J. Smith, Pres- 
ident; Edward Finley, Clerk; Charles E. 
Stedman. 

Mineral High School, in District 1, Town 
16, Range 6, was established 1857. The old 
building was sold and a new one erected 1869, 



376 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



at an expense of 14, 500. The following teach- 
ers have been employed in the order given: 
I. J. Heaps, two years; J. W. Rice, one year; 
D. C. Cooper, one year; S. D. Abbott, two 
years; L. K. Holroyd, two years; Frank 
Akins, same; A. D. Jenkins, same; J. W. 
Boling, same. The assistant teachers were 
Mary Ripley, Carrie Newbecker, Sarah Hen- 
ry, Emma Henry, Ida Knipple, Martha Ban- 
enger, Jesse Riley, Belle Pettis and Edna 
Brainard. 

Princeton Schools. — The basement of the 
old Hampshire Colony Church was the shel- 
ter for Princeton's first school, which was 
taught in the winter of 1836-37. The first 
private school was taught by A. B. Church, 
in his own dwelling. In 1851 James Smith 
kept a private school. In 1851 the South 
Union schoolhouse was erected by J. H. Bry- 
ant and James Everett. P. W. Ferris was 
the first Principal. The School Board until 
1872 consisted of three members, one retir- 
ing every year. The first consisted of Arvis 
A. Chapman, President; J. V. Thompson, 
Clerk, and John Riale. They were elected 
in 1857. They appointed H. P. Farwell 
Principal, at a salary of $700 per year. Miss 
Allen, Miss Dunbar and Victoria White were 
employed as teachers at a salary of $6. 
each per week; in a short time two other 
teachers were added to the force. The Prin- 
cipals were: Mr. and Mrs. Forrest, Job A. 
Parker, J. H. Blodgett, G. W. Dickinson, 
Ml-, and Mrs. Bangs, M. E. Ryan, T. M. 
Johnson, E. P. Burlingame, Samuel F. Hull, 
Albert Ethridge, D. L. Hurd, Charles Robin- 
son and Z. S. Hills. These were in charge 
of separate buildings. In 1868 Mr. Maltby 
was appointed Principal, and was the first to 
have charge of all the public schools in the 
town. The next year be was succeeded by the 
present incumbent, C. P. Snow, a native of 
Boston. He came to Princeton from Peoria, 



where he had been engaged in teaching. His 
ability and value are well attested in the long 
and prosperous course of his work in the 
schools here, and the entire satisfaction his 
labors have given the entire community. He 
literally organized and graded the Princeton 
schools, brought order out of chaos, and has 
given the schools a wide and enviable repu 
tation. 

The present force of teachers in the Prince- 
ton schools consist of: C. P. Snow, Superin- 
tendent, and Miss H. L. Everitt, Miss Stella 
Burr, Miss Minnie Bryant, Miss Clara Allen, 
Miss Mary Stone and Miss Sarah Kannan in 
school No. 1 ; and Miss Lottie E. White, Miss 
Minnie Phelps, Miss Gertrude McCormick 
and Miss Sarah J. Sharpe, in No. 2; and 
Mrs. Lelia Holt, Miss Can-ie Hodgman and 
Miss Minnie Colesberry, in No. 3. 

Princeton High School. — A complete his- 
tory of the origin of this school will be found 
in a previous chapter. Here we need only 
add this was the first township high school 
organized by a special act of the Legislature 
of the State. 

The school has a library of about 1,000 
volumes, embracing works of history, biog- 
raphy, travels, science and general litera- 
ture; a laboratory well supplied with the 
necessary chemicals, gas and water, for gen- 
eral chemistry, and philosophical apparatus 
and specimens for the study of natural his- 
tory, sufficient to meet the requirements of 
preparatory text work. 

Over 2,000 pupils have received instruction, 
of whom 305 have completed the course of 
study and received the dijjloma of the school. 
The present occupation of graduates so far as 
known is as follows: Lieutenants United 
States Army, 2; preaching, 2; medicine, 8; 
law, 14; teaching, 65; farming, 30; busi- 
ness, 53; married ladies, 46. Eleven have 
died. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



377 



The first Board of Education was ap- 
pointed in 1867 and tlieir respective terms 
expired: Rev. Flavel Bascom in 1870; Hon. 
John H. Bryan, 1881 ; George O. Ide, Esq. , 
1869; Matthew Trimble, 1869; Jacob Chritz- 
man, 1871. 

The next Board was elected as follows: 
1869, Arthur Bryant, Jr. ; 1869, Dr. Joseph 
Mercer; 1870, Stephen G. Paddock; 1871, 
Henry Kennon, Esq.; 1872, William C. 
Trimble; 1874, Justus Stephens; 1875, Ed- 
ward R. Virden; 1878, Col. I. H. Elliott; 
1878, William Miles; 1882, H. M. Trimble, 
Esq. ; 1884, Milo Kendall, Esq. 

The present Board consists of: William 
Miles, President; S. G. Paddock, Secretary; 
E. R. Virden, H. M. Trimble, Milo Kendall. 

The Principals were appointed and retired: 
1867, Henry L. Boltwood, A. M., February, 
1878; February, 1878, Charles A. Smith, k. 
B., June, 1878; September, 1878, H. C. 
McDougall, A. B. , June, 1882; September, 
1882, Charles Raymond, A. M. 

The present corps of teachers: Charles 
Raymond, A. M. , Latin, political economy; 
Osgood Smith, A. B., German, Greek; John 
C. Bannister, natiu'al sciences ; Miss Emma 
V. White, history, English literature ; Miss 
Carrie Everett, mathematics ; Miss Julia S. 
Charbonnel, United States history, consti- 
tution ; Miss Caroline M. Hyde, B. S., mathe- 
matics, gi-ammar; Miss Mary B. Creesley, 
drawing ; Miss Annie Kelly, A. B., elocu- 
tion, rhetoric. 

Classes were organized in the fall of 1867 
under the Principalship of Henry L. Bolt- 
wood, A. M., with five assistants, and an 
average attendance of 138 pupils. 

There was a steady increase of attendance 
till the year 1875, when the highest enroll- 
ment was attained, 383 pupils, of whom 119 
were from other towns in the county. 

This was the only school of high rank in 



this part of the State, and drew largely from 
the surrounding towns. Its success has 
stimulated other communities to raise the 
character of their own schools, and has re- 
sulted in the establishment of academies 
and district high schools in difi"erent parts 
of the county, thus cutting off a fruitful 
source of revenue. 

The attendance at the present time is 231, 
with thirty from abroad. 

There are four comses of study, each re- 
quiring five years of work, viz: the Normal, 
the English, the Latin, Scientific and the 
Classical. The Normal is designed for pu- 
pils intending to teach in our public schools, 
and is made to conform to the statute re- 
quirements for first grade certificates. 

The English embraces those studies best 
calculated to prepare one for the active duties 
of life. 

The Latin, Scientific and the Classical are 
intended to prepare students for the corres- 
ponding courses of our best colleges. 

Wahmt GrTove. — For some years a school 
was taught during the winters in this place 
in a log schoolhouse of the diminutive and 
illy arranged style. In 1859 a comfortable 
frame schoolhouse was erected. This an- 
swered all purposes until 1869, when a more 
pretentious two roomed building was erected, 
but the demands soon outgrew this building, 
and additions doubling its capacities were 
added, and gave them four rooms, each thirty 
feet square, and these are taxed to their ut- 
most capacity. 

Tiskilwa Schools. — These have long been a 
source of great pride to the good people of 
this town. No sinfilar sized town in the 
State has done so well. Their splendid 
graded school building stands as a splendid 
monument to the enlightened enterprise of 
her people. It was erected in 1867 at a 
cost of $35,000, and has a seating capacity 



378 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



for 300 pupils. Their Principal has long 
been R. E. Cutler. 

Miss Abbie (Mrs. Lyford, of Galesburg,) 
was among the pioneer school teachers here in 
1838. She is a sister of Judge Jesse Em- 
merson, and is remembered by those who 
were school children then and are growing 
gray now as the kindest and best of teachers. 
This first schoolhouse was built by the volun- 
tary work of the early settlers, the chief 
among whom was Amariah Watson, who 
eventually bought out the interests of the 
other holders, and then he sold the building 
to the School Trustees. A union schoolhouse 
was erected on the line between the towns of 
Indiantown and Tiskilwa. This was the 
first brick schoolhouse in Bureau County. 
The first Principal in this school was Alaa- 
8on Benson. This building was used until 
1867, when the present house was completed. 

Lamoille. — In addition to many facts al- 
ready given of the schools in this place we 
give the following additional items: One of 
the first teachers was Miss Jennie Beach, 
whose school had the appearance of but a 
feeble remnant from the vacated nurseries of 
the few houses about there. Several private 
schools were then taught, of which we have 
already given an account. A building was 
erected in 1855. It was afterward converted 
into a Free Methodist Church. In this build- 
ing C. A. Davis, A. L. Stearne, A. W. Hem- 
pieman and Mr. Chapman taught good 
schools. A small building was purchased in 
which to teach the primary department. 
This was occupied during the winters of 
1864 and 1865. The latter year the schools 
were first graded by J. A. Mercer, for min 
years the Principal. To him is due much of 
the honor of the admirable schools the good 
people of this place have so long enjoyed. 

Neponset. — Miss Emma J. Moore has given 
the following account of the schools in this 



place: " The first school, in 1855-56, was 
taught by Julia A. Biglow in a house owned 
by William Bryan. In the summer she 
taught where William McFarland afterward 
resided. In 1857 Carrie Van Court taught 
in what is now George Robinson's kitchen. 
In 1858 the schoolhouse was built; Miss Van 
Court remained the teacher. In 1861 the 
building was sold and removed, and a new 
one erected, containing two rooms and two 
recitation rooms. C. L. Dunham and Ellen 
Bushwell were employed as teachers. In 
1867 an addition was made and Pi'of. Knapp 
became Principal. This house was burned 
April 14, 1870, on which was an insurance of 
$6,000. Then a brick building was erected 
at a cost of $14,000. After Mr. Knapp re- 
tired Prof. Joseph Bates was the Principal. 

Wyanet. — In 1854 a school was taught 
here. In 1867 a comfortable two -story 
schoolhouse was erected, containing four 
rooms. 

Dover. — The first teacher here after the 
erection of their school building was Mrs. 
Abigail Nichols. Then the present elegant 
building was erected, and Miss Emma Hor- 
ford was teacher. 

Maiden. — A small one-room building was 
first erected in Maiden for schools. It soon 
grew too small and their present building 
was erected. 

Leepertoicn. — For some years the only 
school in this township was taught in the 
village of Leepertown. In 1859 a large 
brick was built, accommodating eighty 
pupils. 

The wide-spread interest and the ready aid 
extended in every direction toward schools 
is well attested by the action of the County- 
Agricultural Society, where every year such 
munificent premiums are offered and paid for 
school work of every kind intended to stimu- 
late teachers and pupils to struggle for the 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



379 



prizes. This is already quite a feature of the 
annual society exhibitions, and the school 
exhibitions in the buildings erected for their 
especial purpose are well worthy the inspec- 
tion of all visitors. Over $200 in prizes were 
paid out this year (1884), and the growing 
interest in this part of the society's work is 
attested by the fact that the buildings should 
at once be greatly enlarged. 

In the county there are of school age — be- 
tween sis and twenty-one years of age — 5,052 
males and 5,111 females; a total population 
under twenty-one years of age of males, 
7,284, and females, 7,434. There are in the 
country 185 ungraded schools and 16 graded 
schools. Enrolled in the graded schools are 
males, 1,391; females, 1,407; in ungraded 
schools, 2.605 males and 2,356 females. 
There are 16 male teachers in graded schools 
and 45 females. The total number of teach- 
ers in the county, 244. There are 182 frame 
schoolhouses and 19 brick buildings. The 
highest wages paid any teacher in the county 
is $155.55 per month; the highest paid any 
female is $50 per month. The lowest paid 
any male teacher is |25 and any female $20. 
The total of the district school tax is $86,- 
486.87. Total value of school property, 
$265,365. Bonded debt, $5,830.60. Re- 
ceived from the State fund, 1884, $11,115.76. 
The total school expenditure for the last fis- 
cal year, $100,129.99. 

The present county school Superintendent, 
Jacob Miller, holds each year a county insti- 
tute of three weeks' duration, which is largely 
attended by nearly every teacher in the coun- 
ty, and is one source of the great eflSeiency 
of the schools of the county. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 

Bureau CouNxy and Its Blooded Stock — The Growth of This 
Valuable Indubtey — Who First Experimented in This Line 
— Cattle and Horses, etc. , etc. 

TO the Denhams, who came to this 
county in 1838, especially to Luther 
Denham, is due the credit of the first at- 
tempt to open here a stock farm; that is, 
a farm devoted to the propagation of im- 
proved stock of any kind. The brothers 
came here and examined the country with 
this project in view (more especially the rais- 
ing of improved sheep), and after examining 
the country far and wide concluded to pur- 
chase Red Oak Grove and make here an ex- 
tensive sheep farm. From the general state 
of the country the scheme was somewhat pre- 
matui'e in its attempted development, but it 
was an index mark in the right direction, and 
there is but little doubt but some of the 
great results the people are today enjoying 
were greatly accelerated in their coming by 
the far-seeing efforts of Mr. Denham. 

Robert Otley brought the first thorough- 
bred cow into the county. A few inferior 
graded cattle had been brought here, but this 
was the first thoroughbred- This was more 
than a quarter of a century ago, and the 
novelty of the thing is well attested by the 
excitement and gi'eat interest it created fai' 
and near. The word passed around that Ot- 
ley had brought into the county a cow that 
had cost $1,100. To a people that had 
bought and sold cows from $10 to $30 this 
was a marvel indeed. Long and special 
visits were made by many to see this remark- 
able animal. Up to this time the general 
theory was that good or poor stock was wholly 
a question of good pasturage and easy access 
to the corn crib. Therefore, size was the 
one thing looked at in judging cattle, and 



380 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



this and the probable amount of flesh that 
could be put on large, rough frames were the 
tokens of comparative value. But the start 
once made, as was done by Otiey, the value 
of blood and pedigree were soon well under- 
stood subjects, or at least sufficiently under- 
stood to interest men, and cause them to see 
that here were both profit and pleasure. 

Mr. W. L. Norris, of A^rlington, has placed 
us under great obligations for the following 
notes on improved stock: 

" The soil, climate, natural grasses, and 
later the cultivated grasses, and especially 
blue grass, stamped this country as one well 
adapted to cattle-raising to a greater extent 
than was usually found in good farming dis- 
tricts. Although many of the earlier settlers 
were reared in localities where stock-raising 
took a secondary and cropping a primary po- 
sition in the afifairs of agriculture, they soon 
decided that here on the fertile prairie it was 
much easier, and far better pecuniarily, to 
pay more attention to the raising of beef. 
The market was far from honJe, and it was 
much easier to have the extra produce in the 
form of flesh, which would walk to market, 
than to have it in grain which' had to be 
hauled. When the principal market for both 
grain and stock was Chicago this matter of 
transporting the crop was important, and it 
is still important, though the railroads come 
nearly to our doors; and it is considered 
more advisable than ever that the surplus of 
the farm should be in that shape which is the 
least trouble to move about and dispose of. 

" The improvment in the class of cattle from 
the first settlement of the coanty to the pres- 
ent time has been very great, and some think 
there is not much room for further advance- 
ment in this line. Any one going over the 
county from one side to the other in any di- 
rection cannot help but be struck with the 
wonderful difference of the grade of cattle 



in different localities. Although the number 
of improved bulls now used in the countj- is 
very great, there is still room for as many 
more, and the standard of excellence of those 
now in use could be very much raised before 
they would approach very near to the highest 
type of improved cattle. 

"While we have not the climate, and per- 
haps not so fine blue grass and living water 
as Kentucky, we can raise as good cattle as 
are raised anywhere, but they require more 
care and feed in winter, and the cost of pro- 
duction is materially increased. Compared 
with the older stock districts of Kentucky 
cattle-raising in this county is in its infancy. 

" One cannot say when the improvement in 
our cattle began, for it has been continued, 
to a greater or less extent, ever since the 
county was fairly settled. New settlers com- 
ing in brought their favorite stock, and some 
of it was so much better than the stock al- 
ready in the locality that it was sought after 
and extensively used as a source of improve- 
ment to the general stock. Frequently this 
improvement was not followed up by some- 
thing better, and the standard was not raised 
much for several years, and in too many cases 
went back somewhat. It was not always pos- 
sible to get improved stock at a price that 
these pioneers thought best to pay, and in 
many cases the desire for anything better 
than what they had or could obtain without 
much effort was lacking. They did not real- 
ize the importance of improved stock, and 
only obtained it when it was brought among 
them, lacking the energy required to advance 
under difficulties. 

" As the county became more settled up new 
arrivals from stock-growing districts brought 
their cattle with them, fully awake to the 
importance of good cattle, and satisfied that 
here was a place where they could be grown 
to great advantage. These men kept up their 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



381 



stock by bringing more as they were needed, 
and in many cases did not hesitate to obtain 
them from a considerable distance, generally 
the locality where they formerly resided. To 
such men as these, full of energy and awake 
to the possibilities of a new country, who 
were content to wait years to reap their re- 
ward, and were not discouraged if the im- 
mediate benefits were not great; who could 
withstand the opposition of their short-sight- 
ed neighbors, we owe our present improved 
stock of beef cattle. 

" The short-horns were the breed of cattle 
most extensively used in improving our beef 
cattle. Devons were introduced to some extent, 
but they finally gave place to short-horns. The 
short-horn cross on the native cattle was such 
an obvious improvement, and the pure bred 
ones such fine looking animals, that no eifort 
was made to try other breeds, as this one so 
nearly satisfied all, and was more easily ob- 
tained. I do not know of a Hereford ever 
being owned in the county up to the present 
time. 

" Polled cattle have been introduced lately, 
and are very popular with some people. They 
can never be subjected to as severe a test as 
an improved breed in this county as the short- 
horns were, because the average quality of 
our cattle on which they are to be crossed is 
so far ahead of the stock on which the short- 
horn was crossed with such marked success. 
So far the polls are all black, being either 
Galloway or Angus. 

" The first lot of these polls was brought 
to this county by A. L. Stevenson, of La- 
moille, in April, 1882. They were brought 
from Canada, and were mostly grade Angus, 
only a few being full-blooded. 

" In October, 1882, a shipment of twenty 
heifers and one bull of the Galloway breed 
were landed at Quebec, direct from Scotland. 
These were imported by I. H. Norris, of 



Lamoille, and after the usual quarantine, 
arrived at his farm. They were a strange 
sight to most of the people, as they saw them 
for the first time, with their long, shaggy hair 
and hornless heads, their jet black color in 
decided contrast to the snow; and their gen- 
eral appearance was so different from the 
cattle usually seen here. 

" In February, 1883, Charles Woods, of La- 
moille, got a few Galloway cattle from Michi- 
gan, mostly grades. This made Lamoille 
the center of polled cattle for the county, 
and when, a year after receiving his first, 
Mr. Norris received twenty-three Galloway 
calves direct from Scotland, he took the lead 
in polled cattle for the county. They are 
a new thing, and as yet but little tried, and 
their special merits in this prairie country 
are not yet known. Their friends are very 
enthusiastic and predict a bright future for 
their favorites. 

"So far as I can ascertain, the first pure bred 
short-horns were brought to this county by 
Evan Ogan, from Greene County, Ohio, in 
1848. This was only two years after the 
publication of the first volume of the Ameri- 
can Short-horn Herdbook, and pedigrees were 
not so carefully kept then as later, and it is 
not much to be wondered at though greatly 
regretted that the pedigrees of this lot were 
lost. It may have been for the common good 
that such was the case, as without pedigrees 
their value was materially lessened, and 
people could afford to own them who might 
not have been able to own the same cattle 
with pedigrees. Then, too, they stood on 
their individual merit, and were sought after 
and kept for their superior qualities, and 
their worst enemies could not say pedigree 
was all there was to them. They were good 
representatives of the breed as it existed then, 
and their descendants are still owned and 
highly valued in the same neighborhood 



382- 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



where they first arrived. They still furnish 
some of the best cattle that go from here to 
the beef -markets. About 1856 he returned 
to Ohio and brought out six head of pedi- 
greed cattle, which he kept here until about 
1870, when he went to Missouri and took 
most of his cattle with him. 

" Ira P. Evans purchased of J. N. Brown & 
Sons, Berlin, 111., a bull, in 1854, and the 
same yeiir or the year following purchased 
several heifers of the same firm. 

" The same year William Cummings, of 
Buda, purchased a bull, and has used thor- 
oughbred bulls ever since. 

" In 1863 Owen Lovejoy, of Princeton, pur- 
chased two heifers and a bull, of Alexander, 
of Kentucky. The bull was by the imp. 
Duke of Airdrie (12730), and one of the 
heifers was recorded, the other was not. 
Before this Mr. L. had kept Devons. These 
Kentucky cattle were sold at the sale, and 
the stock remained in the neighborhood. 

" In 1864 William Norris, of Arlington, pur- 
chased three registered cows of J. N. Brown 
& Sons, which formed the foundation of his 
present herd. He had used short-horn 
bulls a few years before. This is the oldest 
herd now kept in the county, and at the pres- 
ent time contains more thoroughbred cattle 
than any other herd in the county. 

" In 1869 xMr. Norris purchased of F. W. 
Stone, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, 3d Grand 
Duke of Moreton 8252. This bull proved 
very prepotent, and at one time the number 
of his sons used as sires in the county far 
excelled those of any other bull. They were 
prepotent like their sire, and it can be safely 
said that this bull did more to improve the 
general gi-ade of cattle than any other ever 
owned in the county. His sons and grand- 
sons were universally extra beef animals. 

" The original stock increased, and additions 
were made by purchase, new bulls being 



required every few years, and cows were 
added to raise the standard of breeding in 
the herd. Some of these cows were of noted 
stock. Among them might be mentioned 
Miss Maggie, a daughter of the famous Miss 
Wiley cow. Duchess of Clark; Geneva's 
Beauty, by 5th Duke of Geneva (33645); 
Sidonia 5th, by imp. Grand Duke of Thorn- 
dale, 2d (31298); and her daughter, by Duke 
of Oxford, 38th (38172); a Kenick Eose of 
Sharon, and others from some of the best 
herds. 

"Among the bulls used on the herd, the 
Young Mary bull, Kentucky 44074, was one 
of the best. He was bred by Vanmeter and 
Hamilton, Kentucky, sired by 20th Duke of 
Airdrie 13872, and is nearly related to the 
cow, Young Mary Dvichess 2d, sold by A. L. 
Hamilton, Kentucky, June 11, 1884, for 
$2,275. 

" The last piirchase was the imp. Oxford 
bull. Baron Oxford, of Niagara 42811. He 
comes of royal stock, and from the Bates 
standard, he is the best bred bull ever owned 
in the county; and but few of his family are 
owned in the State. 

" This herd now contains over 150 head, all 
females but about twenty. 

" In 1865, B.Vantress, of Maiden, purchased 
a thoroughbred bull, and the next year a cow, 
which formed the foundation of a herd. He 
has been a breeder ever since, and while his 
herd has never been very large (comprising 
at present about thirty head), it has contained 
some noted animals, and Mr. V. has shown 
much enterprise in obtaining good cattle, and 
the stock he raised has done much to improve 
the cattle of the county. The Princess, bull. 
Prince Oxford 53317, heads his herd. 

" In 1869 William Cummings, of Buda, pur- 
chased a few cows of Robert Otley, Kewanee, 
mentioned above, and C. B. Price, of Ottawa, 
which formed the foundation of his herd, 



HISTOBY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



3iB5 



which at present numbers seventy- eight head, 
and is headed by Earl of Richmond (29480); 
(a Cruickshank bull); Viscount Booth and 
Major Bly, 3d. They have shown their cat- 
tle at local fairs more perhaps than anyone 
else in the county, and notwithstanding they 
have competed with herds from a distance, 
and even from different States, have been 
successful in winning many prizes, show- 
ing that our county has as good cattle as 
others. He owns the famous show cow Con- 
quest 2d, A Young Phyllis, bred in Ken- 
tucky, and winner of over $2,300 in 
prizes. 

" In the fall of 1873 Dr. Winter, of Prince- 
ton, purchased two thoroughbred cows and a 
bull calf, and in August, 1874, purchased the 
entire herd of Dr. J. M. Irvine, Sharon, 
Penn., consisting of nineteen head, lead by 
the Lady Elizabeth, bull, Clay Muscatoon 
11517, bred by William C. Vanmeter, Ken- 
tucky. He proved to be a remarkably fine 
breeding bull, and laid the foundation of the 
present standing of the herd. In 1876 he 
purchased of George Murray, Racine, Wis., 
the bull Mayflower 10469, noted among short- 
horn breeders as one of the best breed- 
ing and show bulls. His get have brought 
as high as $1,650 at public sale. Mayflower 
raised the character of the herd very much. 
The Princess bull '2d Duke of Mt. Zion 
29303', was used on the herd with good 
result. In 1882 he purchased the imp. Wild 
Eyes bull, 'Wild Duke of Geneva, 14th,' a 
pure Bates bull, and his calves are proving 
very fine. Anyone breeding Bates cattle 
might well be proud of owning such a bull. 
Of his cows he has more Young Marys than 
any other family, and prizes them highly. 
Among his other cows are a well-bred Vel- 
lum, a Hilpa, Butterfly's Duchess, etc. Dr. 
Winter owned imp. Maid of Honor, the prize 
cow at the Centennial, for several years, but 



she left him no produce. His herd now 
numbers seventy-five head. 

" The Pleasant Ridge stock farm herd, 
owned by J. W. Aldrich, of Arispe, was 
founded by Verry Aldrich, in 1874. It now 
numbers twenty-eight head. The imported 
Victoria heifer, from the herd of Amos 
Cruickshank, Lyttiton, Scotland, together 
with the bull Viscount (35894), from the same 
place, were perhaps the best animals brought 
into the herd. Viscount was a very fine 
breeding bull, and was followed in the herd 
by Royal Duke of Pleasant Ridge 36889, 
one of his get, improving the stock very 
much. 

" George M. Betz, of Mendota, has a herd 
of about seventy-five animals, headed by the 
Gwynne bull Nigel 46653. 

" John R. Paden, Ohio, has a herd of nine 
head, and Webb Bros., of Buda, one of 
twenty-two head, reported in the Directory 
for 1884 of the Illinois Short-horn Breeders' 
Association. 

" There are many others who keep a few 
short-horns, and still others who have been 
prominent breeders and dealers, but have 
since gone out of the business. A list of 
these is necessarily incomplete. Among 
them are: John Shugart, Elijah Dee, P. R. 
Shugart, A. C. Boggs, H. C. Reasoner, W. 
C. Henderson, H. C. Hield, Princeton; Jo. 
Brigham, S. P. Clarke, Dover; J. Benedict, 
John Fields, Arlington; B. Kirk, M. Dewey, 
A. J. Hains, Ohio; V. O. Cresap, Lu. 
Long, Van Orin; Samuel Hills, H. L. Pick- 
ering, Lamoille, and George Otley, of Nepon- 
set, who once owned the best bred and high- 
est priced herd in the county, but these were 
sold a few years ago, and but few of them 
remained in the county." 

[The above notes on improved stock were 
furnished by W. L. Norris of Arlington.] 
I. H. Norris and his daughter, Mrs. Ken- 



386 



HISTORr OF BUKEAU COUNTY. 



dall, imported, in 1882-83, two droves of 
world-wide celebrated Galloway cattle. 
These were the first importation of this breed 
into the county, and there is not much doubt 
already but they will at once take front rank 
among the cattle breeders. The short- horns, 
the polled Angus and the Galloways are 
now the great leading favorites in the world, 
and while the Galloways are the last to come 
here, they certainly are destined not to re- 
main the least. They take their name from 
Galloway County, Scotland, where they have 
been reared for centuries. The distinguish- 
ing marks of these cattle are: The color is 
black, with brownish tinge; head short and 
wide, withoat the slightest symptoms of 
horns or scurs; hair soft and wavy, with mossy 
undercoat; wiry or curly hair is objectionable. 
Quite a controversy is now raging in En- 
gland over the comparative value of the polled 
Angus and the Galloways. Of the latter it 
is conceded they are the thriftiest and hardi- 
est cattle in the world. Centm-ies of growth 
upon the bleak hills of Scotland, upon a 
stubborn soil and in a severe climate, and 
without stabling, they seem to combine qual- 
ities that have never before been equalled. 

It is mainly as a beef -producing breed that 
the Galloways have made a name for them- 
selves. The quality of their beef is very 
similar to that produced by the West High- 
land and polled Aberdeen-Angus breeds, and 
is exceptionally good. Indeed, the beef of 
these varieties ranks as "prime Scots" in 
Smithfield and the other leading British fat 
markets, where it sells higher than that of 
the other breeds. Its superiority arises from 

he fact that it is well marbled, the fat being 
well intermixed with the lean. The Druid — 
the celebrated H. H. Dixon, author of the 
Royal Agricultural Society of England's 
Prize Essay on Short-horns, 1865, says: 

' ' There is no better or finer mottled beef in 



the world than the Galloway and Angus, and 
so the Smithfield prices show." To a similar 
efi'ect Mr. M'Combie, the well known polled 
Angus breeder testifies: "There is no other 
breed worth more by the pound weight than 
a first-class Galloway." Joseph Hill, butcher, 
Wigan (England), who has been fifty years 
in the trade, says: "As a beef- producing 
breed there are no cattle in my opinion equal 
to Galloways. The quality is superior to 
any I ever killed, and the offal more profita- 
ble. I have been fifty years in the trade, 
and always found Galloway cattle second to 
none." Thomas Burrell, cattle salesman, 
London, says: "I can safely say that no 
breed of cattle in the London market fetch 
more per pound than Galloways when they 
are prime fat." John Gibbons & Sons, cat- 
tle salesmen, Liverpool, say: "Galloway 
cattle have always been in great favor with 
butchers in oiu- market, being full of flesh, 
and having good offal. When fat no beef 
commands a higher price per pound." John 
Cross, butcher, Warrington, says: "It is my 
opinion that Galloway cattle are the best 
butchers' beasts, both as regards quality of 
beef and proportion of oifal. They are with- 
out doubt what is wanted at present — beef, 
not bone and fat." These testimonies borne 
by breeders, feeders, cattle-salesmen and 
butchers are sufiicient to show that the beef 
produced by Galloway cattle cannot be ex- 
celled in any point of view. In respect of 
proportion of dead to live weight, Galloways 
kill unusually well. Butchers who purchase 
the best class of matured Galloways state 
that they estimate them to dress about 60 
per cent of their live weights, which, we need 
not say, is above the average of other breeds. 
Exceptionally good animals yield even a 
higher percentage. A feeder a few years ago 
sold a Galloway heifer, two years nine months 
old, whose live weight was 1,690 pounds, and 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



387 



her dead weight 1,120 pounds, that is, up- 
ward of 06 per cent of beef. 

The Galloways are wintered in the open 
air. As the Druid in his Field and Fern 
said: " The sky and the hills of the glen are 
their only winter shelter; and however deep 
the snow may be they are kept out in the 
field." This plan has been pursued from 
time immemorial. Alton, writing in 1810, 
says: "The calves are allowed the shelter of 
a byre in the night time and some fodder 
during the first winter, but are turned out and 
only get a little straw or hay in some shel- 
tered place in time of snow in after winters." 
This system is pursued not from scarcity of 
house accommodation, but of deliberate 
choice by farmers who could conveniently 
give them the shelter of a roof. The induce- 
ment is not to save labor in attendance upon 
them, but it has been found from very length- 
ened experience that from their hardy consti- 
tution, and being inured to exposure, they 
are not only able to stand the severities of 
the climate, but that they thrive better and 
make more progi-ess during the succeeding 
summer and autumn when wintered in the 
open air than under cover. The uniform 
testimony of experienced persons is that if 
two lots of Galloway cattle are wintered, the 
one in the house and the other outside — each 
lot being fed on the same diet, not only dixr- 
ing the winter, but also during the svmamer 
months — the ones which have had no roof 
except the sky above them will be decidedly 
better cattle the following autumn than those 
which were well housed during the winter. 
As the Druid put it, " Capt. Kennedy's ex- 
perience is to the effect that unsheltered bul- 
locks come to hand quicker in the spring 
than if they have the shed option." In Au- 
gust, 1883, a lot of Galloway steers, eight- 
een months old, were sold in Wigtownshire 
to a Liverpool cattle salesman for grazing 



purposes at £25 (120 dollars) each. Unfort- 
unately they had not been put on the scales, 
so that we cannot give their weight, but, ex- 
cept for two months after they were calved, 
they had never spent a single night with a 
roof over their heads. 

Galloways are thus able to endure hard- 
ship arising from exposure to the elements 
during the severest weather in winter. The 
temperature in the lower parts of their na- 
tive province is occasionally very warm in 
summer, and they stand that extreme equally 
well. They are still grazed pretty extensively 
in some of the warmest counties in England, 
and no breed there suffers less inconvenience 
from the heat or makes more progress than 
they do. It has, indeed, long since been 
demonstrated, that their vigorous, hardy con- 
stitutions enable them to stand the fatigue of 
traveling in very hot weather. At the end 
of the last century and beginning of this, 
when annually from 20,000 to 30,000 head 
were driven on foot from Galloway, a dis- 
tance of 400 miles, to the southeastern coun- 
ties of England, it was found that however 
broiling and trying the heat was, they not 
only remained fresh and active dm-ing the 
journey, but they invariably improved in con- 
dition on the road. We may add — what is 
an important consideration in the case of 
cows which drop their calves in the open — 
that newly dropped Galloway calves are 
hardy, active, and well covered with hair, 
and, therefore, they can withstand the cold 
as well as seek their natui-al food at a very 
early period. In a very short time after 
birth " they are up and at it." 

Some of the best cattle men in England 
and in this country fully agree with Thomas 
Bun-ell, cattle-salesman, London, when he 
said: "I find after several years' experience 
that the cross between the Galloway and 
short-horn are the best feeders, and they are 



388 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



the best cattle in onr Christmas market every 
year. " 

Milkers. — This industry has not kept pace 
with that of raising the beef-producing cattle 
in this part of the State. We predict this will 
not always be the case, because this is a 
natural point for cheese factories and 
creameries. One of the staple crops here, 
next to King Corn, is grass; and the 
luxuriant growth of blue grass will always 
furnish the best pasturage, and the supply of 
the purest water can be furnished from wells 
that will tap an inexhaustible supply of 
pure water a few feet below the surface, and 
cheap windmills will keep them flowing crys- 
tal fountains. It is obvious that here is every 
essential requirement for the products of the 
dairy in their best form. 

Mr. R. B. Frary, raiser and dealer in reg- 
istered Jersey stock, of Lamoille, sends us 
the following on this subject: 

" It is now a well estabished fact in the 
minds of all who have given the subject at- 
tention that Bureau County is an excellent 
one for dairying purposes. Careful compari- 
son of the products with that of the New 
England States demonstrates that ours is not 
inferior to theirs. We have all the requisites 
for making butter fully equal to the best. 
We have the Jersey cow, a luxuriant growth 
of rich gi-asses, and we depend largely on 
wells and wind-mills for our stock water, and 
consequently have an abundant supply of 
pure water, an indispensible article for mak- 
ing good butter. In about 1874 Deacon 
Enos Smith, of Maldon, brought into this 
county a pair of Jersey calves, a bull named 
Frank, and a heifer, Lillie Bell, from 
which he raised a choice dairy herd. In 
1876 I shipped in from Massachusetts the 
famous Jersey bull, Bob Muhler (1442), and 
two cows, and I have made repeated ship- 
ments since, in all, 120 head. Many of these 



animals have been sold to parties, thus form- 
ing nuclei for dairy herds. Among the pur- 
chasers were: D. W. Lawrence, of Berlin; 
J. M. Stultz; Richardson Bros., of Ohio 
Station; Fredrick Hintz, of Selby; A. L. 
Steele and M. Bradon, Dover, and Palmer & 
Foreman, Walnut, and many others. I be- 
lieve all these would readily testify to the 
good qualities of the Jersey as a butter-mak- 
ing cow. And as this has now ceased to be a 
wheat-growing country, the farmers of ne- 
cessity have had to turn their attention 
more to stock-raising; and I see no reason 
why the raising of a well-known breed of 
dairy stock should not be as remunerative as 
the raising of beef breeds or horses. My , 
experience of eight years in handling and 
raising Jerseys is that a well-bred heifer will 
command as good price at two years old as a 
well fed steer will bring at three years old." 

Creamery. — The Walnut creamery, but now 
of Lamoille, was built in 1881 by J. J. 
McNeil. It is now run by J. J. and W. 
McNeil. During the past summer season 
(1884) they manufactured 1,300 to 1,700 
pounds of butter daily; this being, we be- 
lieve, the largest daily yield of any other 
creamery in the State. At the Lamoille 
branch during the winter months they man- 
ufacture butterine. 

Cheese Factory. — The Willow Springs 
Factory, of Indiantown, was originally built 
by a joint stock company. It was burned in 
1880, and rebuilt in 1881 by P. C. Bacon and 
S. G. Loverhill. They sold to Fosmer & 
Crofoot, and after running it a short time 
they sold back to P. C. Bacon, its present 
proprietor. The capacity of this factory is 
10,000 pounds of milk per day, and the 
whole is so arranged as to easily convert it 
into a creamery. The products are not 
shipped away, but are used to supply the lo- 
cal demand. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



389 



Horses. — " He snuffs the battle afar oflf; 
he clothes his neck with thunder, " said the 
sacred songster thousands of years ago. This 
was the war-horse, more human than his bar- 
barous master, yet he made his glories mani- 
fest even to them; and now how true it is 
that peace hath her victories more renowned 
than war. The horse is the crowning glory — 
the fleet-footed, proud-stepping King — of the 
whole brute creation. He has kept pace with 
the mai'ch of man in the line of civilization. 
From the degraded pack-horse to the famed 
war-horse, where he has gained the post of 
chief mourner, bearing the empty saddle in 
the procession as his dead rider was carried 
to his final resting-place, when his country 
was draped in solemn black, and in the walks 
of peace has taken his place as still the best 
and first of man's dumb and faithful slaves 
and companions, until he has in the markets 
commanded the highest prices in money val- 
ue of any other slave, either brute or human. 
The story of the victories and achievements 
of the thoroughbred horse are quite as inter- 
esting and far more instructive than the best 
constructed romance. The names of Lex- 
ington, Hambletonian, Flora Temple and 
Maud S. and many others will not soon be 
forgotten. Hambletonian for many years 
yielded his owner $350,000 annually. This 
is a fact well known to horse- men. The 
writer will never forget the grand sight he 
witnessed at the St. Louis fair in 1855, when 
there were displayed in the ring fifty of the 
best bred stallions in the country. And 
among them was Lexington. He was blind 
and feeble with age, and was led in with a 
groomsman at each side of his bridle bit. 
His head was drooped, as were his ears, and 
those who knew nothing of the horse must 
have wondered why that old " crow-bait " 
was led into the ring. But the crowd recog- 
nized him, and what a cheer went up from 



the vast audience. The blind old horse 
heard the wild cheering, and in a moment 
his head and ears were up, his nostrils were 
dilated, and he was Lexington again — upon 
the track, and ready to dash forward to the 
goal. What an instantaneous — what a won- 
derful transformation! And when his noble 
blood was fired how grand he looked — the 
very soul of action and strength and endur- 
ance. 

The Blue Grass regions of Kentucky have 
become celebrated as the natural home of the 
finest type of the horse. The soil, the grass 
and the water ai'e the secrets of this great 
success. Many of our best informed stock- 
men are convinced that Bureau County pos- 
sesses every special advantage that may be 
found in Kentucky for the propagation of 
thoroughbred stock, horses and cattle espec- 
ially. And while the business is now in its 
experimental state, yet its rapid growth in 
the past few years and the intelligent inter- 
est that is manifested by the leading men of 
the county, plainly indicate a great future is 
in store here for the stock fanciers. The 
following is a partial list of the leading 
breeders of fine horses in the county: Isaac 
H. Norris, Lamoille; S. P. Clark, Dover; 
"William Norris, Arlington; Dr. W. H. Win- 
ter, Princeton: James Dunbar, Lamoille; 
Justus Stevens and J. I. Carpenter, Prince- 
ton; and Dr. Ezekiel Stitson, Neponset 

Trotting Horses. — This strain of horses 
was brought to Bureau County with reference 
to improving the breed of horses ia 1872. 
Mr. E. S. Wordsworth and his cousin, James 
Wordsworth, brought here some of the best 
thoroughbred stock then to be bought. They 
brought from Orange County, N. Y., several 
stallions and mares descended directly from 
imported Messenger, the "great progenitor 
of trotters." The most noted were: Menelaus, 
Maj. Grant, Silver Duke and Woodlawn. 



390 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Menelaus was a son of Rysdyke's Hamble- 
tonian, Silver Duke and Woodlawn grand- 
sons, and Maj. Grant a great-grandson. 
The mares and fillies were numerous, and 
most of them of the best trotting and thor- 
oughbred families. All were brought into 
this county to be " wintered," because of the 
fine quality of hay and pastures and the 
cheapness of grain. The Wordsworths lived 
near, and did business in Chicago, and had 
just gone extensively into the "blooded horse" 
business when the Chicago fire of October, 
1871, so crippled them in business that they 
were obliged to sell many of their best horses, 
and get cheaper pasturage than close prox- 
imity to a great city could afford. Their 
enterprise was a total failure financially for 
three reasons: They had bought their stock 
when f)rices were at the highest point, and 
they sustained great losses in the Chicago 
fire, and both were inexperienced in the 
stock business. Both men soon became 
bankrupt, their fine selection of horses scat- 
tered, and the experiment was pronounced a 
failure. The men have passed into obscurity, 
but many of the horses that they brought 
from Orange County, N. Y., and from Ken- 
tucky, have become famous, and the breeders 
have scarcely profited by their experience, 
because they were made over-cautious. There 
were no horse-breeders nor horsemen in the 
county with experience, so that noblest of 
animals, the trotting horse, fared badly for 
many years, and, but for his fine constitu- 
tion and perfect breeding, he would have 
become obscure if not extinct. Many very 
fine driving horses have been raised; many 
very fine animals have been ruined utterly 
by so-called training, and others killed out- 
right. A horseman needs to be as well bred 
and as delicately organized as his horse. 
Instead, we find a most ignorant, coarse and 
often brutal man possessing sole power over 



a horse that generations of fine breeding 
have made perfect. Ignorance, stupidity 
and inexjserience seem to have combined 
against the trotting horse of Bureau County, 
and his career here cannot be considered a 
success. The only celebrated trotting horse 
ever raised in the county is the mare Cleora, 
bred by Mr. James Wordsworth, raised by 
Mr. I. N. Norris, and bought, when matured 
and trained, by Mr. William Rockafeller, of 
New York City. Her sire was Menelaus, and 
her dam Thornleaf. Thornleaf's sire is 
Mambrino Patchen, and her dam was Dandy, 
one of the most famously-bred mares in 
America, descending in several direct lines 
from imported Messenger. Dandy was gray, 
so is Thornleaf, and Cleora is black in color, 
her sire, Menelaus, being a rich mahogany 
bay. Cleora's best recorded time before Mr. 
Rockafeller bought herwa8 2:18|, but it was 
thought she could have easily trotted in 2:14 
if it had been thought desirable to have al- 
lowed her to make such a record. She has 
twice been di'iven double with Independence, 
a grandson of her grandmother, Dandy, a 
mile in 2:16i, and they have trotted more 
heats under 2:18 than any other team. She 
is thought by some to be a better and faster 
mare than Maud S., but has not had the ad- 
vantage of the same wise and careful train- 
ing. If the man who broke and trained and 
drove her up to the time of her purchase by 
Mr. Rockafeller, Arnold Grey, could have re- 
mained her trainer and driver, she might 
have become as famous as her cousin, 
Maud S. 

Three of Cleora's half sisters are owned 
by I. H. Norris, and are very valuable ani- 
mals. Baronet is also owned by I. H. 
Norris, who brought him from Kentucky. 
He also owns the celebrated stallion, Cas- 
tillian, sired by Gov. Sprague. This horse 
came from Crystal Lake, Henry County. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



391 



Draft Horses. — This breed of horsea has 
been a success in Bureau County for two 
reasons — the pasturage is the best in the 
■world, and great care has been taken in 
importing the best horses from France, 
Scotland, England and Canada. They 
are no more trouble to raise than cat- 
tle; there is a market for colts and fillies as 
soon as they are weaned, and geldings at 
three years are ready for the home market, 
and four and five are ready for the city. 

The Norman-Percheron has been the most 
extensively raised, and was the first of the 
three draft breeds to be introduced into this 
county. The Princeton Drafthorse Breeding 
Company sent Mr. N. C. Buswell twice to 
France to select for them some of the best 
horses to be had in France. He brought in 
two separate importations, and their value to 
the county can scarcely be over-estimated. 
A man in Neponset began importing about 
the same time, and he now has one of the 
most extensive Percheron-Norman breeding 
establishments in the State. He also has 
raised some Clydesdale horses. Dr. William 
H. Winter also has a large and very fine 
Percheron-Norman breeding establishment. 
Mr. I. H. Norris and his brother Mr. William 
Norris are also extensively engaged in breed- 
ing and raising these horses. Mr. I. H. 
Norris has at the head of his establishment 
the imported stallion Vallient, selected and 
brought over by Mr. N. C. Buswell in his 
second importation. 

It was in 1873 that a company of men of 
the townships of Princeton, Berlin and Ohio 
organized and commenced to import the 
thoroughbred Norman horses, and in this 
year and the next year they imported some 
very fine horses. The agent. Col. Nick C. 
Buswell, visited Europe and made all their 
selections. The first idea was to import for 
themselves, but afterward they imported to 



supply a home demand for these horses that 
rapidly grew ip. proportions. Among their 
first customers were the Norrises, Dan- 
ham, Dillon, Becket and Perry. In 1881 I. 
H. Norris and S. P. Clark imported three 
English draft horses, and in 1882 they 
brought twelve, and in 1883 they imported 
thirty stallions and mares of the best breeds 
they could procure of the draft horse. Of 
Col. Buswell's first importation, the Berlin 
company got one; the Princeton company one, 
and J. R. Carpenter one; O. J. Evans one; 
Dr. Winters got two mares, and William 
Joder, Tiskilwa, one, and the Ohio company 
one. A man named Stepson, in the spring 
of 1874, brought over two stallions and a 
mare. 

The stallions crossed with the common 
horse has increased their value 100 per cent, 
and the same ratio of improvement continues 
to the three-fourths and other improved 
bloods. Some of the best posted men we 
have, men who make their estimates from 
careful observations, are free to say that in 
ten years from date Bureau County will 
show a better strain of thoroughbreds than is 
now possessed by France. The benefits to 
the horse will come of our superior grass and 
water and careful selection of breeders and 
judicious crossings. 

Of the many very excellent draft horses 
imported, it is said by those who we suppose 
know, that Valliant, owned by I. H. Norris, 
selected by Col. Buswell, has sired more first- 
class colts than any other horse yet brought 
here. Another famous horse of Col. Bus- 
well's selection, and now owned by the 
Princeton company, is Malbranch. He was 
brought to this county in 1873. The same 
company own La Force. Dr. Winter's two 
stallions have already yielded him over $20,- 
000 the past ten years. The value of fine 
stock is somewhat manifest when it is consid- 



393 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



ered that Dr. Winter's horses are just com- 
mencing to reach the period of large profits. 

Mr. Wan-en, although comparatively a new 
beginner in the horse line, has raised already 
over twenty-five roadsters. One mare, Nellie 
Grant, has a record, made in Peoria in 1883, 
of 33^. This is the only one of his herd he 
has trained. 

The Berlin Township Importing Company 
was the first in the county to move in the 
matter of importing thoroughbred horses. 
They commenced with the Norman, and since 
then many have imported the Clydesdale. 
The two breeds have their special admirers. 



CHAPTEK XXXIII. 

Political Affairs Genebally— Census of Bureau County — 
Douglas and Stuart's Race to Congress — The Size of the 
District — Postoffices and Postmasters — Tne Vote of the 
County — Wolf Hunts — Roads — An Old Relic — H. L. Kin- 
ney, etc.. etc. 

THIS county has had rather more than 
its share of variety in politics. When 
there were but nineteen votes in the county 
the tii'st election, there were but five of them 
Whigs. The others were Democrats and 
Jackson Democrats. The distinction be- 
tween a Democrat and a Jackson Dem- 
ocrat was the difference between " a " 
and "an out- and-outer.'' And it is said, 
by way of illustration, that an " out and- 
outer " was so intensely for Jackson" first, 
last and all the time," that his descend- 
ants are still voting away for Old Hick- 
ory. As the county began to fill^upwith set- 
tlers, the Whigs began to manifest their 
strength, and in the early forties it became 
rather painfully evident to the ' ' Hunkers " 
and "Barnburners," " Loco-Focos " and 
Democrats (t,he latter term including all the 



others), that the Whigs were a power in the 
county not to be despised. In 1844 the Dem- 
ocrats began to divide on the slavery ques- 
tion, and the Whigs stuck the closer together 
when they saw dissensions in the enemy's 
ranks; this, too, in the face of the fact 
that originally the northern Whigs had been 
the original anti-slavery or Emancipation 
party. This latter party had its origin in 
the South, among slave-holders, and the 
northern Whigs attached but a small portion 
of their party enthusiasm to this branch of 
the party faith. They rather inclined more 
strongly, as the cardinal idea of their politics 
leaned, to Mr. Clay's protective tariff theories. 
In the National political contests the Whigs, 
though generally outvoted, yet had suffi- 
cient victories, some of them overwhelm- 
ing, upon the enemy, to keep them in line, 
and ever eager to take up the guantlet of 
the Democracy. But it seems from inherent 
elements in that organization it really com- 
menced to decay, or rather to disintegrate, 
at least a decade before the death of its great 
and illustrious leader, Henry Clay. He was 
strong enough to rally it at all times with an 
unbroken front — with every appearance of 
lusty vitality, yet a kind of internal dry rot 
was upon it, and when his hands were folded 
upon his quiet breast, it quickly passed away 
and its ranks were busy finding some flag to 
enlist under, to renew the tight against the 
long hated Jackson Democracy. In the 
meantime the Democrats were quarreling 
much among themselves; and Democratic 
bolter's candidates in the Presidential elec- 
tion, were well calculated to further widen 
the breeches in the ranks. The malcontent 
Democrats thus began to call themselves Free 
Soilers, and in this part of the country they 
took upon themselves the name of the Lib- 
erty party. 

When the county found it was in political 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



393 



existence, it was a question of great doubt 
what party was in the ascendancy in north- 
ern Illinois. In fact, all over the State at 
that time, the Whigs were moving over the 
face of the land with energy, resolution and 
confident power. In 1838 John T. Stuart, 
who now resides in Springfield, and is of the 
law firm of Stuart, Edwards & Brown, was 
the Whig candidate for Congress in the 
Northwestern Congressional District in this 
State. Stephen A. Douglas was the Demo- 
cratic candidate. The district extended from 
the northwestern corner of the State down 
the Mississippi River to and including Cal- 
houn County, and extended east so as to 
include Greene and old Morgan Counties, 
and thence up through McLean County to 
the northern line. It included probably 
forty or more counties, which were for the 
most part thinly settled. The canvass com- 
menced in March, the two candidates travel- 
ing often together on horseback, and lasted 
until the first Monday in August, when the 
election was held. The voting was viva voce 
under the old Constitution, so that each 
man's vote was recorded opposite to his 
name. 

Douglas was in Chicago on the day of the 
election, and he received so large a vote in 
Cook County that he had no doubt of his elec- 
tion. He was so elated that when he started 
for Jacksonville, where he then resided, he 
took his seat on the front of the stage with 
the driver, and traveled on down to Lockport, 
receiving the congratulations of his friends 
on the way. When he got to the latter 
place he found that the canal men and hands 
had voted against him because in the Legis- 
lature he was in favor of the " shallow cut," 
and opposed to a deep canal. Mr. E. B. 
Talcott was then an assistant engineer on the 
canal works and resided in Lockport. He 
engineered the bolt and induced the scratch- 



ing of Douglas' name from Democratic tickets 
and substituting Stuart's. This was a dis- 
couraging aspect of the case, but as Douglas 
proceeded southward on his journey he found 
that this defection did not extend far below 
Lockport, and that Ottawa and Peru and the 
residue of the canal regions had given him 
the usual Democratic majorities. But when 
he arrived at Peoria, which was then the cen- 
tral point whence the stages converged, he 
found that the Military Tract was less favor- 
able to him than he had expected, and the 
belief was there that Stuai't was elected by a 
small majority. It was so close, however, that 
the result was claimed by both parties, and 
doubt was not removed until the official 
returns reached the office of the Secretary of 
State, which showed that Douglas was elected 
by eight majority. 

Mr. James Matheny, who was at that time 
a young and very ardent Whig, said he 
believed " ' the Democrats had been cheating 
us," and if any one would pay his expenses 
he would saddle his horse in the morning and 
go to every county seat and examine the poU- 
books. Mr. Stuart paid his expenses and he 
made the esaminatiou, traveling over the 
whole district and examining all the poU- 
books. He found quite a number of errors, 
but they all canceled each other, except in 
one precinct, where the poll-book showed that 
in carrying over Stuart's vote from one page 
where he had a majority his votes were put 
into the Douglas column on the next page 
and Douglas' into his. Correcting this mis- 
take the decision of the returns was reversed, 
and Stuart elected by twelve or thirteen votes. 
This was done and the facts certified to the 
Secretary of State, and Stuart got the certifi- 
cate. 

Douglas contemplated contesting the elec- 
tion upon the ground that the original 
returns in the Secretary's office showed that 



I 
394 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



he was elected, and there was no law author- 
izing amending the returns. He consulted 
Senator Thomas H. Benton on the subject, 
who advised him not to contest, and said to 
him that though the House might be largely 
Democratic he would not probably get his 
seat, for he had not received a majority of 
the votes. Moreover, he said a young and 
aspiring politician could not afford to be 
counted in when he was not elected. Douglas 
took his advice and abandoned the contest. 
Stuart took his seat and was re-elected to 
the Whig Congress. 

Abraham Lincoln had just been admitted 
to the bar, and when Stuart started for Wash- 
ington he left his business with Mr. Lincoln, 
whom he had admitted to a copartnership in 
his office in Springfield. 

Maj. Stuart in the new deal in politics 
found himself a Democrat, and was elected 
to the first Lincoln Congress as such, and 
occupied a Democratic seat in that House for 
the same number of years that he had a gen- 
eration before when he came there as a Whig. 

Up to the year 1832 there was but one Con- 
gressional District in the State. There were 
two more added at that time, and the terri- 
tory out of which this county was formed was 
in the Third District, which embraced all the 
country north of a line drawn across the 
State from just south of Quincy to a point on 
the State Line a few miles south of Danville, 
excepting the counties of Champaign, Ver- 
million, and Iroquois, and the district was 
represented in Congress by William L. Blay 
from 1833 to 1838. 

Daniel P. Cook had represented the entire 
State from 1818 up to 1827, and Joseph Dun- 
can from 1827 to 1833. 

Gov. Coles, in bis message to the Legislature 
in January, 1826, congratulated that body 
upon the fact that the State then contained a 
population of 72,817 souls. 



In 1850 the Whigs were the masters in 
Bureau County. They stood with a bold 
front in every contest with the factions that 
constituted the opposition. The Whig County 
Central Committee consisted of Oliver Boyle, 
Amos Fisher, Ashel Lomax, Alpheus Cook 
and S. A. Paddock; and the prominent 
workers through the county were: W. B. 
Whipple, Milo; James M. Dexter, Indian- 
town; George M. Radcliffe, Arispe; Jonathan 
Ireland, Leeper; Amos Whittimore, Concord; 
James Hambrick, Center; John L. Ament, 
Princeton; Ezekiel Piper, Selby; Jesse Wix- 
ham, Hall; Ezekiel Thomas, Bureau; 
Increase Hoyt, Dover; H. J. Stacy, Berlin; 
Wicher Dow, Fairfield; Daniel Hill, Green- 
ville; Tracy Reeve, Lamoille. S. Allen 
Paddock was their editor, " The Yeoman of 
the Prairie Land." 

The last of the Whig Presidents, Taylor, 
had died soon after his induction into office, 
and the Whigs of Bureau had an abiding 
and active faith in the new President, Fill- 
more. This year the Whig Congressional 
Convention in Joliet put in nomination 
Churchill Coffing. He failed of an election, 
but the county of Bureau stood bravely to its 
Whig guns. Hon. John Wentworth, Demo- 
crat, had entered Congress from this district 
in 1844, and continued to represent it as 
long as the county remained in his Congres- 
sional District. The size of the Liberty 
party at one time may be indicated by the 
fact that not long after Hon. Owen Lovejoy 
came to the county he was candidate for a 
local office, and got one vote in Princeton. 
As a candidate for Congress in November, 
1850, the change that came to him is further 
shown that in the same county he received 
afterward about 1.800 majority, without 
ever changing in the least his political prin- 
ciples, for the same office. The vote in 
Princeton that year was as follows: 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



395 



For Congress — Churchill Cofling, 184; R. 
S. Malony, 97; J. H. Collins, 83; Owen 
Lovejoy, 1; E. S. Thompson, 1; R. H. Col- 
lins, 1. For Representative — D. L. Hough, 
221; S. A. Paddock, 195; Abraham Phillips, 
132; John Hise, 92; H. S. Beebe, 61; S. 
Edwards, 37; Samuel Swift, 1; D. E. Norton, 
1. For Sheriff— E. M. Fisher, 199; Rufus 
Carey, 108; Jacob B. Thompson, 50; Timothy 
Edwards, 28. For Coroner — Alpheus Cook, 
175: M. E. Lasher, 158; W. C. Anthony, 
42. The Whigs carried this election, by 
majorities of from 75 to 200. 

As already remarked, when the old parties, 
or the Whig and Democratic parties, were 
the dividing lines, the Whig party was in the 
ascendant in the county. This continued 
until 1854, when new books were opened, 
and new parties were make. The Republi- 
can party was a child of swift growth and 
great power. From a single vote for Love- 
joy in nearly 350 votes in Princeton, when 
he was the nominee of the Republican party 
the majorities reached as high as 1,900 at 
one time. From this high tide it has slowly 
decreased, and at the late election the plu- 
rality of the national ticket was a little 
less than 1,000 votes. The following town- 
ships were the Republican strongholds: 
Clarion, Ohio, Walnut, Greenville, Manlius, 
Dover, Berlin, Princeton, Wyanet, Neponset, 
Macon, Indiantown, Lamoille, Milo, Wheat- 
land, Concord and Mineral; and the fol- 
lowing as a rule sustained by small majorities 
the Democratic ticket: Westtield, Selby, 
Hall, Arispe, Leepertown, Gold, Fairfield 
and Bureau. But these results were not 
invariable. At the last election (1884) the 
following townships gave Democratic major- 
ities (all others were Republican) : Greenville 
(a tie), Westfield, Hall, Selby, Leepertown 
and Arispe. The names of the nine voting 
precincts prior to the adoption of townships 



were Princeton, Tiskilwa, Dover, Lamoille, 
French Grove, Hall, Brush Creek, Green 
River and Hazelwood. In 1850 there were 
not enough inhabitants in Manlius, Gold and 
Wheatland to organize. 

While the Democratic party was gaining 
strength in other portions of the country, it 
was to a certain extent losing its power 
in this county over many who had prior to 
1844 been good Democrats. And when the 
Missouri Compromise measures were repealed 
a shock ran all over the parties of the North, 
and the Whig party at once acknowledged 
its dissolution, and thousands of Illinois 
Democrats were ready to desert their party 
and attach themselves to some new one more 
nearly in accord with their views. Hence, 
the times were ripe, July 4, 1854, for the 
organization of the Republican party, as was 
done in Princeton on that day. 

In a preceding chapter we have given the 
official votes of the county at elections at 
different periods, that will indicate not only 
the increase of the voting population, but the 
nature of their party preferences. 

In the Congressional election of 1880, the 
vote of Bureau County on Congressmen was; 
Hon. T. J. Henderson, Republican, 4104; 
B. N. Truesdale, Democrat, 2,589; P. L. 
Kinney, Independent, 388. Total vote, 7,181. 
For county officers the following is the 
vote of the county by towns: 
For Congress, T. J. Henderson, Republican 3714 

James S. Eckles, Democrat 2989 

States Attorney, Gibons, Democrat 3055 

Trimble, Republican 3678 

Circuit Clerk, Peterson, Democrat 3513 

Hubbell, Republican 3243 

Coroner, Hopkins, Greenback 218 

Keller, Democrat 2727 

Keener, Republican 3767 

Surveyor, Bryant, Independent 3233 

Hodgman, Republican 3476 

Representatives in the General Assembly, 
Miller and Boyden, Republicans, and Raley, 



396 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Democrat, were elected. In the Congression- 
al District the vote for Congressmen was as 
follows : 

Hen'Ieraon, Eckels, 
Republican, Democrat, 

Henry 4191 2434 

Bureau 3714 3989 

Lee 3263 2447 

Putnam 600 529 

Whiteside 3773 3.800 

The vote of the county of Bureau, 1884, 
for President was as follows: 



TOWNS, 



Clarion 

Lamoille , . . . 

Ohio 

Walnut 

Greenville.. . 

Fairfield 

Westfield... 

Berlin 

Dover 

Bureau 

Manlius 

Gold 

Hall 

Selby 

Princeton , , 

Wyanet 

Concord 

Mineral 

Leepertown . 

Arispe 

Indiantown . 

Macon 

Neponset. , , 
Wheatland.., 
Mile 



Total . 



106 

195 

165 

169 

107 

71 

55 

167 

190 

98 

98 

45 

61 

117 

595 

313 

320 

101 

43 

103 

205 

95 

197 

63 

128 



39 

107 

114 

120 

107 

38 

196 

92 

81 

94 

64 

59 

149 

166 

351 

146 

217 

70 

47 

137 

97 

51 

101 

33 

78 



3702 I 2754 174 213 



1 
1 
1 
2 

48 



6 

7 

3 

2 

5 

10 

31 

21 

4 

20 

6 

'is 

9 16 

6 



The total vote of the county in 1880 was 
7,081. The vote of 1884 was 6,843. 

Population. — The first census after the or- 
ganization of the county was in the year 1840. 
Total population 3,067. In 1850 it was 
8,841; 1860, 26,426, the largest per cent of 
increase made in any decade of the county's 
existence; 1870, 34,415, and in 1880 it 
dropped slightly, and was 33, 189. And of 
these there are only 156 negroes, and one In- 



dian. Native white 'males over twenty-one 
years of age, 5,812; foreign males over twen- 
ty-one years, 2,929, and forty negroes; total 
population qualified to vote, 8,781. Thus it 
may be seen there were nearly 2,000 voters 
who did not vote at the late election. The 
population of the county is divided into 17,- 
088 males and 16,084 females; of these 26,- 
994 are native born and 6,178 foreign born. 
There were born in Illinois, 18,088; in In- 
diana, 380; Iowa, 223; Kansas, 70; Kentucky, 
128; Louisiana, 12; Maine, 157; Maryland, 
144; Massachusetts, 476; Michigan, 173; 
Minnesota, 26; Alabama, 4; Arkansas, 6; 
California, 8; Colorada, 5; Connecticut, 136; 
Delaware, 63; Florida, 2; Georgia, 7; Mis- 
souri, 123; Nebraska, 11; New Hampshire, 
216; New Jersey, 445; New York, 1,682; 
North Carolina, 12; Ohio, 1,471; Pennsyl- 
vania, 1,966; Rhode Island, 111; South Car- 
olina, 2; Tennessee, 31; Texas, 3; Vermont, 
316; Virginia. 107; West Virginia, 41; Wis- 
consin, 80; Dakota, 6; District of Columbia, 
2; Utah, 1. Of the foreign population 260 
are from Canada; 320 from Denmark; France, 
96; German Empire, 1,798; England, 756; 
Ireland, 1,048, and others from nearly every 
country in the world. 

The population of the county in civil di- 
vision is as follows: 

Arispe Township, including part of Tiskilwa 

Town 1160 

Tiskilwa Town (part of) 334 

Berlin Township, including Maiden Village. . 1276 

Maiden Village 359 

Bureau Township 947 

Clarion Township 851 

Concord Township.includingfollowing villages 2636 

Buda Village 778 

Sheffield Village 905 

Dover Township, including Dover Village 1341 

Dover Village 239 

Fairfield Township 915 

Gold Township 616 

Greenville Township 1008 

Hall Township 1058 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



397 



Indiantown Township, including part of Tis- 

kilwa Town 1507 

Tiskilwa Town (part of) 419 

Lamoille Township Including Lamoille Town 1391 

Lamoille Town 488 

Leepertown Township, Including Bureau Junc- 
tion Village 450 

Bureau Junction Village 340 

Macon Township 768 

Maulius Township 984 

Milo Township 990 

Jlineral Township, including Mineral Village 997 

Mineral Village "^.. 173 

Neponset Township, including Neponset Vil- 
lage 1467 

Neponset Village 653 

Ohio Township, including Ohio Village 1314 

Ohio Village 385 

Princeton Township.including Princeton Town 4810 

*Princeton Town 3439 

Selby Township, including De Pue Town .... 1684 

be Pue Town 333 

Walnut Township, including Walnut Town. . . 1377 

Walnut Town 515 

Westfield Township, including Arlington Vil- 
lage 1319 

Arlington Village 447 

Wheatland Township 506 

Wyanet Township, including Wyanet Town. . 1800 

Wyanet Town 787 

Tiskilwa Town (in Arispie and Indiantown). . 7.53 

Posioffices. — In previous chapters we have 
given the history of the first postofiSces in the 
county. In the hunt for information on this 
subject, as well as all other subjects about the 
county, we made application to Hon. John 
Wentworth, of Chicago, the early Member of 
Congress in the days when this district in- 
cluded nearly all northern Illinois. We had 
reasons to know that he was the best posted 
man on many points of the history of north- 
ern Illinois now living. After renewed ap- 
plication to him be replied: "lam afraid 
of my memory; running backjas it does to 
October 25, 1836, when I first came here. 
Farmers then and for many years afterward 
came here with loads of produce to be ex- 

*The census of the City of Princeton, In February, 1S84, shows 
a decrease of 329. 



changed for their home necessities. I was 
publishing a newspaper, the Chicago Demo- 
crat, and I boarded at a public hotel. Our 
population was small, and we would natural- 
ly fall into one another's company of even- 
ings, there being no particular amusements. 
There were a great many very good farmers 
in the Paw Grove region, with whom I early 
became acquainted, and Paw Grove then cov- 
ered a large tract of country running into 
Lee and DeKalb Counties, and the farmers 
in the northern part of Bureau would come 
into town along with the Paw Paw Grove 
folks. The Chicago fire destroyed my old 
Democrat subscription books, and also the old 
document books which I used durincr the 
eight years in which I represented Bureau 
County in Congress. Therefore, I have noth- 
ing to guide my memory as to names. My 
earliest acquaintance in Bureau County seems 
to have been in the Lamoille region and 
thence westward to Windsor. I remember 
the Fassetts — I think Elisha was the eldest. 
I early became acquainted with DeGrass Sal- 
isbury and his partner, Benjamin L. Smith. 
They would come often to Chicago for goods, 
and they would vend the news to the Chicago 
Democrat. Salisbury was Postmaster and 
B. L. Smith was in the Legislature in 1844- 
46. Then, there were John and Moses Ste- 
vens and their families, whom I had known 
in my native State, New Hampshire. Then 
the historic Bryant family, and there was a 
family of Moseleys — very much resjsectod. 
In the Dover region there were the Rackleys 
— George and Nathan and others— ^whom I 
always held in the highest esteem. 

"If I could sit down with some of the old 
settlers a short time, I probably could remem- 
ber from fifty to over a hundred families at 
whose houses I had stopped whilst I was a 
candidate for Congress. I had a horse and 
hnggy and endeavored to go to all the settle- 



398 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



ments and give every house a call. It took 
me about three weeks to get around my 
district 

"I send you an official statement from an old 
Blue Book of the names of Postmasters iu 
the CouDty, with the bi-annual receipts from 
the offices from 1839 to 1S53, covering my 
term." * * * * 

.1839. — French Grove, Moses Stevens, 
$1. 16 ; Princeton, De Grass Salisbury, 
$310.72. 

1841.— Brush Creek, Brown Searle, $7.18; 
Dover, Isaac Delano, $50.67; French Grove, 
Moses Stevens, $11.88; Lamoille, Tracy 
Reeve, $91.74; Princeton, De Grass Salis- 
bury, $357.86; Windsor, Morris Spalding, 
$58.48. 

1843.— Brush Creek, Brown Searle, $22.57; 
Dover, Isaac Delano, $116. 18 ; French Grove, 
Shalor Brainard, $35.94; Lamoille, Tracy 
Reeve to 31st of March, 1842, then John 
Kendall, $77.30 ; Perkins Grove, A. G. Por- 
ter, $105.16; Princeton, De Grass Salisbury, 
$603.03; Providence, Mathew Dorr, $91.12; 
Windsor, Morris Spalding, $91.02. 

1845.— Brush Creek, Brown Searle, $9.87; 
Dover, Isaac Delano, $71.82; French Grove, 
Shalor Brainard, $23.80; Lamoille, John 
Kendall, $66.79; Perkins Grove, Albert G. 
Porter, $32.14; Port Arlington, George W. 
Gilson to February 7, $4.19, then Freeman 
Mills from February 7, one year, 52 cents; 
Princeton, De Grass Salisbury, $317.09; 
Providence, Mathew Dorr, $55.51; Windsor, 
Morris Spalding, $63.14; Winnebago, Jacob 
Sells, discontinued December 31, 54 cents. 

1847. — Brush Creek, Brown Searle, three 
years, $6.55; Dover, Isaac Delano, to August 
17, $12.31; Theodore Humphrey, $64.68; 
I'rench Grove, Shalor Brainard, $22.93; 
Lamoille, John Kendall, $69.02; Perkin's 
Grove, A. G. Porter, $29.90; Arlington, 
Freeman Mills (no returns); Princeton, 



De Grass Salisbury, $304.10; Providence, 
Mathew Dorr, $35.21; Windsor, Morris 
Spalding, $36.23. 

1849. — Arispe, James B. Chenoweth, $3.31; 
Ban-en Grove, John Hall, $12.53; Brush 
Creek, Brown Searle, $10.61; Dover, Theo- 
dore Humphrey, to June 9, $84.80; Solomon 
Hubbard, $3.63; French Grove, Shalor 
Brainard, $23.74; Lamoille, Tracy Reeve, 
$103.12; Perkin's Grove, A. G. Porter, 
$25.06; Princeton, De Grass Salisbury, to 
May 9, $362.67, Nathan Gray, $49.59; Prov- 
idence, Mathew Dorr, $52.66; Selby, Ezekiel 
Piper, $4.46; Windsor, Morris Spalding, 
$47.90. 

1851. — Arlington, James Waugh, three 
years, $734; Arispie, David Brown, from 
April 29, $254; Barren Grove, John Hall, 
$28.69, Brown Searle, to August 24, $1.27; 
Brush Creek, discontinued; Dover, Solomon 
Hubbard, $144.20; Enon, J. M. Yearnshaw, 
$9.65; French Grove, S. Brainard, to March 
17, $20.40, Amos Whittemore, $14.03; In- 
diantown, Hezekiah B. Smith, two years, 
$58; Lamoille, Tracy Reeve, $190.30; Lee- 
pertown, James Nickerson (no return) ; Lone 
Tree, Jonathan Reid, $9.68; Milo, Isaac 
Sutherland, $28.68; Perkin's Grove, A. G. 
Porter, $35.89; Princeton, Nathan Gray, 
$626.16; Providence, M. Dorr, to January 
10, $34.06, Daniel Williams, $33.55; Selby, 
Ezekiel Pij)er, $27.63; Indiantown (changed 
from Windsor), $37.07. 

1853.— Arispe, David Brown, $8.25; Bar- 
ren Grove, John Hall, $33.55; Dover, H. C. 
Humphrey, 174.25; Enon, Elizabeth Sparks, 
$8.28; French Grove, Amos Whittemore, 
$52.86; HoUowayville, James Holloway, 
$37.44; Lamoille, Tracy Reeve, $91.94; 
Leepertown, Timothy Searle, $15.41; Lone 
Tree, Nelson Bullman, $11.99; Magnolia, 
Amos Wallace, $4.36; Milo, Isaac Suther- 
land, $25.70; Perkin's Grove, Libbeus Stan- 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



399 



ard, $31.51; Princeton, S. Limerick, $48.50; 
TiBkilwa, H. B.Smith, $48.50; Winnebago, 
J. A. Kelly, $11.06; Yorktown, Eufua Shel- 
don, $7.92. 

We are indebted to J. W. Templeton, 
present Postmaster in Princeton, for the fol- 
lowing statements of the receipts of his office 
from the year 1876 to 1884. For each fiscal 
year, ending June: 1876, $6,951.21; 1877, 
$6,536.37; 1878, $6,859.34; 1879, $7,036.85; 
1880, $7,503.43; 1881, $7,685.46; 1882, 
$8,367.57; 1883, $8,826. 57; 1884, $7,582.91. 

The reduction in receipts of 1884 is 
caused by the reduction of postage from 3 
cents to 2 cents. 

While on the subject of the Princeton post- 
office we may as well conclude with such 
items as we find in our note book concerning 
this office. The first office where the Prince- 
ton people would get their little mail in those 
days was kept by Elijah Smith, north of 
Princeton, near the Schugart farm, on this 
side of Bureau Creek. It was called Green- 
field. When Smith left this place the office 
was discontinued. Dr. N. Chamberlain then 
was the next Postmaster, and it was one and 
a half miles south of Princeton on the Tis- 
kilwa road. Then John M. Gay took the 
office next, and it moved into the town 
proper and has remained here since. Gay 
was succeeded by D. G. Salisbury, Nathan 
Gray and Sam Limerick, as given above. 
The successor of Limerick was W. H. Win- 
ters, who continued in office until 1856, when 
C. N. Pine took the office. June 1, 1858, 
J. M. McConihe became Postmaster. He 
continued in the place until May 15, 1861, 
when James H. Smith took the office. 1865, 
Daniel McDonald took it, and discharged its 
duties until 1871. Then Miss Ida Lovejoy 
was appointed and held the position four 
years, or 1875, when the present Postmaster, 
J. W. Templeton was appointed, and has 



held the office continuously since. And in 
his behalf we may here say, and say with 
truth, that he is an efficient and capable 
officer, and one, too, that the better the peo- 
ple come to know him the better they like 
him. 

The present postoffices and Postmasters of 
the county are as follows: Lamoille, J. H. 
Smith; Ohio, William Ross; Van Orin, Ste- 
venson; Walnut, W. Wolf; New Bedford, J. 
W. Spratt; Ai-lington, S. T. Meriam; York- 
town, O. W. McKenzie, and Henry Cooley, 
Deputy; Maiden, F. H. Page; Dover, R. L. 
Dean; Manlius, M. R. Robinson; Holloway- 
ville, Chris Stadler; Laceyville, W. R. Og- 
den; De Pue, E. Tinley; Princeton, J. W. 
Templeton, and Deputy, I. O. Brokaw; Wya- 
net, D. Spangler; Buda, J. D. Page; Shef- 
field, C. A. Davis; Mineral, Mrs. G. T. 
Squires; Bureau, Peter C. Jensen; Tiakilwa, 
William P. Dunn; Providence, E. B. Anthony; 
Neponset, L. O. Morse; Lone Tree, Andrew 
Anderson; Milo, Joseph Sutherland; Limer- 
ick, James Ross. 

Wolf Hunts. — It was a long struggle with 
the early settlers to rid themselves of the 
prairie and timber wolves of this section of 
the country. These beasts were destructive 
to sheep, pigs and young calves, and at first 
they so overran the country that the greatest 
vigilance was necessary in order to save any 
of the young stock. As the people of those 
days made the most of their own apparel, it is 
apparent the importance they would attach 
to their few geese and sheep — the soiuxes of 
their clothing and bedding. The State and 
the counties entered heartily into the work 
of exterminating these pests. Wolf traps 
and poisoned meats were placed, and men 
and dogs pursued them relentlessly. The 
counties freely gave bounties for wolf -scalps, 
and a feature of the early day sports were 
the great wolf hunts that were organized, in 



400 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



which the people of several counties would 
form a circle of many miles in extent, and 
drive the wolves to a common center. Some 
of these occasions were so great that they be- 
came historical events in the early history. 
C. G. P. Holden, of Chicago, thus describes 
a wolf hunt in Will County, as well as the 
operation of the " underground railroad," of 
which we have given an account, and of the 
active managers here under their noble lead- 
er, Owen Lovejoy: 

"Do not let me overlook the great wolf 
hunt of 1841. It was a memorable occasion. 
The boys were left at home, and the heads of 
families were the participants. The general 
plan adopted by the hunters was to form a 
ring or circle, the outer edge of which was to 
be Joliet, Hickory Grove, Skunk's Grove, 
Thorn Grove, Beebe's Grove, Yellow Head 
Grove, Bourbonnais Grove, Todd's Grove, 
Wilmington, Reed's Grove, and Jackson's 
Grove. Twelve-Mile Grove, where old "Put" 
buiTowed, was to be the common center where 
all the hunters were to come simultaneously 
together in a circle enclosing the grove. 

"Early in the morning of that beautiful 
Indian summer day might been seen horse- 
men coming from the various settlements, 
and taking their positions in the gi-and circle, 
which it was estimated was more than eighty 
miles in circumference. Each horseman was 
armed with rifle or shotgun. They all made 
for the common center, which they reached 
at about 4 P. M. 

"Thousands of deer broke through their 
lines, but, as they were after wolves, little 
heed was paid to them. The wolves they had 
surrounded with large numbers of deer in the 
grove. At about that time my father left for 
his home, which he reached late in the eve- 
ning, cold, tired, and hungry. Wolf-scalps 
he had none, and his case was no exception 
to the general rule. Ever after that it was a 



hard thing to find anyone who had partici- 
pated in that grand wolf hunt, which it was 
claimed would rid Will County of its wolves, 
and give perfect security to its increasing 
herds of sheep. 

"A little later, in 1843, there was another 
hunt, not for wolves, however, but for human 
beings — a hunt, which in its time became 
national. There had previously been organ- 
ized and placed in good running order the 
underground railroad, with a directory second 
to none for its actual efficiency. Its main 
line touched Alton, Quincy, Eushville, Gales- 
burg, Knoxville, Princeton, Ottawa, and Jol- 
iet, at which f>oints were first-class stations. 

"At Joliet the main line curved to the east, 
taking the route of the old "Sac trail" to La 
Porte, Ind., and thence by a carefully select- 
ed line on to Canada. Its branches entered 
Jacksonville, Springfield, Peoria, Blooming- 
ton, and other noted points. One of its 
branches took in Chicago, where one of its 
resident directors lived. Its patrons came 
wholly from the colored race, who were e?i 
roiite for freedom. The organization which 
controlled this great national highway was 
composed of some of the most noted men of 
their day, among whom were Giddings, 
Chase, Birney, Lovejoy, Phillips, Sumner, 
and Greeley. The working directory of the 
same lived along the line of the road and the 
branches thereof, which were located princi- 
pally in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. 
The local directors for Will County consisted 
of many of her best men, like Samuel Haven, 
Ezra Goodhue, Allen Denny, John Atkins, 
Sr., Elias Haven, Moses Cook, Peter Stewart, 
Samuel Gushing, and others. These officers 
were ever on the alert to the end that there 
should be no delay to passengers who had 
through tickets over any of their lines. Dr. 
Charles V. Dyer had charge of the Chicago 
end, with able assistants. It was in July, 




Eng.tiyE,G-V\'illiani5 ABro.NiT 




A (M^n^ 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



401 



1843, that four passengers on one of its 
trains were overhauled and detained by legal 
process — three colored men and a colored 
woman. They were from Missouri and en 
route for freedom. Four human beings were 
thus arrested by civil process here in your 
county while passing through the same, by 
their owners, who lived in an adjoining State. 
These four passengers were slaves, and their 
owners wanted to take them back to slavery. 
Think of it! To say that Joliet was excited 
at the event would be to place it very mild. 
There was virtually an eruption; the very 
rocks in her midst seemed to crack open, so 
great was the shock. But there were cool 
heads in the directory who had guaranteed to 
these colored people safety from all harm un- 
til Canada was reached, and from the speak- 
er's recollection this promise was made good 
with but very little delay while in transit. 

"The owners were chagrined. The law was 
on their side and under it they had claimed 
their property, but the law of human reason 
as interpreted by the managers of this great 
highway was greater than the statutory laws 
of the land. The owners, not to be thwart- 
ed, though they had lost their property, were 
determined to know the reason why, and at 
once, through their attorneys, took the neces- 
sary legal steps to that end. Charges were 
preferred before the grand jury at the Octo- 
ber term of the Circuit Court against several 
of the managers of the underground road, 
and true bills of indictment were found 
against Samuel Haven, Samuel Cushing, and 
Peter Stewart, for aiding fugitive slaves to 
escape and for harboring the same. The no- 
table grand jury before whom these charges 
were brought, and who returned a true bill 
were as follows: Cornelius C. Van Home, 
foreman; John Runyan, John Tanner, Jr., 
Moses Porter. Jr., J. T. Reynolds, William 
Wigant, Robert Strong, William Rowe, John 



Robb, James Walker, Ashur Holmes, Reu- 
ben Willard, George Woodruff, Titus S. Ab- 
bott, Dennis Kelly, Lyman Meacham, Lucius 
Robinson, and Horace Messenger. Patrick 
Ballingall was the State's Attorney. Some 
of Will County's best men were on the jury, 
but by the law the indictment was sure to 
follow. 

"The speaker has no knowledge of the final 
outcome of the case, but thinks the whole 
matter walked out of court in due time. The 
court, Jesse B. Thomas, the entire jury, the 
three that were indicted, Carlos Haven, a wit- 
ness on the back of the bill of indictment, 
and Patrick Ballingall, the prosecutor, E. C. 
Fellows and J. M. Wilson, attorneys for 
Haven, Cushing, and Stewart, have all gone 
where colored men as well as white are at 
rest. And thus ended the most notable 
hunt ever had in this county." 

Roads. — The energy and activity of the 
people of Bureau County in securing hard 
roads is manifest in the joy of her people in 
riding and driving over the many miles of 
splendid gravel roads they now possess and 
that are being so rapidly extended in every 
direction. The people, it seems, fully agreed 
with that American statesman who said, when 
asked what would make the country prosper- 
ous, answered: "Roads." What would make 
it wealthy? "Roads." W^hat would make 
it happy? "Roads, roads, roads." Thirty 
years ago Thomas H. Benton said: "Give 
our children good paths to school, and give 
the people good roads to market." 

In the extent of gravel roads Bureau County 
to-day is in the proud position of the second 
county in the State. This we account one 
of the best and greatest of public bene- 
fits yet conferred upon the people of the 
county. The peculiar soil of this section, 
the black humus, and its great depths, when 
thoroughly saturated in the winter and spring, 



403 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



is almost literally an impassable sea of mud. 
And as if anticipating the eventual necessi- 
ties of the present race of men who are here, 
nature has provided within the county's 
limits an abundant supply of the finest road 
gravel in the world. 

It is safe to anticipate that in the next dec- 
ade every section road at least in the county 
will be a splendid graveled road. 

An Old Belie. — The following venerable 
document was found among the papers of one 
of the county's oldest families, and explains 
itself even to the quaint spelling; 

"September 15, 1815. This indenter wit- 
nesseth that Frances Webb sun of John 
Webb late of Penselvany hath put hymself 
and by these presents doth voluntarily put 
hymself a prentice to Aaron Mercer fuler of 
harison county State of Ohio to larn his art 
trade or mystry and after the manner of an 
apprentice to serve hyme live years from or 
after the above date during which time the 
sade apreutice Shal his master fathfuley 
serve, his secrets Keepe his law f ule command 
obay, he shall do no damage to his sade mas- 
ter nor se it done by others without leting or 
giving notice thare of to his sade master." 

[It then proceeds to enumerate all the 
things he shall not do, as marrying, etc., and 
then provides what the master must do as 
follows:] 

"And the sade master use the utmost of his 
indevors to teach or cans to be taught and 
instruct the sade apprentice in the trade and 
mystrey he now profeseth occupieth or fol- 
loweth and procure and provid for him the 
apprentice suffishent meat drink and proved 
washing, loging and apperel titing for an 
apprentice decency the sade term, one good 
fredum soote supposed to be worth thertey 
dolars, one horse sadel an bridel supposed to 
be worth sixty-live dolares, one weak in har- 
vest also nine month scooling and for the 



trew performence of all and every of the sade 
covenants and agreements wee either of the 
sade bind ourselves unto the other by these 
presents," etc. 

We have already pretty fully spoken of 
the first lawyer resident in the county, and 
members of his family, survivors of whom 
are still in the county. We find the follow- 
ing interesting items in our note book: 

The Kinneys. — Old Simon Kinney was 
probably the first lawyer to locate in Bu- 
reau County, or rather what is now Bu- 
reau County. He was originally from Ver- 
mont, and a neighbor of the Websters 
and a warm friendship always existed be- 
tween Daniel Webster and the Kinney fam- 
ily. In 1839 Webster visited Kinney, and 
spent some time in this part of Illinois, and 
invested in Bui-eau County lands, and im- 
proved what is to this day known as the 
Webster farm, near the county line toward 
Peru. He presented Kinney a pair of dun 
colored mares, much better stock than was 
then common here, and we are told descend- 
ants of these animals ai'e yet to be distin- 
guished in the county. It was on this visit 
West that Mr. Webster made a speech at 
Peru, from the hurricane deck of a steam- 
boat. 

Simon Kinney had become a bankrupt in 
New York, and then turned his face west- 
ward and landed on the Illinois River at 
Peru in 1833 or 1834, and soon after to 
where Tiskilwa now stands, where he became 
a farmer, hunter, politician and lawyer. He 
was quiet, dignified and gentlemanly in his 
bearing, and a strong Whig in politics. 

Two hundred dollars in money was the sum 
of the family wealth when they landed in 
Bureau County. 

The children of Simon Kinney were Henry 
L. and J. Warren, and a daughter, Emily, 
who married Dwight Brewster, and after his 



HISTOBY OP BUREAU COUNTY. 



403 



death, John Chapman ; another daughter who 
married H. O. Merriman. 

Henry L. Kinney was one of the most re- 
markable men of his day. Compared to his 
pioneer neighbors he was quite a Monte 
Christo. At all events, his brain teemed with 
the vast schemes that started more golden 
streams than has any other one man since 
his day here. He was guardian of Pelt I. 
Brewster, and he and Alexander Holbrook, 
Dwight Brewster and John Chapman soon 
turned up as large contractors on the canal, 
and at once all along the line and extending 
into this county to Tiskilwa, the name and 
apparently the exhaustless wealth of H. L. 
Kinney were as household words. He em- 
ployed hundreds of men, started up the town, 
of Peru and Hennepin, and at Tiskilwa he 
kept an open house and gave every day a 
great free feed to all who would partake of 
his hospitality. Here he had another store; 
while on the river he had his own steamer, the 
" H. L. Kinney," which he commanded much 
of the time in person, and where he gath- 
ered troops of friends and had a royal good 
time. His style may be known from the fact 
that even over the good roads of this rolling 
prairie country, it took four horses to pull 
him, in his light buggy. He thus showed 
even the country people that he was no " one 
horse " arrangement. 

He was a man of vast enterprises and 
great shrewdness, and when he had in hand 
the greatest work and a vast number of em- 
ployes, he seemed to ever be at leisure for a 
royal bout with a few boon companions. It 
is told of him that he and Fletcher Webster 
were great cronies, and that when Fletcher 
was sent out here by his father, to see after 
his Bureau County farm, that Kinney would 
go over and help him " bach " and they 
would frolic and hunt and have a high old 
time generally. They had raised a very tall 



pole, and arranged so the man would run up 
a lantern to the top of it whenever they did 
not get in before dark, so they could see it 
for miles around, and when they would dis- 
cover the light they would go direct, across 
lots and streams and fences, and thus they 
found their way home on many trying occa- 
sions. 

Henry L. Kinney left Bureau County as 
precipitately as was the collapse of the work 
on the canal when the funds were exhausted 
and the State had not the credit to longer 
prosecute the project. His creditors were 
numerous and at once noisy; couriers fiew 
from Peru to LaSalle and from LaSalle to 
Tiskilwa, and so vehement were the credit- 
ors that they organized after the fashion of 
mobs generally, and determined to have their 
money or blood or at least rapine. They 
looted at what little property Kinney had 
left behind, and then they concluded to seize 
the unfinished canal, and hold that or any- 
thing else they could find. Armed with 
spades, pickaxes, shovels and now and then 
a squirrel rifle, they began to look tolerably 
war-like, at least to the women and children. 
The people who had interests in the protec- 
tion of all property — canal as well as pri- 
vate property — were finally compelled to re- 
sist this movement, and eventually there 
grew to be an organized force on each side, 
and as all the early wars were called by some 
Indian name, this finally came to be known 
along the line as the Ottawa war. A peace 
was patched up and it was only some years 
afterward learned that H. L. Kinney had 
gone to Texas and had there amassed a for- 
tune in the cattle business. Here, too, he 
was a man of wide influence and great 
wealth. He continued in the prosperous 
walks of life until the late war, when he es- 
poused the Confederate cause, raised a regi- 
ment and fought through the war. When 



404 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



the disastrous peace came, he, like most other 
Southern men, was a bankrupt. But still 
defiant, he would not surrender, and he be- 
came a fugitive from the country and turned 
up soon after in Mexico, where he entered 
the service of that country, and was in com- 
mand of a force at Saltillo when it was be- 
sieged by the enemy. When he found the 
garrison about to starve, he called for volun- 
teers to follow his lead and cut their way 
out. At the head of a small band he sallied 
out and at the very gateway of the walls, 
almost alone, he was killed, his body being 
literally riddled with bullets. The end of a 
feverish, brilliant, dashing life. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

Odds and Ends — Retrospectivk — Paths, Indian Trails and 
Railroads — Blessings Received and Expected — Farmers 
AND Their Future Education— The Buffalo and the In- 
dian — Katural Places foe Great Cities — Douglas, Breese 
AND THE Idea of the Illinois Central Railroad, etc., etc. 

THE migrating buffalo once made their 
well beaten paths all over this part of 
Illinois. They were the real first road en- 
gineers, and a most curious thing in the his- 
tory of this country is that the buffalo and then 
the Indian following were the unfailing dis- 
coverers of the natural sites where were 
founded all our great cities. They seem to 
have migrated in the early times fi-om a 
northwest to a southeasterly course, and upon 
the great lakes and rivers there were certain 
points where these animals would annually 
meet in immense droves, and as it were go 
into camp for a spell. Their peculiar man- 
ner of crossing the great streams, perhaps, 
first had something to do in fixing this habit. 
They seemed to understand the topography 



of the country, and when on their voyage they 
would meet on the banks of a large river, and 
after all had gathered at that point for a 
wide range around, they would, after eating 
bare the ground in the immediate vicinity of 
their camp, commence to prepare for the 
plunge to cross the river. Then they 
would gather in a close bunch near the 
bank and move in a circle, and every time 
they came opposite the water those on 
the inner circle would press the others a 
little closer toward the river, and thus 
around and around, and closer and closer 
to the water, until finally some would be 
pushed into the deep water, and then these 
would turn and boldly face the stream, and 
start for the other shore, when all would fol- 
low. The spots where they would thus 
bivouac would become famed places among 
the Indians, and eventually they followed the 
buffalo and made their camps and crossings 
at the same jalaces, and they found in their 
migration that in passing over the wild coun- 
try, the buffalo had pointed out the best route 
and the best crossings of the great rivers. 
Thus, the cunning of the savage and the in- 
stinct of the beasts were really superior to all 
the skill andscieaceof the world's engineers, 
in fixing the places that were natural points 
for a dense population and for great cities; 
and the history of our country is full of dem- 
onstrations of these observations. How 
many times have skilled engineers come here 
from Europe and fixed upon certain spots, 
ignorant of the signs and tokens left us by 
the buffaloes and Indians, and, therefore, 
were not guided by them in their selection, 
and in no single instance was their choice a 
wise one, but were invariably fruitful soiu'ces 
of failure and banki-uptcies to the wealthy 
corporations or companies that had sent their 
learned engineers to pilot them to the mag- 
ical spot. It is enough to verify what we say 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



405 



to refer to old Kaskaskia, Cairo, Shawnee- 
town and Alton. 

There is history then, history that now 
dug up and elaborated with reference to the 
marvellous development of this country, reads 
almost like the finger-boards of destiny, 
planted along our great national highways, 
that had its great beginnings in the buffalo 
paths that once threaded their way over this 
entire country. 

Sac and Fox Trail.- — We have already re- 
ferred to this ancient Indian highway, where 
it was crossed at right angles by the Peoria 
and Galena stage route. It entered the coun- 
ty in Mineral, Section 30, and passed through 
J. G. Reed's farm, and ci'ossed Coal Creek at 
the railroad crossing west of Sheffield; then 
through Pond Grove; crossed West Bureau 
in Section -t; passed through J. Thurston's 
land; crossed Big Bureau near Elliott's Mill; 
then through G. H. Bacon's farm, passing a 
little north of Maiden, through Berlin Cen- 
ter and Lost Grove, and passed out of the 
county near the southeast corner of Clarion, 
running nearly straight through the county 
in a northeasterly direction. 

Indiantoivji Trail passed up the bluff 
through Tiskilwa, and into the prairie near 
Dorr Hill; thence to Boyd's Grove and 
toward Spoon River. 

There was another trail passing near Stev- 
en's Mill, and passed over the bluff near 
where the road now runs, and struck the 
prairie near the present residence of Mrs. 
Arthur Bryant. Here it branched, one com- 
ing toward and through Princeton, and went 
in a northerly direction until it intersected 
the Sac and Fox trail near Maiden; the other 
branch passed through the Musgrove farm, 
and then by Joel Doolittle's place, and it al- 
so intercepted and joined the Fox trail at 
East Bureau. 

Another trail plainly to be seen and for a 



long time fi-equented by the early settlers, 
passed west of Plow Hollow, down to Snach- 
wine Creek and the Indian village. 

Another passed near the old Simon Kinney 
place, then to Bulbona and Menominee 
Groves and into the Fox trail near Sheffield. 
This trail forked, one branch going to the 
Green River country. And still another trail 
passed through the county north and south, 
from the Winnebago Swamps to Peoria. 

The Railroads. — The old Illinois Central 
Railroad, that was commenced under the wild 
State internal improvement craze, was sur- 
veyed through Bureau County in 1839. 
There was a great deal of work done on this 
line at that time, but it never proceeded any 
further than cutting away strips of timber 
through the timber land, and a cut here and 
there, and dirt fills at many places. A great 
many ties were hewn out and piled up in the 
woods and along the track to rot in silent 
decay, when the whole scheme exploded. 
The survey of this old abandoned line en- 
tered the county in Westfield, Section 25, and 
passed out of the county in Section 2, La- 
moille, thus making nearly a straight line 
through the county. As described elsewhere, 
the end of this mad speculation was wholly 
demoralizing to the railroad enterprise of 
the people. The State and whole communi- 
ties were left banki-upt — stranded upon dirt 
embankments — that were worse than value- 
less, because they were enduring monuments 
of the general grief which came upon nearly 
one and all of the good people. But in the 
end the visitation was good and healthful. 
Like many real and supposed calamities, it 
distilled into men's minds a more conserva- 
tive mode of thinking about public affairs. 
It put them in the complete humor of in fu- 
ture the better to prepare themselves before 
seriously undertaking any very extravagant 
enterprises. It j)ut bounds about their hopes 



406 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



and expectations in the near future, and, as 
a result, they would fully prepare themselves 
in the future as the first and most important 
step in the important affairs of life. 

Railroad affairs lay dormant for ten years, 
and in the meantime immigrants and wealth 
were rapidly coming to Illinois. In 1850 
Stephen A. Douglas had procured the passage 
through Congress of the present Illinois Cen- 
tral Railroad measure, and for the first time 
in the legislation of the country was inserted 
in the act the clause giving the alternate sec- 
tions for six miles on each side of the line 
to aid in the construction. This munificent 
donation amounted to about 3,000,000 acres. 
And in the face of the facts of the great 
steals that have since occurred, especially of 
the public domain, this measure was wise 
and a great public good — the most fruitful 
and permanent work in the settlement of the 
great Mississippi Valley. It was freighted 
with great results to the millions of peo- 
ple now here, and the many more millions to 
come after us. It was the culmination of a 
gi'eat idea, and, like all great ideas, it was 
born of no one brain, but was the work of 
many and of years of growth. And among 
the biographers of Judge Breese and S. A. 
Douglas, we notice that the respective writers 
are equally emphatic in giving all the credit 
of fatherhood of the original scheme to which- 
ever one of these men the writer happens to 
be eulogizing. There is truth and error in 
all of them. No one mind ever yet fully 
developed any one great idea. Often gne 
mind has contributed a great deal, and the 
world is then generally ready to credit such 
person with the whole — not seeing thesmaller 
or more obscure workers and toilers in the 
great highway of civilization. 

In 1851 a railroad was projected from Chi- 
cago to Rock Island by way of Peru. Coun- 
ties along the contemplated route were called 



on to subscribe stock. Bureau County was 
asked to subscribe $50,000. Never was the 
county more thoroughly canvassed on any 
proposition. Meetings were called and many 
speeches were made. The great advantages 
of the road were one side, and the horror of 
a big debt were the other side of the ques- 
tion. Every schoolhouse was time and again 
filled with disputants and listeners, and 
finally around nearly every fireside the mat- 
ter was talked over and over. When the vote 
was given, the subscription was defeated. 
One curious feature of the thing was that 
Princeton voted in favor of subscribing, and 
Tiskilwa voted against it, and Princeton 
did not get the road and Tiskilwa did. The 
road was completed in 1853, and at once took 
rank as one of the great roads of the State, 
and yet maiutains this place among the roads 
of the country. The name of the road is the 
Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. 
Its length of line in Bureau County is 45 
miles and 112 feet. 

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. — 
The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad 
was completed through the county in 1854. 
The entire length of line in the county is 72 
miles and 426 feet. 

There were four other railroads chartered 
and built that touched or passed through a 
portion of the county, as follows : The Peoria 
& Bureau Valley Railroad was built in 1855. 
This had a line of nearly five miles in the 
county. The Rushville & Buda Railroad was 
built in 1870, and thei'e is about seven miles 
of its track within the county. The Mendota 
& Prophetstown Railroad was commenced in 
1856 and completed in 1870. There were 
nearly twenty-seven miles in the county. 
The Kankakee & Pacific Railroad was nearly 
all graded as early as 1871, and then the 
work was suspended. This line only touched 
about three miles of the county. These roads 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



407 



were incorporated into and became a part of 
the two great lines above named, and instead 
of six railroads, as the county once had, there 
are but two. There is a total mileage of 
railroad track in the county of 117 miles and 
538 feet. 

These are some of the great things that 
have come to the good people of Bureau 
County. While they are certainly among 
the greatest, they are not all. Each may 
bear as its coat of arms the insignia, 
" E pluribus unum.'" The good judgment 
of those who have shaped the destinies of 
the county can never be too highly com- 
mended. Their gi-eat aim has been to grow 
here a great, prosperous and intelligent agri- 
cultural people. They wisely did not attempt 
to force an unnatural growth of those indus- 
tries thdt would bring here the class of people 
that are found in cities with the large 
factories and foundries. They understood 
that they could accelerate the growth of 
wealth here by giving such premiums as 
would bring such things here. It is a singu- 
lar comment on the average man, who wants 
great wealth and that quickly too, that they 
could withstand these great temptations. 
But they did, and the fruit of their wisdom 
is already manifesting itself. They must 
have fully realized that here is everything to 
make this some day the richest agricultural 
spot in the world, and that the happiest 
and best people that it is possible to grow, 
is of such agricultural character. The mem- 
bers of such a community, other things being 
even, are the most intelligent, contented, 
moral and happy of any people in the world, 
and if not so now, the day will soon come 
when they will be. This is not a mere mean- 
ingless or groundless assertion, uttered in the 
spirit of fulsome praise. These assertions 
are made in the knowledge of the fact that 
the coming farmers will live the healthiest 



life, the life of the most elegant leisure, in- 
dependence, and real manhood of any other 
class of men. Then, too, the great farmer 
will give himself, by his daily avocations, the 
very best education it is possible to obtain. 
When all its possibilities are developed, 
there will no longer be such things as the 
' ' higher professions," because the farmer 
will stand upon the highest possible pinnacle. 
Farming, in its higher development, will 
give the education that comes of the higher 
type of scientific education. For here the 
principles of scientific investigation will ever 
remain in full play. Even now, in all its 
phases, it is wholly a scientific process. So 
far it is the intelligent experimenter that be- 
comes in the end the best and most successful 
farmer. He does not call his experimental 
education scientific knowledge. But few 
realize that such is the fact, even, yet it is 
absolutely so. The most ignorant farmer 
can travel all over the country, and as he 
passes along he can easily tell the soils that 
are barren from those that are full of rich 
plant food. He has not learned this by 
chemical analysis, but by observation and ex- 
perience. A few already, and in good time 
all intelligent farmers, will gain a very 
accurate knowledge of the laws of climate, 
soils, geology and plant and animal life. 
Such a man could examine any strange 
country in the world, and tell exactly its 
qualities and capabilities; just how any 
given plant, tree or animal would grow and 
flourish there. A man thus educated would 
not have to wear out his life in costly and 
fruitless experiments before he could know 
what kind of farming could be made to yield 
profits in the new land. Something likethis 
is real education, and may answer the demand 
for those who tell us that their inferior chil- 
dren must content themselves with a little 
"practical education," while the family 



408 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



genius must bs pushed into the realms of 
classical lore. And thus, in the struggle for 
life, the "inferiors" finally become the 
superiors. Here is the inviting field and the 
glorious opportunity for the farmers. They 
must make their own education, as they have 
now ceased to wail, as did their fathers, over 
the loss of "book larnin," which they saw 
the lawyer and the parson once proudly 
wearing, like the waving plumes of the 
knights of old. Then will the farmer be the 
educated man in his State and nation, the 
world's leading factor in that great struggle 
for existence that is as wide as the earth, 
and that will endure forever. 

The supreme purpose of every rational life 
is the attainment of the greatest possible 
benefits and pleasures in this world. And 
the opposite of this is the other axiomatic 
truth, that all pains, penalties and sufferings 
are the direct or remote offspring of ignor- 
ance. Here are the two sources of all 
pleasures and all pains. And a bountiful 
nature has furnished the fountains of each 
with an exhaustless and infinite supply. The 
wise man in so far as he can, will go to 
the one; the fool will go to the other and till 
himself to bui-sting. One of the most endur- 
ing pleasiu'es in life to every intelligent 
mind — really, to every tolerably intelligent 
mind — is the acquisition of new truths of the 
physical laws of the universe. This, and 
this only, is real knowledge. All else when 
called education is misnamed — is an illusion 
and a snare. The coming farmers will un- 
derstand this well, and the result of that 
understanding will be, they will become, not 
only the best educated people in the world, 
but the healthiest, happiest and best. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

Princeton — Whence Its Name — First Svrvet — First Election, 
Who Voted — Officials — Its Improvement, Growth, Societies 
— Etc., etc. 

ANY eulogistic description of the beau- 
tiful little city of Princeton would be 
a work of supererogation for the people of 
this generation, because, in the language of 
Daniel Webster, "she speaks for herself." 
Her grand avenues and elegant business 
streets, her neat cottages, splendid business 
blocks, her great rows of shade trees and rich 
lawns, and beautiful yards and parks are a 
panorama that are witching sights to the 
visitor as he drives over the smooth graveled 
streets in viewing the town. 

Princeton is on Section 16, Town 16, 
Range 9. It was surveyed by B. M. Hayes, 
August 23, 1832, and the plat made by John 
P. Blake. Roland Moseley, John Musgrove 
and John P. Blake were the Trustees of the 
school land in the town named. They being 
advised the people desired to sell the school 
lands, proceeded to subdivide the same. The 
central, or that part between First and Third 
Streets and between Central Street and the 
south part of town, was divided into lots con- 
taining one acre and a fraction; the west 
part of the town was divided into four-acre 
and a fraction lots, and to the north line into 
four and eight- acre lots; the northeast quar- 
ter into thirty-seven-acre lots, and the east 
200 acres into four, nine and eighteen-acre 
lots. The Trustees made a report of the 
division September 17, 1832, and acknowl- 
edged the same before John M. Gay, Justice 
of the Peace. This was the first recorded in- 
strument in what is now Bureau County. It 
was recorded the 22d of March, 1833, by H. 
Warren Hooper, Recorder, Putnam County. 

The second recorded instrument was a deed 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



409 



from George Churchhill, of Madison County, 
111., to James McKinney, conveying the north- 
east quarter of Section 19, Town 14, Range 
9. This tract of land had been sold by the 
State to Churchhill on the 19 ch day of Feb- 
raary, 1830. The next real estate trans- 
action was a sale of the pre-emption right of 
Leonard Roth to Jesse Perkins, in which 
Roth quit-claims the east half of the south- 
east quarter and the east half of the north- 
east quarter of Section 24, Town 15, Range 
9. The consideration was 1600. This was 
dated November 13. 1833. On the same 
day David Jones sold to Jesse Perkins, for 
the sum of $50, a quitclaim to the east half 
of the northwest quarter of Section 19, Town 
15, Range 10. David Jones signed by " his 
mark." On the 2d day of January, 1834, 
Gov. John Reynolds signed a deed to Lot 31 , 
in Princeton, conveying it to Washington 
Webb, for the sum of 15. This lot is where 
the jail now stands The same year Wash- 
ington Webb sold the same to Jerry Parsons 
for $100. January 2, 1834, Gov. Reynolds 
deeded to W. O. Chamberlain Lot 30, Prince- 
ton, consideration $2.50. May, 1834, Cham- 
berlain sold the same to Fred Haskell for 
$30. In January, 1824, the Governor con- 
veyed to James Hays Lot 117, Princeton, 
containing eight acres and a fraction, for $20. 
Hays at the same time purchased Lot 118 
for $20. September 17, 1834, Daniel Shelly 
and Susanna, his wife, conveyed to Brown 
and Job Searl his pre-emption to one-half of 
the southeast quarter of Section 3, Town 15, 
Range 10, for $125. John Musgrove bought 
Lot 2, Princeton, January, 1834, containing 
four acres, for $10. September, 1834, Aaron 
Gunn sold to Jonathan T. Holbrook, for $500, 
a quit-claim to the southwest quarter of Sec- 
tion 24, Town 18, Range 10. 

July 14, 1834, the land office at Galena 
sold the first tract of land, the east half of 



the southeast quarter of Section 33, to Elisha 
Wood. 

The name, Princeton, was a matter of luck 
in a lottery, where the three above-named 
Town Commissioners each wanted to give it 
a name that would be suggestive of early as- 
sociation. When the three met and the ques- 
tion of a name came up, each one wrote a 
name on a slip of paper and agreed that an 
outsider should draw, and the first name 
drawn from the hat should stand as the 
choice. Mr. Musgrove was from Princeton, 
or near it, in New Jersey. He, of course, 
wrote on his slip "Princeton." And in the 
drawing this name appeared first. And thus 
the question was settled. And the writer of 
this can certify that since he has been here 
more than one letter has come to him plainly 
marked "Princeton, Illinois," and on the 
envelope was the mark of " Princeton, New 
Jersey; sent here by mistake" — although the 
writer has noticed hundreds of newspaper 
certificates floating around that New Jersey 
was not in the United States. And as there 
is a " Princeton " in nearly every State in 
the Union, yet "them literary fellers" in the 
Postoffice Department seem to generally think 
that all persons able to vrrite and address a let- 
ter are, of course, from Princeton, N. J. So 
much a long communion tends lo make us 
what we are. 

In March, 1838, at an election on the 
question of incorporating the village of 
Princeton, twenty votes were cast, all in fa- 
vor of the proposition. The following were 
the voters: Andrew Smith, Stephen Wilson, 
William H. Wells, Noah Wiswall, Cyrus 
Langworthy, John Long, Robert C. Masters, 
Samuel Triplett, John Walter, Butler Den- 
ham, John Vaughan, E. H. Phelps, Oliver 
Boyle, Joseph Houghton, Joseph Smith, Rob- 
ert Stewart, John H. Bryant, Justin H. Olds, 
Thomas S. Elston, Robert T. Templeton. 



410 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



This was no doubt a complete roster of 
every living voter at that time in the town. 

The earliest Justices in Princeton Town- 
ship were: Thomas S. Elston, Aquilla Trip- 
lett, Robert C. Masters and Joseph Waldo. 
Of the original voters of the town now liv- 
ing there are John Walter, E. H. Phelps, 
John H. Bryant, and Joseph Houghton, the 
last now in New Brunswick. 

On the 6th of April, 1857, the first town 
council was voted for, in the just then incor- 
porated town of Princeton. Ebenezer White 
was elected President of the Council, and L. 
P. Estjon, E. Dee, Jedediah Paine, P. N. 
Newell and Daniel McDonald, Trustees. 
They were sworn into office by Levi North, 
Police Magistrate. At the first meeting the 
only business was to appoint Committees to 
secure a council-room and record-book. The 
first meeting was in Judge Ballou's office, 
and the next in J. I. Taylor's office. At the 
second meeting, George H. Phelps was elect- 
ed Clerk; P. N. Newell, Treasurer; David E. 
Norton, Supervisor and Marshal; George W. 
Stone, Constable. April 16, 1857, Estjon 
presented a petition for a foui-- foot side-walk 
on the north side of Putnam Street. April 
16, ^David E. Norton, after ten days' service 
as Marshal, resigned, and William Vannatta 
was appointed. The Board of Health for the 
first year consisted of William Bacon, Dr. 
W. C. Anthony, Samuel Wood, Ephraim Fel- 
lows, and S. Fried, and the Fire Wardens, 
Charles S. Boyd, E. G. Jester, William 
Grant, Jacob Fetrow, and A. S. Chapman. 
O. G. Wilcox was appointed pound-master, 
Charles S. Allen, Prosecuting Attorney; N. 
Matson, Assessor; W. A. Fisher, Collector; 
and Alfred Johnson, John S. Miller, and 
James Corbett, wood measurers, and C. B. 
Clark and Douglas, coal weighers. 

January 4, 1858, the Council voted "that 
an oyster supper be given the present mem- 



bers of the Council and corporation officers, 
at the expense of the town." This was the 
last official act of this Board. The records 
give no account of the oyster supper. All 
probably retired "too full for utterance." 

January 4, 1858, an election was had and 
the following were chosen: Benjamin L. 
Smith, President; William Carse, D. G. 
Salisbury, John S. Miller, Joseph S. Clark 
and A. J. Morton, Trustees. They met Jan- 
uary 8. James K. Rennick was elected Clerk; 
William Carse, Treasurer: Joseph F. Jones, 
Marshal; Joseph S. Clark, Street Supervisor. 
In January, 1858, an ordinance was passed 
prohibiting tippling houses in Princeton. 
The last meeting of this Board was Decem- 
ber 30, 1858. So far as the records show, 
unlike its predecessor, the individual mem- 
bers thereof went to bed oyster-supperless, 
at least, so far as the pockets of the city 
treasury was concerned. 

January 3, 1859, an election returned the 
following: R. T. Templeton, President, and 
Jacob Fetrow, D. G. Salisbury, John Elli- 
ott, John S. Miller and William Mercer, 
Trustees, and George Q. Ide, Police Magis- 
trate. The new Board met January 8. J. 
K. Rennick was again appointed Clerk; D. 
G. Salisbury, Treasurer; William Vannatta, 
Marshal; Henry W. Kelly, Constable; Joseph 
S. Clark, Supervisor; George H. Phelps, 
Town Attorney; Charles S. Boyd, Fire War- 
den, and John Walter, Peter Scott, Henry 
Adley and W. P. Smith, policemen. 

In September, 1859, J. K. Rennick having 
removed temporarily from the town, Charles 
J. Peckham was appointed Clerk until the 
regular Clerk should return. He served out 
the term. 

The new Board in 1860: Robert T. Tem- 
pleton, President; Parker N. Newell, James 
F. Waldham, Milo Kendall, Wright Seaman 
and Joseph S, Clark, Councilmen; Charles 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



411 



J. Peckliam," Clerk; P. N. Newell, Treasur- 
er; William Buclianan, Supervisor; Martiu 
Carse, Marshal; Henry Kelly, Constable; 
Charles S. Boyd, Warden; Charles Barrie, 
William Bacon and Charles S. Boyd, Board 
of Health; William Warren and W. Frank 
Hale, wood and coal ; Henry Adley and Enos 
C Matson, policemen; John S. Coulter, 
pound-master; George L. Paddock, Town 
Attorney. 

For 1861 it was Templeton, President; P. 
N. Newell, Wright Seaman, L. S. Closson, 
Joseph Mercer and Cyprian Jones, Trustees; 
Peckham, Clerk; Newell, Treasurer; Carse, 
Marshal; Kelly, Constable; George H. 
Phelps, Attorney; Charles Hill, Supervisor. 

In 1862 the Town Board was the same as 
1861. with the exception of Jacob Critzman, 
Trustee. James S. Eckles was appointed 
Town Attorney. This year we find the town 
issued a liquor license to L. D. Epperson. 
Martin Carse having resigned the office of 
Marshal, and several applications for the 
office being presented, a ballot was had, and 
David Deselms was elected. 

1863. — The new officers were: George Cross- 
ley, President; C. Rawson, Jacob Fetrow, 
A. Swansey, R. B. Foster and L. S. Claw- 
eon, Trustees; D. E. Norton, Marshal. 
There were seven applicants for Marshal, and 
a ballot was had. There were not enough 
members of the Board by two to cast one 
vote each for the candidates. P. A. Eng- 
strom was elected — three votes. The other 
old officers were re-elected except P. W. 
Ferris, Clerk, and L. S. Smith, Attorney. 

June, 1863, the Town Trustees appointed 
George Crossley, Milo Kendall and Z. K. 
Waldron, a Committee to go to Vicksburg, to 
look after the sick and wounded] soldiers of 
Bureau County. 

January, 1864, Robert T. Templeton, 
President; Milo Kendall, Jacob Critzman, 



Joseph Mercer, Egbert Curtis and Andrew 
A. Shenland, Trustees. J. W. Templeton 
was elected Clerk, Joseph Mercer, Treasurer. 
Applications for liquor licenses by D. J. 
Aplthorp, Clemens Speidel, and Wilhelm 
Schneider, granted. George L. Paddock 
was the new Town Attorney. Z. K. Waldron, 
Marshal. 

January, 1865, William Mercer, President; 
D. R. Howe, T. Peirson, J. Walter, J. Elli- 
ott and J. S. Miller, Trustees; J. P. Rich- 
ardson, Clerk; John Walter, Treasurer; 
Charles L. Kelly, Attorney; John E. Nash, 
Marshal; E. White, Supervisor. 

The next year, Milo Kendall, President; 
Jacob T. Thompson, Egbert Curtis, Jacob 
Critzman, Jefferson H. Fawcet and Charles 
Baldwin, Trustees; W. T. Sharp, Clerk. 
Mr. Sharp resigned and I. W. Templeton was 
again elected Clerk. 

1867. —Same, with Charles N. Burr, Mar- 
shal; Jacob Critzman, Treasurer; P. A. 
Engstrom, Supervisor; J. J. Herron, Attorney. 

1868.— Same. 

1869. — Jacob T. Thompson, President; 
Parker N. Newell, Joseph Mercer, John H. 
Delano, A. A. Shenland and Egbert Curtis, 
Trustees; Templeton, Clerk; Burr, Marshal; 
P. N. Newell, Treasurer; Fred Alhoff, Super- 
visor; Herron, Attorney. 

1870. — Same, except T. C. Halloway, 
George Welsh, P. Fagencrans and Milo Ken- 
dall, Trustees; Joseph Mercer, Treasurer; 
T. J. Phelps, Clerk. 

1871.— Same, except W. H. Winter, J. M. 
McConihe, A. L. Davis, Trustees; T. C. 
Holloway, Treasurer. 

1872. — James S. Eckles, President; 
Stephen G. Paddock, William Miles, Alonzo 
Kendall, H. H. Ferris, Morris Sower, Trust- 
ees; M. U. Trimble, Clerk; S. G. Paddock, 
Treasurer; S. F. Robinson, Marshal; Nelson 
Kaar, Supervisor; C. C. Warren, Attorney. 



413 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



1873. — Same. In the latter part of this 
year the town purchased two No. 2 Babcock 
lire engines. 

1874— Milo Kendall, President; Peter 
Fagercraus, Jedediah A. Paine, W. H. Mesen- 
kop, Charles Barrie, Harrison Epperson, 
Trustees; Robert E. Gibons, Police Magis- 
trate; Mesenkop, Treasurer; Fagercrans re- 
signed, and J. T. Thompson was elected to 
fill the vacancy; S. W. Rous well was elected 
Clerk. 

1875. — Same, except J. M. McConihe, 
Trustee; J. A. Thompson, Clerk. 

1876.— Charles Baldwin, President; J. T. 
Thompson, W. H. Mesenkop, Justus Stevens, 
Charles Barrie, J. A. Paine, Trustees; W. W. 
Herron, Clerk. The Council passed an ordi- 
nance limiting the number of saloons to 
eight — four at the depot and four in South 
Town. During the year J. H. Eckles became 
the Town Clerk. 

1877.— Same, except E. S. Phelps, W. L. 
Henderson, Harrison Epperson, Trustees; W. 
H. Mesenkop, Treasurer; J. P. Thompson, 
Marshal. 

1878. — Josiah Milligan, President; Simon 
Elliott. Alonso Kendall, John S. Miller, R. 

B. Foster, E. S. Phelps, Trustees; J. A. 
Thompson, Clerk; John S. Miller, Treasurer; 

C. C. Warren, Attorney; Randall Smith, 
Supervisor: F. A. Walker, Marshal. 

January 4, 1879, the Board adopted the 
report of Attorneys Lovejoy and Trimble to 
codify, revise and compile the ordinances of 
the town. 

1879.— Charles Baldwin, President; T. J. 
Cooper, T>. A. Mulvane, C. N. Burr, B. F. 
Cos, Milo Kendall, Trustees. At the Janu- 
ary meeting it was resolved to restrict all 
sales or license, except to druggists, to sell 
liquors, or malt liquors. Joseph A. Thomp- 
son chosen Clerk; Milo Kendall elected 
Town Treasurer — three ballots were had; N. 



A. Dyke, Street Supervisor. Mr. Kendall 
tendered his resignation as Treasurer, which 
was unanimously " not accepted." J. M. 
McConihe was elected Marshal. 

1880.— A. H. Thompson, President; W. H. 
Mesenkop, J. A. Paine, B. F. Cox, W. L. 
Henderson, Charles Phelps, Trustees; W. L. 
Henderson, Treasurer; McConihe, Marshal. 
Salary of Marshal fixed at $45 a month. J. 
T. Kyle, Attorney. 

1881.— A. H. Thompson, President; W. H. 
Mesenkop, D. H. Smith, W. L. Henderson, 
R. Ohman, Charles P. Phelps, Trustees ; Mes- 
enkop, Treasurer; Kyle, Attorney. The 
Clerk's salary was fixed at $12 a month for 
all services. J. A. Thompson was appointed 
Clerk; N. A. Dyke, Supervisor; McConihe, 
Marshal. 

1882. — Thompson, President; Justus Ste- 
vens, August F. Johnson, D. Knight, W. L. 
Henderson, John Wilson, Trustees; R. B. 
Paddock, Clerk; W. L. Henderson, Treas- 
urer; Kyle, Attorney; N. A. Dyke, Supervi- 
sor. License to sell malt liquors fixed at 
$100 per year. Druggists' license to sell 
liquors, same. McConihe, Marshal. 

1883.— S. G. Paddock, President; Milo 
Kendall, Robert R. Gibons, A. C. Boggs, 
Levi Blanchard, John Wilson, Trustees; R. 

B. Paddock, Clerk; John Wilson, Treasurer; 
O. G. Lovejoy, Attorney; McConihe, Mar- 
shal. At the June meeting this year a Com- 
mittee was apf)ointed to borrow $6,000. The 
Superintendent of Oakland Cemetery reports 
for the year eighty four burials; twenty-eight 
lots sold. 

1884 — City Organized. — On November 26, 
1883, an election on the question of organ- 
izing the town into a city was carried in the 
affirmative. There were 660 votes cast — 491 
for, 169 against — majority 322. There 
were 84 votes for minority representation, and 
228 against the same. The vote was can- 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



413 



vassed and declared January 7, 1884. Sa- 
loon licenses were granted to run until the 
third Monday of April, 1884. N. A. Dyke 
was appointed to take the census during Feb- 
ruary, 1884, for the purpose of dividing the 
city into wards; such census to be taken by 
blocks. This carefully taken census showed 
a total population in the city of Priceton of 
3,610. The Board proceeded to divide the 
city into wards as follows: The First Ward 
shall be bounded on the east and south by the 
city limits, on the west by the center of Main 
Street, and on the north by the south line of 
Crown Street from the center of Main Street 
to the east of Church Street, and thence by 
the south line of Lot 112 (original town) 
to the west side of Fourth Street, and thence 
by the north line of Virgil Street to the east 
line of Homer Street, and thence by a line 
due east to the city limits; Second Ward 
bounded on the west and south by the city 
limits, on the east by the center of Main 
Street, on the north by the center of Putnam 
Street; Third Ward bounded on the west 
and north by the city limits, on the east by 
the center of Main Street, and on the south 
by the center of Putnam Street. The Fourth 
Ward is bounded on east and north by the 
city limits, on the west by the center of Main 
Street, and on the south by the north line of 
the First Ward. 

An ordinance for a city election, to be held 
on the third Tuesday in April, 1884, to elect 
city officers, was passed, and the election 
called. It provided for the election of a 
Mayor, two Aldermen from each ward, a 
Marshal, City Clerk, Attorney and Treasurer. 
The election on the third Tuesday of April 
resulted as follows: Justus Stevens, Mayor; 
I. O. Brakow, Clerk; W. Henderson, Attor- 
ney; Atherton Clark, Marshal; Daniel H. 
Smith, Treasurer; Aldermen, First Ward, E. 
A. Washbm-n, A. C. Best; Second Ward, Milo 



Kendall, James S. Eckles; Third Ward, Ami 
L. Davis, Elias C. Finnell; Fourth Ward.W. 
H. Mesenkop, Phillip Wolfsberger. At the 
first meeting of the City Council the Alder- 
men decided by lot the question of the long 
and short term. The following drew short 
terms or one year: A. C. Best, James S. 
Eckels, A. L. Davis, W. H. Mesenkop. The 
others hold two years. Regular standing 
committees were provided for, one superin- 
tendent of streets, one day policeman, two 
night watchmen one chief of fire depart- 
ment, board of health consisting of three 
members, one of whom shall be a licensed 
physician ; authorizes the Mayor in emergen- 
cies to appoint special policemen, etc., etc. 
The chief political question in the election 
was prohibition or anti-prohibition. License 
carried the day, electing the Mayor and a 
majority of the City Council. And the next 
day and the next and the day after that 
and for weeks, the saloons and billiard halls 
were closed as tight as ever they were in the 
most pronounced temperance town in the 
world; even the drug stores were indifferent 
to their snake-bit friends. The Council as 
understood when elected stood five for and 
three against liquor license. But when it 
came to a test vote one of the five weakened 
slightly, and this resulted in a week or two 
of delay, but in the end the doors were again 
opened and once more peace and lager pre- 
vailed. The Mayor appointed the following 
standing Committees: Finance and Claims, 
Washburn, Mesenkop and Davis; Streets, 
etc., Wolfsberger, Kendall and Washburn; 
Gas, etc., Finnell, Davis and Best; License, 
Mesenkop, Kendall and Eckles; Fire De- 
partment, Davis, Best and Washburn; Cem- 
etery, Best, Kendall and Wolfsberger; Or- 
dinance, Eckles, Mesenkop and Finnell; Law, 
Kendall, Finnell and Wolfsberger. Special 
Committees were appointed. John Wilson, 



414 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Chief of Fire Department; on Board of 
Health, Dr. A. H. Thompson, Jacob Critz- 
man, and Egbert Curtis; N. A. Dyke, Su- 
perintendent of Streets. Saloon licenses 
were fixed at $150. Salaries were fixed — Al- 
dermen. $3 each meeting; City Clerk, $250; 
Treasurer, $125; Marshal $600; day police, 
at the rate of $450 per annum ; night watch- 
men, same; Superintendent of Streets, $1.75 
per day; Superintendent of Cemetery, same; 
laborers, $1.50 per day; members of the 
Board Health, $15 per annum; Fire War- 
dens, $12.50 per annum. O. G. Lovejoy 
was appointed City Attorney. The city 
budget for the fiscal year ending July, 1884, 
showed funds from all scources $15,380. It 
is estimated a loan of $3,000 will be neces- 
sary to meet the demands at the close of the 
year. 

In the general account of the early settlers 
will be found a very complete record of the 
early comers to Princeton and the precinct. 
Indeed, this may here be said, once for all, 
and for each of the townships in the county, 
and, therefore, in most of the township his- 
tories a tiresome iteration will, in so far as 
possible, be avoided. In the general j)lan of 
this work, it was found best to give the gen- 
eral county history as a whole, at least to the 
date of the formation of the townships, and 
then to carry the civil history of these munici- 
palities along in a direct line from the point 
where they superseded the old county organ- 
ization to the present. For these reasons 
we need not and will not elaborate to any 
immoderate extent the township histories 
here. 

The first building erected within the limits 
of the original corporation was a log-cabin 
built by Ml-. Silas D. Cartwright, in the fall 
of 1833, and occupied by him as a blacksmith 
shop. It stood on the now vacant lot north 
of the Congregational Church. The second, 



and first framed building was erected by John 
M. Gay, the dimensions being twelve feet 
square, and occupied the ground upon which 
the residence and store of R. T. Tem- 
pleton, Esq., stood. The third was a log- 
cabin built by Mr. Frederick Haskill, and 
used by him as a store — the first in the 
place — and was located on the ground now 
occupied by the residence of Mr Elijah Dee. 
This store was opened for the sale of goods 
June 7, 1834, and the first article sold was a 
horse collar, to Mr. Cornelius Corss. The 
first hotel was built by Mr. Stephen Triplett 
which still stands on Main Street immediately 
south of Dr. Chamberlain's oflSce, though it 
has not been used for this purpose for several 
years. The first church was a two-story 
frame building, erected in 1835 by the 
Hampshire Colony Congregational Church, 
on the public square, immediately south of 
where the court house now is; it is now the 
stable of Mr. Justus Stevens, and stands on 
the southeast corner of the public square. 

The times of great business prosperity in 
Princeton were from 1845 to 1855. At the 
end of this decade the county had become 
gridironed with railroads. Then in 1862 or 
1863 the inflation of values all over the 
country again made this an important busi- 
ness point. This continued until 1873, when 
the whole country suffered the terrible five 
years of panic and wide-spread bankruptcy. 
In the way of failures and bankruptcy of the 
business men of the place it sufiered less 
than any other similarly situated town in the 
State, perhaps, yet there was a marked de- 
cadence in its manufactories as well as the 
general volume of business. 

In 1853 were projected the first two brick 
business blocks in the town — the American 
Hotel and the Mercantile Block. The first 
to engage in the project of the hotel were 
John H. Bryant, J. M. McConihe, Justus 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



415 



Stevens, and afterward they were joined by 
Andrew Gosse and Jacob Albright. The 
work of building was commenced in 1855, 
and it was opened to the public July 20, 
1857, by Charles Pike. Then Warren ran 
it from 1858 to 1802, and Allison from 1862 
to 1865; then Hutchins until 1866; then 
Romsdate one year; then Manger Bros, to 
1873; then Sackett & Bushnell to 1877; then 
Bushnell alone to 1879, when Munger Bros, 
again took it. It is now in the hands of 
Doc. D. E. Munger. To all hotel people of 
this day it is a sufficient encomium to say it 
is in the hands of one of the Mungers to 
sound its praises as a hostelry. 

For eighteen years after it was opened J. 
M. McConihe was the company's agent. 

The Mercantile Block was built by R. T. 
Templeton and E. G. Jester. 

The Hotel Block cost $39,000, and the 
Mercantile Block $10,000. 

In a preceding chapter we gave an ac- 
count of the postoffices here, from the first 
kept to date. It was prior to laying off the 
town, and it was north of Princeton, and was 
really known as Greenfield. 

The fii'st building in the town limits was a 
log-hut, put up by S. D. Cartwright, in 1833, 
on the lot that is now the residence of John 
Bailey, near the Congregational Church. The 
second was a frame, 12x12, by John M. Gay. 
There was no other building until 1834, 
when Stephen Triplett built on the east side of 
Main Street, about where the Savings Bank 
Building stands. Triplett's was the first 
frame, and was the "Princeton Hotel.'' John 
M. Gay the same year built a frame store and 
residence on Main Street opposite Triplett's 
Hotel. In 1835 Elijah Wiswall built a frame 
store and dwelling on the corner opposite the 
American House. 

The growth from these first cabins, then 
the frames and then the brick business blocks, 



named above, was slow, and the business, in 
order to keep pace with the sm-rounding 
country, outstripped the town building, as 
the following nearly complete directory of 
the business firms in 1857 will more clearly 
show: 

Dealers in Dry Goods. — ^Villiam Carse, 
Rawson Bros., Converse & Thomson, Alex. 
Boyd, A. & M. Carse, A. & L. Hiscock, 
David Robinson, Jr., & Co., J. Riale & Son, 
A. Knights, from Philadelphia, about to 
open a store soon, Stevens & McConihe, 
Alfred Johnson, D. G. Salisbury, P. N. 
Newell & Co., H. J. Everett, William H. 
Mason, Mrs. Jane F. Hale. 

Grocery and Variety Stores. — Delano & 
Bun-, J. Crittenden & Co. , James Corbett & 
Bro., Morrison & Fisher, E. Wester, A. C. 
Gilcrest & Co., W. H. Colesbery, Baker & 
Garvin, James Crownover, J. F. Fieselmau. 

Dealers in Stoves, Tin and Hardware. — 
Jacobs & White, Paddock & Seaman, A. S. 
& E. C. Chapman. 

Clothing Stores. — J. Walter & Co., E. 
Wester, Dernham & Rosenstraus, Wolf, Berg. 
man & Co. 

Merchant Tailors. — John S. Mulliner, Am- 
brose &'Burnsides. 

Millinery and Dress Making. — Mrs. Jane 
F. Hale, Mrs. C. Meservy, Mrs. C. C. Self- 
ridge. 

Drug Stores.~Bod\ey & Wilson, W. H. 
Winter, Converse & Thomson. 

Jewelry Stores. — P. F. Packard, E. Harris, 
P. Fagercrantz. 

Manufacturers of and Dealers in Furni- 
ture. — Levisee & Davis, James T. Stevens, 
A. P. Lawson & Co., William Grant. 

Harness Shops. — Stowell & Co., S. E. New- 
bery, E. G. Jester & Co. 

Boot and Shoe Shops. — J. W. Harwood & 
Co., G. Van Velzer, A Love, Preston S. Barr 
& Co. , Charles Yan Velzer. 



416 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



^afceries.— William Jones, William Harris. 

Dining Saloons. — Apthorp & Butler, Frank 

Woodworth, Henry W. Kelly, J. H. Smith. 

Meat Markets. — Collett & Jones, E. M. & 

A. Bartles. 

Produce Merchants. — A. & J. N. Fisher, 
E. H. Brooks, E. Curtis, Sidney Smith, E. 
P. Conger & Dratt, Stevens & McConihe, 
William Warren, William Carse, P. N. Newell 
&Co. 

Lumber Yards. — Jacob Fetrow & Co., Dun- 
bar & Spring, Priestley & Carpenter. 

Brick Yards. — Andrew Gosse, Gillett Burr, 
Alvin Burton. 

Carpenters and Joiners. — A. Whitmarsh, 
Paine & Merriam, J. N. Carlton, A. B. 
Thayer, Eli E. Mathis, A.. C. Prout, Abel 
Martin, Morse & Wolfenberger, James Grant, 
J. Crocker. A. H. Burrell, George Grant, 
David Grant. 

Masons. — E. White, E. H. Swayne, Henry 
H. Eichards. 

Cfunsmiths. — S. D. Hinsdale, S. J. Lind- 
barg. 

Blacksmiths. — Huntington & Campbell, 

B. Bartholomew, E. Smith, William H. Cook, 
Anson P. Fish, C. Conklin. 

Wagon ShojJS. — Eobert W^aterson, M. Eich- 
ards, William Spangler. 

Painters. — W. H. Snow, C. Wilson, Adley 
& Elmendorf. 

Livery Stables. — Bill & Morse, J. P. Alli- 
son. 

Civil Engineers and Surveyors. — George 
H. Bobbins, C. B. Johnson, Winship & 
Hodgeman. 

Nursery -men. — Arthur Bryant, John G. 
Bubach. 

Steam Flour ing-mills. — S. P. Bingham, 
Bobbins, Lawson & Co. 

Dentists. — P. W. Fen-is, D. Brainard. 

Physicians. — W. C. Anthony, A. E. Bod- 
ley, Joseph Shugart, J. W. Gamwell, Levi 



J. Woodbury, William O. Chamberlain, A. 
E. Griffith, William Mercer, Joseph Mercer, 
Alvin Ballou. 

Baulking Houses. — Eelsey, Waller & Co., 
Hulburd, Sharp & Co. 

Hotels. — Eagle Hotel, William McKee, pro- 
prietor; Monroe House, William L. Dayton, 
proprietor; Prairie House, Joseph Donald- 
son, proprietor; American House, Munger 
Bros. 

The act extending the corporation limits 
and giving a town charter and a Board of 
Councilmen and President passed in 1857. 
This act practically gave Princeton all the 
privileges of a city except the name. 

The important public building erected in 
1884 was Apollo Hall, a much needed im- 
provement, and giving ample facilities for a 
public hall and place of amusement. The 
building is one-story and basement, and is 
63x133, brick and stone, built by a joint 
stock company — C. P. Bascom, President; D. 
H. Smith, Vice-President; C. G. Cushing, 
Treasurer; S. G. Paddock, Secretary. 

The present city directory, business and 
official, is as follows: 

City Officers. — Mayor, Justus Stevens; City 
Clerk, I. O. Brokaw; City Attorney, O. G. 
Lovejoy ; City Treasurer, D. H. Smith ; 
City Marshal, Atherton Clark; City Superin- 
tendent of Streets, N. A. Dyke; Suj^erin- 
tendent of Cemetery, Joseph Sharp; Chief of 
Fire Department, John Wilson. Aldermen 
First Ward, E. A. Washburn, A. C. Best 
Second Ward, J. S. Eckels, M. Kendall 
Third Ward, E. C. Finnell, A. L. Davis 
Fourth Ward, W. H. Mesenkop, P. Wolfers- 
berger. 

City Schools. — District No. 1, John H. Bry- 
ant, President; H. M. Trimble, Secretary; 
W. M. Whipple, T. J. Cooper, H. H. Ferris, 
J. J. Bamburg, Directors. C. P. Snow, 
Superintendent of Schools. Three buildings. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



417 



brick. Thirteen teachers. Number of schol- 
ars, 750. 

Fire Department. — John Wilson, Chief. 
No. 1 Babcock and Hook and Ladder, D. J. 
Foster, Foreman; I. R. Stewart, First Assist- 
ant Foreman; T. P. Streeter, 2d Assistant 
Foreman. No. 2 Babcock, John Campbell, 
Foreman; C. W. McMuUen, 1st Assistant 
Foreman; George Woodruff, 2d Assistaat. 
Sixty men in the Department. 

Masonic. — Bui-eau Lodge, No. 112, A. F. 
& A. M.— Newell A. Bacon, W. M. ; L. D. 
Romberger, S. W. ; Thomas Harris, J. W. ; 
George Cross ley. Treasurer; L. H. Streeter, 
Secretary; V. H. Brown, Chaplain; Jacob 
Critzman, S. D. ; T. J. Cooper, J. D. ; John 
W. Bailey, S. S. ; E. Ewing, J. S. ; C. C. 
Weidrich, Tyler. Meets Tuesday P. M., 7 :30. 

Princeton Lodge, No. 587, A. F. & A. M. — 
Charles A. McKinney, W. M.; Charles A. 
Palmer, S. W. ; Harry C. Roberts, J. W. ; 
Charles G. Cushiug, Treasurer; Alfred M. 
Swengle, Secretary; Frank F. Dunbar, Chap- 
lain; Homer B. Hubbell, S. D.; Cprydon P. 
Snow, J. D.; Harvey M. Trimble, S. S.; 
Stephen G. Paddock, J. S. ; Daniel H. Dean, 
Tyler; Theodore P. Streeter, Organist. Meets 
Tuesday P. M., 7:30. 

Princeton Chapter, No. 28, R. A. M.— 
Marshall U. Trimble, M. E. H. P. ; Edward 
A. Washburn, E. King; Theodore P. Streeter, 
E. Scribe; Rev. Virgil H. Brown, Chaplain; 
George Crossley, Treasurer; Charles A. Mc- 
Kinney, Secretary; Luther D. Romberger, 
C. of H. ; Homer B. Hubbell, P. S. ; Charles 
P. Bascom, R. A. C. ; Newell A. Bacon, G. 
M. 3d Veil; Jacob Chritzman, G. M. 2d Veil; 
Thomas Harris, G. M. 1st Veil; Christian 
C. Wiedrich, Tyler. Meets Thursday P. M., 
7:30 

Temple Commandery, No. 20, Knights Tem- 
plar. — E. Sir Charles G. Gushing, E. Com.; 
Sir John Pickels, Genls'mo; Sir H. M. Trim- 



ble, Capt. Gen.; Sir Frank F. Dunbar, Prelate; 
Sir Charles P. Bascom, S. W.; Sir Jacob 
Chritzman, J. W. ; E. Sir George Crossley, 
Treasurer; Sir John W. Bailey, Recorder; 
Sir Theo P. Streeter, Warder; Sir Thomas 
Harris, St. B. ; Sir Edwin Ewing, Sw. B.; 
Sir Thomas J. Cooper, Ist Grd. ; Sir Ed. A. 
Washburn, 2d Grd.; E. Sir L. D. Romber- 
ger, 3d Grd. ; Sir C. Wiedrich, C. Guard. 
Meets Monday P. M., 7:30. 

Orion Council, No. 8, R. & S. M. Charles 
Raymond, T. I. G. M. ; Com. C. G. Gushing, D. 
L G. M. ; Com. L. D. Romberger, P. C. W. ; 
Com. C. A. McKinney. Rec. ; Com. George 
Crossley, Treas. ; Com. T. P. Streeter, Con. ; 
Com. D. J. Foster, C. of G. ; Com. N. A. 
Bacon, S. G. ; Com. C. C. Wiedrich, Sent. 
Meets Saturday P. M., 7:30. 

Princeton Consistory, of M. V. & I. S. P. 
and C. of the R. S., thirty- two degrees, A. 
A. S. R.— Clark Gray, 111. Com. in Chief; J. 
Chritzman, 111. First Lieut. Com.; E. A. 
Washburn, 111. Second Lieut. Com. ; D. H. 
Dean, 111. M. of S. and G. O. ; P. H. Zieg- 
ler, 111. G. Chancellor; H. B. Hubbell, 111. 
G. and K. S. A.; S. M. Knox, 111. G. Treas- 
urer; J. Vaudegrift, 111. G. E. and A. ; Ed. 
Ewing, G. Hospitaler; H. N. Keener, 111. G. 
M. of C; C. A. McKinney, 111. G. Stan'd 
B.; F. F. Dunbar, 111. G. C. of G. ; C. A. 
Palmer, 111. G. Sentinel. 

A. A. S. R. Princeton Lodge of Perfec- 
tion.— C. A. Palmer, T. P. G. M. ; C. G. 
Cushing, H. T. D. I. G. M. ; T. P. Streeter, 
V. S. G. W.; E. Ewing, V. J. G. W.; H. B. 
Hubbell, G. O. ; George Crossley, V. G. T. ; 
D. J. Foster, G. S. K. S. and A. ; John Trul- 
son, G. M. C. ; J. Vandegrift, G. C. G.; C. 
C. Wiedrich, G. H. B. ; D. H. Dean, G. T. 
Meets first Friday each month, 7 :30 P. M. 

Princeton Council, P. of J. A. A. S. R. 
— S. M. Knox, M. E. S. P. G. M. ; A. H. 
Thompson, G. H. P. D, G. M. ; C. A. Mc- 



418 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Kinney, N. E. S. G. W. ; F. F. Dunbar, M. 
E. J. G. W. ; John Trulson, V. G. S. K. S. 
A.; E. A. Washburn, V. G. T.; H. N. 
Keener, V. G. M. C. ; T. Harris, V. G. N. E. ; 
J. Vandegrift, G. T. 

Princeton Chapter Rose Croix, A. A. S. R. — 
T. P. Streeter, M. W. and P. M. ; J. Pickels, 
M. E. and P. K S. W. ; C. A. McKinney, 
M. E. and P. K. J. W. ; C. G. Gushing, M. 

E. and P. K. G. O. ; C. P. Bascom. R. and 
P. K. G. T. ; C. A. Palmer, R. and P. K. S. ; 

F. F. Dunbar, R. and P. K. H.; J. W. 
Bailey, R. & P. K. M. C. ; C. C. Wiedrich, 
R. and P. K. C. G. Meets Constitutional 
and first Friday each month. 

Knights of Honor. — Guardian Lodge, No. 
1123.— J. D. Thompson, D.; D. H. Dean, R.; 
E. S. Phelps, F. R. ; S. Bally, Treas. Meets 
in O. F. Hall. Depot, first and third Wednes- 
day each month. 

Knights and Ladies of Honor. — Friend- 
ship Lodge, No. 292. Elva A. Dean, Pro- 
tector; S. Bally, See. and F. S.; J. Miller, 
Treas. Meets at O. F. Hall, Depot, second 
and fourth Fridays each month. 

/. O. M. A. — Princeton Lodge, No. No. 41. 
— T. O. Josephson, Pres. ; J. Chritzman, V. 
P. ; A. Johnson, T. ; L. D. Romberger, Sec. 
Meets third Monday each month over Farm- 
ers National Bank. 

I. O. G. r.— Princeton Lodge, No. 271.— 
C. E. Shugart, P. W. C. T. ; Dr. G. T. Smith, 
W. C. T. ; Mrs. Mary Mercer, W. V. T. ; Rev. 
W. D. Atchison, W. C. ; F. W. Clark, Sec. ; 
Mi's. Frank Walker, Treas. Meets every 
Tuesday at O. F. Hall, over Winter & Gush- 
ing, 7:30 P. M. 

K. of P.— Pleasant Lodge, No, 19.— S. L. 
Smith, P. C; W. Wagner, C. C. ; John Trul- 
son, V. C. : G. Evans, P. ; I. O. Brokaw, K. 
of R. S. ; Dr. C. A. Palmer, M. of E. Ch. ; 
P. J. Newell, M. of F.; D.J.Foster, M. of A. 
Meet every Thursday at O. F. Hall, 7 :30 P.M. 



K. of P. — Uniform Lodge. — Major C. A. 
Palmer, G. S. of 1st G. D. of the United 
States; Lieut.-Col. T. P. Streeter, 1st A. G. 
C; D. J. Foster, S. K. C; T. P. Streeter, 
Lieut. C. ; S. L. Smith, Herald; P. J. New- 
ell, Treas. ; W. Wagner, Rec. ; John Trulson, 
Guard; F. M. LaFrienier, Guide. Meets 
every first Thursday each month at 7 :30 P. M. 

G. A. J?.— Ferris Post, 309.— T. P. Street- 
er, P. C; W. C. Warren, Adjt; P. T. Rich- 
ardson, Q. M. Fifty-five men. Meets sec- 
ond and fourth Wednesdays each in Odd 
Fellows' Hall. 

/. O. O. i^.—Tonnaluka Lodge, 89.— J. J. 
Bamburg, P. T. ; G. H. Sampson, N. G. ; A. 
Goetz, G. O. T. Z.; W.C. Warren, R.S. ; Chris 
Wiedrich, P. S ; E. R. Mathis, Treas. Meets 
Friday P. M., 7:30, at Odd Fellows' Hall. 

/. O. O. i^.— Bureau Lodge, 428.— S. Ros- 
enstraus. Deft. ; B. Grossman, N. G. ; H. 
Stein, V. G. ; S. Seelig, Sec; William Kas- 
trop, Treas. Meets every Saturday, 8 P. M., 
at Odd Fellows' Hall, Depot. 

/. O. O. F. — Bureau Encampment, 36.— 
A. Goetz. C. P. ; C. Barry, H. P. ; S. Seelig, 
S. W.; J. Ross, J. W. ; W. C. Warren, Scribe; 
William Ambrose, Treas. Meets first and 
third Wednesdays in each month, 7:30 P. 
M., at Odd Fellows' Hall. 

K. of P.— Endowment Rank, No. 298.— 
Pres. John Trulson; V. Pres., George Wood- 
ruff; Chap., P. J. Newell; Sec. and Treas., 
I. O. Brokaw; Guide, T. P. Streeter; Guard, 
C. A. Palmer; Sent, C. W. McMullen. 

Friends in Council. — Mrs. Rev. M. C. 
Williams, Pres. ; Mrs. George Phelps, Vipe- 
Pres. ; Miss E. J. Warfield, Sec. and Treas. 
Meets Thursday A. M. at V. L. Scott's. 

Societies — Literary. — Princeton Literary 
Club.— C. J. Richardson, Pres. ; G. S. Skin- 
ner, Sec. ; A. B. Reeve, Treas. Meets every 
other Friday evening at lecture room of Con- 
gregational Church. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



419 



Chautauqua Circle. —E. E. Lesh, Pres. ;F. 
W. Clark, Sec. and Treas. Meets 1st and 
4th Tuesdays of each moath, at residences of 
members. 

Sciences. — Princeton Academy of Sciences. 
— Incorporated January 23, 18S2. Officers: 
Hon. Simon Elliott, Pres.; Charles Barrie, 
Vice-Pres. ; Lillian I. Davis, Recording Sec. ; 
Jacob Miller, Corresponding Sec.; F. M. Her- 
rick, Treas. Meets every Monday evening at 
8 P. M. at O. F. Hall, Depot. 

Illinois Masons'' Benevolent Society. — De- 
witt C. Cregier, Pres. ; James A. Hawley, 
Vice-Pres. ; George H. Sampson, Sec. ; D. 
H. Smith, Treas.; A. H. Thompson, M. D., 
Medical Director; Jacob Krohn, Supervising 
Director of Agents; Harvey M. Trimble, 
Attorney. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 



The Townships and Villages and Towns in the County — A 
Few Additional Items About the Settlers and Other 
Facts Given, etc., etc., etc. — Hall Township. 

EC. HALL has made his township one 
• of the most noted farming localities in 
the State. His farm is on Section 21, and 
as it has taken so many premiums at county 
and State fairs, it has earned the v?ide repu- 
tation of Illinois' model farm. Its grand 
avenues leading to it of stately pines are in- 
viting to the visitor. The orchard, the clean 
and smooth meadow, lawns and blue-grass 
pastures, and the elegant residence, standing 
nearly in the center of the tract of land, is 
truly a model of beauty, convenience and 
utility that is pleasant to the beholder, and 
leaves a picture upon the mind that v?ill 
be slow to fade. This splendid property 
contains 200 acres, and now belongs to John 
Weber. 



Edward G. Hall, son of Ransom Hall, 
like all that noted family, was one of our 
best citizens. A very full account of the 
Hall family may be found in another chapter. 

The most prominent man of to-day in Hall 
Township is Henry J. Miller. He is known 
far and wide for his enterprise, thrift and 
energy, and as one of the few valuable men 
upon whose broad and strong shoulders are 
carried those large enterprises that build up 
and keep in the advance the prosperity of 
large communities. To Mr. Miller is due the 
organization, development and future great 
promise of the Spring Valley Coal Company 
of this township. He organized the company 
a few years ago, and, as its agent, contracted 
for 5,000 acres of coal lands. Most of the 
original parties failed when the time came to 
make the final payment on these lands, and 
after much negotiation Mr. Miller, in com- 
pany with Mr. A. Campbell, arranged and 
took the lands and paid for them. One 
splendid shaft, costing $30,000, is now in 
operation, and soon others will be opened. 
There is here the finest article of bituminous 
coal found in the West. 

A railroad is contemplated in connection 
with the.se mines, called the Spring Valley & 
Northwestern Railroad. Its contemplated 
route is toward the northwest, and if Mr. 
Miller's life is spared a few years, he will be 
able to add one of the largest industries, not 
only to Bureau County, but to the great 
Northwest, yet given the country. 

In the business life of Henry J. Miller are 
the evidences of the great value a single life 
may be to a people in bettering the condition 
of all, in advancing the general material in- 
terests, and at the same time so conducting 
his vast and generous enterprises that none 
are oppressed, none wronged, no one impov- 
erished, but all are aided, assisted and ad- 
vanced along the great struggling line of 



420 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



life. Always just, generous and liberal, 
there will come to those who have felt 
his good acts and impulses, no sting with his 
name or memory. Such a life is worth liv- 
ing. Its pathway here is, as will be its 
memory in the long future, lit up with the 
warm rays of sweetest sunshine. 

Rufus L umry, a noted early preacher, of 
whom much is said elsewhere, settled in this 
township. He was di'owned in Colorado. In 
1844 he was a candidate of the Abolitionists, 
for the Legislature. It was Lumry who 
found the body of J. Dunlap at Lost Grove, 
in 1837. The Methodist Episcopal preachers 
who came after Lumry were Steven R. 
Beggs, John Sinclair and J. J. Cole. It was 
this township that furnished ready-made, 
Judge William Hoskins, whose name figures 
so prominently in the general county history. 
Here also figured Curtis Williams, and Will- 
iam Hall and his two girls. He was killed, 
and his girls taken captive by the Indians. 
Reason Hall settled on Section 34, afterward 
owned by J. Wasson, as early as 1828. Then 
in 1833 Henry Miller settled on Section 33, 
and William Miller on 27, and in the fall of 
the same year Edward Hall settled on 29, 
afterward occupied by H. W. Munson; Will- 
iam Swan on 19, where J. Whitehead after- 
ward resided; Robert Scott, A. Wixam, Alex- 
ander Holbrook and Martin Thompson. The 
two last made improvements on Section 80. 
These farms were afterward owned by the 
great Daniel Webster. Isam Wilhite settled 
on Section 18. C. W. Combs, Samuel J. 
Williams and Moses Tichenor were among 
the .settlers here prior to 1840. Also Noah 
Sapp, Dr. W^hitehead and James G. Swan 
were among the prominent early settlers. 

James Murray, the geologist, lives in Hall 
Township. He is a native of Perthshire, 
Scotland, born January 23, 1820. He was 
educated in his native country, and trained to 



his father's business — flower gardening — and 
lived there with the Earls of Hopeton, Murray, 
and other distinguished families. He went 
from Scotland to England, and for sis years 
lived with" Viscount Sidney, near London. 
He came to America in 1852, and married 
Sarah Olcott, September 11, 1864, of which 
union were five children. 

Mr. Murray looked over the country and 
selected a place for a home that had more 
interest for 'a landscape gardener and geolo- 
gist's eye than for a practical farmer, and for 
the past thirty years he has devoted himself 
to the study of the geology of northern Illi- 
nois, and the collection of rare and interest- 
ing geological specimens. As a consequence 
he is now the possessor of one of the rarest 
and most extensive collection of specimens in 
the [State. He has been much visited by 
scientific investigators of late years, and sev- 
eral attempts have been made to secure for 
the State his collection. 

Lamoille. — Among the first settlers in the 
county were Aaron Gunn and Daniel Dim- 
mick, who settled in this township. In 1830 
came William Hall, and located where the 
village of Lamoille now stands. In 1834 
Leonard Roth and Dave Jones came; then 
Jonathan Holbrook and Moses A. Bowen — 
they purchased Gunn's claim. About the 
same time Enos Holbrook and R. and P. Ar- 
gier, Joseph Knox and Greenbury Hall came. 
Timothy Perkins lived here a short time. In 
1835 Benjamin Townsend, Robert Masters and 
Joseph Frank came. In 1836 Wilson Dailey 
and Gilbert and Mitchell Clemens came and 
made farms west of the creek. The same 
year Zenas Church came. He built a saw- 
mill on Big Bureau, Section 22. In the 
spring of 1836 Tracy Reeve and Dr. John 
Kendall came. They bought the Bowen farm 
and laid off on it the village of Lamoille. 
Mr. Bowen had previously made a survey of 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



421 



the land, but never perfected and recorded 
his town plat. In the list of early settlers 
and long prominent men in the county are 
Isaac H. Norris, Henry Holbrook, A. Blodg- 
ett, Jonathan Holbrook, E. M. Eastman, 
Ziba Dimmick, Enoch Pratt, Samuel and 
Abner Edwards. Solomon Roth, and E. M. 
Eastman. Elisha W. Fassett came in 1835, 
John Hetzler in 1834 Dailey settled near the 
ford on Bureau, and it was long known as 
Dailey's Ford. Zenas Church, O. M. East- 
man Gilbert Clemens, Sol Williams all came 
in 1886. Dave Perkins, an old bachelor, 
came in 1834. Dave Jones, we are informed 
by Matson, was a hard citizen. He went to 
Indiana and died an ignoble death. Joseph 
Search came from Kentucky, a native of Vir- 
ginia. He improved a farm on Section 6, 
and in 1844 sold out and went to Texas. He 
lost every member of his family here except 
three sons. They lie in the Lamoille Grave- 
yard. Rev. John Hetzler came from Indiana in 
1834. He purchased Timothy Perkins' claim, 
and improved the place and died here. His 
son, John, lived on the old place until 1884, 
when he went to Iowa. Hetzler was of the 
persuasion of the Free- Will Baptists. Brown 
sold to George Hammer, and he in turn sold 
to Aaron Stevenson, who was an Englishman 
and immigrated to this county from New York 
in his peddler's wagon. He died here hav- 
ing no descendants. A man named Bevans 
had a cabin near the center of Perkins' Grove. 
He dressed like an Indian, and looked more 
like one than he did like a white man. He 
and his family went West — "or to the dem- 
nition bowwows," and "I don't care which," 
was the remark of an old settler in his ac- 
count of the noble Bevans tribe. Robert and 
John Masters lived here as early as 1835. 
Robert went to Minnesota; John built a mill 
on Bureau Creek, Leepertown. A. N. Brown, 
or "Dogs-take -it" Brown, was from New 



Hampshire. He is mentioned above as hav- 
ing sold to George Hammer. Horace Bowen 
is remembered as a very odd character, more 
Indian than American in many of his char- 
acteristics. Timothy Edwards was of an old 
English family. He came to Bureau County 
in 1839, a harness-maker, but farmed here un- 
til he went to Wisconsin. He married Catha- 
rine Clapp. She died here August 24, 1850, 
the mother of five children. The most im- 
portant manufactory in Lamoille is W. & J. 
J. McNeill's creamery, spoken of elsewhere. 
The capacity of this establishment is about 
3,000 lbs. per day. Dean's patent corn cut- 
ter is manufactured here. 

Ohio. — This ranks among the best sections 
of the county. It is constantly growing in 
population and wealth, and the character of 
the improved farming now carried on be- 
speaks a bright future for its people. The 
town in the early times was noted for its 
large prairies, and as having less timber in 
it than any other township in the county. 
Dad Joe Grove was a noted spot, even before 
the early settlers began to come to the county. 
For years Dad Joe Smith kept a stage stand 
here when he only had one neighbor within 
twelve miles. In 1836 he sold to T. S. 
Elston. For sixteen years this was the only 
house in the township. In 1846 William 
Cleveland built the second house on Section 
20, and soon F. G. Buchan built on Section 
3. Charles Falvey, the noted early country 
petifogger of the county, and a rare character 
generally, was an early settler. In 1847 
John and Andrew Ross settled on Sections 22 
and 27, and from these two families are 
the worthy and many descendants who now 
live in the township. No family in the 
county has commanded a greater respect than 
this one, and their descendants are "noble 
sons of noble sires" (see biographies). In 
1847 William Garton settled on Section 36, 



423 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUXTY. 



Leonard Strong on 35, and Aaron Brokaw 
on 34. In 1848 John Kasbeer settled where 
he now lives. He was a most valuable man 
to the community. Intelligent and enter- 
prising, he led the way in many new enter- 
prises and great permanent improvements. 
His experiments in tree cultiu'e were the lirat 
to convince the people of the township that 
the wide prairies could thus be improved and 
beautilied to an extraordinary d^gree, (see 
biography). Mitchell Shifflet and Isaac 
Brokaw settled on 33, in 1849, (see the biog- 
raphy of D. P. Smith). Among the early 
settlers were William Cowan and Stephen 
Wilson. The history of the early settlers 
and the civil history of this settlement is 
given fully in the general history. 

Ohio Village — was laid out by Jacob 
Albrecht, in 1871, on his farm. He named 
at after himself, but prior to this there had 
been a postoffice near here, called Ohio, and 
everybody continued this name to the new 
village, and finally this became the legal 
name. J. T. Walter and William Wilson 
erected a building and opened the first store. 
The building of the branch of the Chicago, 
Burlington & Quincy Bailroad gave a tre 
mendous impulse to the growth of the vil- 
lage, and in less than live years there were 
three hundred people, four dry goods stores, 
two grocery and two drug stores, one furni- 
ture store, two shoe shops, three blacksmiths, 
two wagon-shops, a hotel, two hardware 
stores, one agricultural store, barber shop, 
harness shop, two milliners, two physicians 
and three churches. 

Macon. — This portion of the county was 
known in the early times as Walnut Grove. 
No settlement was made here until 1837, 
when William Bates built a hut at the east 
side of the Grove. July 4, 1838, Thomas 
Motherell settled on Section 20. In the same 
year James B. Aikin came here. There were 



no other additions for some years and then 
Lewis Holmes, John and Charles AVood set 
tied on the west side of the grove, and T. I. 
Horton and Charles Lee on Section 16. 
These were soon followed by Benjamin Stev- 
ens, L. Aikin, W. H. Mason, Joha and 
George Zink and Allen Horton. 

Matson says a Rev. Mr. Williams was mas- 
sacred by the Indians at this grove in 1812. 
He had been a missionary some years among 
the Indians. He says the reason the In- 
dians killed him was because Gov. Edwards 
had destroyed Black Partridge's town at 
Peoria. Many think the story apochryphal. 

Motherwell, mentioned above, settled on 
Section 17. He moved away in 1857, going 
first to Iowa and then to Missouri. His wife 
was a sister of James B. Aikin. The latter 
was probably the first settler in Milo Town- 
ship. The two men were from the same 
place in Pennsylvania and cameWest together. 
Aikin went to Iowa and for two years was 
engaged in Iowa City on the public works, 
when he retui-ned to the county and remained 
here a short time before his death, which oc- 
curred in Buda in January, 18S4. His 
widow and three sons and three daughters 
live in the county. 

The first school in Macon, it is now said, 
was taught by Miss Elizabeth Hamilton, in 
1857, and among the puf>ils were the childi-en 
of Charles Wood, Samuel Maycock, Thomas 
Motherell, John Zink, Allen Horton and 
Lendis Holmes. A log schoolhouse was 
built in the fall of this year, and the school 
district included the whole township. One 
of the first School Directors was Lewis 
Holmes, and he has served continuously since 
to the present. The first election ever held 
was in 1850, when there were thirteen votes 
poled, as follows: Cyrus Sweet, John and 
George Zink, Charles Wood, James Mother- 
ell, Samuel Zink, William Baker, Thomas 



£ 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



423 



Motherell, Henry Walker, William H. Mason, 
David Aikin, Allen Horton, Samuel Maycock. 
The candidates were: For Supervisor, Allen 
Horton (elected); Town Clerk, W. H. Mason; 
Assessor, Samuel Maycock; Highway Com- 
missioners, Thomas Motherell, Henry Walker, 
Samuel Motherell; Justices, Cyrus Sweet 
and Samuel Mayeock; Collector, Samuel 
Maycock; Constables, John Zink and James 
Motherell; Overseer Highways, Samuel May- 
cock. 

Indiantown. — Sampson Cole made the first 
settlement in 1833, on what was afterward 
the Simon Kinney farm. Cole afterward 
built the fii'st house in what is now Tiskilwa. 
This was the first house of entertainment. 
Of course the next man was ' ' Curt " Will 
iams. Peter Bloom afterward owned the 
Williams place. In 1835 Martin Tompkins 
located on Section 12. Then the Kinneys 
came, and about the same time S. Wimple 
and Mr. Burt. 

The Providence Colony came in 1836. It 
was composed of members from Providence, 
R. I. There were seventy-two stockholders, 
and they sent a committee in advance to se- 
lect and purchase land. The committee con- 
sisted of Com. Morris; Col. C. Oakley, Asa 
Barney, L. Scott, S. G. Wilson, Edward 
Bailey and Caleb Cushing. They laid off 
the village, and named it Providence. Asa 
Barney and Caleb Cushing remained till fall 
to put up buildings. They built the Colony 
House, which was intended in the end for a 
hotel. In the spring of 1837 about fifty 
members of the colony came. A full account 
of this settlement is given elsewhere. 

Indian Prairie is a rich and beautiful por- 
tion of the county. In journeying from 
Princeton to Tiskilwa a most lovely and ex- 
tended view is presented from the bluff hills 
this side of M. Kitterman's. 

The ancient Indian village, after which 



comes the name of Indiantown, was situated 
chiefly where Tiskilwa now stands. This is 
quite a properous town, is only six miles 
from Princeton, and an important point on 
the railroad. The town was founded by Dr. 
A. Langworthy in 1836, and called Windsor. 
That portion of the town in Arispe belonged 
to Dr. Langworthy. In March, 1836, J. W. 
Kinney laid off West Windsor. This part 
of the town lies in Indiantown, and it was 
soon called Indiantown. A strong rivalry 
sprang up between the two towns. In 1840 
the two towns were consolidated and became 
one, and were called Tiskilwa (meaning 
"Gem of the Valley"). 

Tiskilwa was incorporated in 1856. The 
new Council were: Dr. William Kirkpatrick, 
President; Hon. B. N. Stevens, Clerk; Will- 
iam T. Swain, O. W. Battey and James T. 
Cook, Trustees. The officers in 1876 were: 
C. N. Stevens, President; J. H. Welsh, Clerk; 
Daniel Inhof, John W^ytre and C. C. Slygh, 
Trustees. A good mill was put up here in 
1845 by Mr. Simmons. The importance of 
this point is indicated by the fact that as 
early as 1876 it had fourteen stores, nine 
shops of different kinds, two elevators, one 
bank, and one of the best gi-aded schools in 
the country. 

The present Town Council is: E. H. Har- 
ris, President; William Rhodes, Clerk; M. 
Tebow, George Dexter, J. Wiley, Trustees; 
O. Wilkinson, Treasurer; J. R. Biddulph, 
Marshal. 

Tiskilwa Library Association. — J.H. Welsh, 
President; H. W. Keigley, Treasurer; G. C. 
Kellogg, Secretary; J. F. Blake, Librarian. 
Nearly 500 volumes. Open from 2 to 9 
P.M. 

Board of Education. — O. W. Battey, Pres- 
ident; J. H. Welsh, Clerk, and G. E. Dexter. 
Enrollment, 250 scholars. A. W. Hussey, 
Principal. 



424 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Morris Spalding came to Tiskilwa inl836; 
commenced clerking for Col. Kinney. This 
■was the first store in the town. Spalding 
clerked two years, then built a hotel, and ran 
it for sixteen years. He died in Tiskilwa, 
May 5, 1865, leaving two children — Adelaide 
D. (Cottell), and Isaac C. , now in Princeton. 
T. K. Ferrell was from Massachusetts ; came 
in 1838. (See Ferrell's biography.) 

Westfield. — Mason Dimmick staked out a 
claim for the whole of Lost Grove, in 1830. 
He partly built a cabin, where Arlington now 
stands, but never occupied it. He abandoned 
his claim after two years, and for several years 
after this the township remained wild and 
unsettled, and deer and wolves in great num- 
bers were the only temptation for the chance 
visitors in the pursuit of game, and the de- 
structive wolves. In the fall of 1834 a man 
named Hough completed Dimmick's cabin, 
and moved into it. He lived in lonely con- 
tent for awhile, and then concluding he never 
would have any neighbors, tried to sell his 
claim, for which he asked .f 25. Col. Austin 
Bryant and Enoch Pratt examined the prop- 
erty, with a view of purchasing in the spring 
of 1835. After a careful examination they 
concluded that $25 was a goodly amount of 
money, and further, they thought there was 
not enough timber in the grove for two farms, 
and they did not buy. Hough then aban- 
doned the property, and his improvements 
went to decay, and for the next five years no 
adventurous soul lived in the township. In 
1835 two young men were contending for 
the claim to the grove; while contending 
about it Benjamin Briggs entered the land, 
and in 1840 he sold it to Michael Kennedy, 
Sr. , who made a large farm here. In 1840 
David Roth, then a contractor on the Illinois 
Central Railroad, built a house on Section 
10. The next year he sold to Martin Corby. 
In 1843 Daniel Cahill made a farm on 26, 



and Daniel Lyon on 27. Afterward George 
W. Gilson built on Section 8, and sold to 
James Waugh. In 1847 Peter Cassaday 
made an improvement on Section 10, and 
Elijah Little on 17. In 1850 David Nichols 
and J. Aldrich settled on Section 4. 

Arlington was laid out upon the build- 
ing of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 
Railroad, 1853, by James Waugh. Nathan 
Linton kept the first store and was the first 
grain dealer in the place. J. C. Gibbons 
dealt in grain and lumber, on the south side 
of the track; he failed and went to Kansas. 
A. Linley bought out Linton and kept a gen- 
eral store in Gibbons' old stand, but he failed 
and went to Iowa. Luke Lawler and Charley 
Westcate were the first blacksmiths. Dr. 
Pyronet was the first physician; he went to 
Missouri. The next physicians were Dr. 
Tuttle and Dr. George. Van Law and Clint 
Robinson were among the first carpenters, 
and then Albert Morgan, who is yet hard at 
it. James Waugh was the first hotel keeper. 
An index to the libidinous capacity of some 
of the people in Arlington we give the fact 
that here no less than five different men have 
been killed by the trains, from either sitting 
on the track or walking on it. The first ac- 
cident was to a young man named Rowen; he 
had been out to a charivari and was cut to 
pieces. A tailor named Burnside, then John 
Bell, and a peddler next, and then a German. 
Samuel Karney committed a shocking mur- 
der in the village, killing Mrs. Elizabeth 
Sheeban, nearly cutting her head off, after 
shooting her twice. He also shot her father 
through the thigh, and severely cut Mrs. 
Sheehan's mother. The wretch then cut his 
throat, and must have astonished the pit 
keeper by his early arrival at his permanent 
home. It is hardly necessary to explain that 
the wretch was desperately in love with Mrs. 
Sheehan. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



425 



Arlington Lodge, No. 418, I. O. O. F., 
was organized April 20, 1870, with the fol- 
lowing charter members: J. T. Larkin, M. 
D. Palmer, Joseph Andrews, William Price 
and D. H. Hayner. 

The following members were initiated the 
first night: Thomas McGann, T. A. Maul, 
James Waugh, Robert Barrett, J. B. Grimes, 
Kev. W. H. Haight, C. H. Betz, I. H. Booth, 
I. C' Black. Present number of members 
about fourteen. 

First officers: J. T. Larkin, N. G.; M. G. 
Palmer, V. G. ; Joseph Andrews, Sec; Will- 
iam Price, Treas. 

Present officers: Fred Walters, N. G. ; 
Jacob Doll, V. G. ; A. Weibel, See. ; George 
Hansel, Treas. 

On the third day of January, 1878, per- 
mission was given by the Grand Lodge to 
work in the German language. 

Peter Cassaday laid off an addition to the 
southwest of the town in 1854. 

James Waugh was one of the liberal- 
minded, large-hearted men of the early set- 
tlers. He lived on a great thoroughfare for 
immigrants, and was compelled to keep a 
house of entertainment. And here many a 
weary traveler found a haven of rest. The 
first postoffice in this part of the county was 
at his house, and his daughter, Catharine, 
was Postmistress. She continued in the of- 
fice after the town of Arlington was laid ofi". 
Nathan Linton, son- in-law of Mr. Waugh, 
kept the first general stoi-e in the village. 

Dover — has two towns, with a postoffice in 
each, namely: Dover and'Limerick. Dover 
is one of the oldest villages in the county, 
being laid out in 1837 by Eli Lapsley. It 
was at first called Livingston, but changed 
when made a postoffice. Isaac Delnow and 
Theodore Nichols put iip a small building 
and opened the first store. O. Madison 
started a blacksmith shop. People and new 



enterprises were rapidly increasing, and soon 
it grew to be an important business point, 
commanding a wide trade. It was a point 
on the old Priuceton and Chicago road, 
and the railroad when built passed south of 
it. But when the road was built north of it, 
it cut off one of its most profitable sources of 
trade, and the town ceased to be so great as 
it once was. 

February 7, 1857, a meeting of the citizens 
was called to consider the question of build- 
ing the academy, which has so long been a 
conspicuous mark of the town. It was locat- 
ed on land donated by Charles C. Ingalls, 
Block 4, Ingalls' Addition. There were 
forty-one stockholders in the institution at 
first. It was then called the Dover Institute. 
The first Trustees were Samuel Mohler, 
Joseph H. Brigham, John Bellangee, M. W. 
Abel and William C. Stacy. Abel, Presi- 
dent; Brigham, Vice-President; Ballangee 
Treasurer; Stacy, Secretary. Building cost 
$5,099.57. The report of the Board on its 
completion was made April 5, 1858. At the 
second election of Trustees, Rev. F. Bascom 
and A. Kellogg were chosen in place of Sam- 
uel Mohler and J. H. Brigham; D. F. Ed- 
wards, first Principal, commencing May 10, 
1858. In the session of the Legislature of 
1858-59 it was incorporated and called Dover 
Academy. Mr. Edwards, from ill-health, re- 
signed in 1859, and started overland to Cali- 
fornia. He died on the way. Albert Eth- 
ridge was in charge from 1859 to 1861, when 
Rev. A. Ethridge, by contract, took charge 
of the school for five years. This contract 
was annulled in 1863 by mutual consent. 
From April 1, 1864 to 1867, D. E. Hurd had 
control. Mr. W. F. Yocum was then engaged 
one year; then George H. Wells a short 
time. The surrounding country had so im- 
proved the schools in other localities that the 
academy was nearly abandoned until 1876, 



426 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUA^TY. 



when at an expense of $2,500 a public hall, 
three stories, was added to the building. 
Prof. J. W. Cook was then put in charge of 
a school in the basement of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, which was moved into the 
academy upon the completion of the new im- 
provement. He and his assistant, O. W. 
Cai-ter, ran the institution two years. Rev. 
F. iteible kept two terms. In 1882 it was 
leased by the United Brethren Church, and 
W. H. Mason opened a school and taught 
till 1884:, when F. L. Kenoyer was put in 
charge. 

A meeting to incorporate the town of 
Dover was called May 2, 1870. The call was 
signed by J. K. Zearing, William Mercer, 
Robert Braden, A. C. Kellogg, and a vote 
thereon was had May 14. Twenty-one votes 
cast; nineteen for and two against. The 
voters were Phillip Terry, T. W. Nichols, 
Asahel Wood, S. E. Haggard, A. C. Kellogg, 
A. L. Steele, S. M. Pratt, M. E. Nichols, 
George Terry, E. L. Abor, J. E. Zearing, 
E. J. Major, James Ball, Eobert Braden, C. 
C. Hubbard, William Mercer, John Zearing, 
Levi Sifferd, Anthony Stovin, William Eob- 
inson and John Taylor. May 21, 1870, six 
Trustees were elected as follows: William 
Mercer, A. C. Kellogg, W. H. Wood, J. E. 
Zearing, Eobert Braden and A. L. Steele. 

They entered upon the duties of office and 
proceeded to organize and start the^ village 
machinery. William Mercer was made Pres- 
ident, William H. Wood, Clerk, and J. E. 
Zearing, Treasurer. 

First meeting, boundaries of Dover de- 
clared as follows: Include southeast quarter 
of Section 2-4, and the northeast quarter of 
Section 25, Township 17, Range 9 south, and 
the south half of the southwest quarter and 
the west half of the north half of the south 
west quarter of Section 19 and the northwest 
quarter of Section 30, Township 17,Eange 10. 



W. H. Wood elected corporation Collector, 
and A. Stovin, Street Commissioner. Pres- 
ent officers of the town of Dover: President, 
John Taylor; C. E. Norton, S. M. Webb, E. 
Braden, A. H. Nichols, E. S. Dean; Treas- 
urer, E. Braden; Clerk, J. Hoyt; Street 
Commissioner, H. E. Hensel. 

There was east at the last election, 1883, 
19 votes, the year before 21; year before that 
31. Largest vote ever had, 1878, 64 votes. 

John L. Ament was the first settler in the 
township, in 1829, on Section 13, afterward 
occupied by G. C. Weibel. Then Sylvester 
Brigham made his claim, J. Hensel afterward 
occupying his place. In 1831 James Foris- 
toU came; his place was occupied by James 
Coddington. George Hinsdale the same year 
made an improvement on Section 13, where 
J. Taylor afterward lived. James Garvin 
came here in 1833. Greenbury Hall and D. 
Ellis in the same year settled on Section 27. 
Abram Music started the first blacksmith 
shop. He lived on the J. T. Thomson farm. 
This was the second shop started in the coun- 
ty. John Elliott, Marshall Mason and James 
Wilson were the early settlers on the west 
Bureau timber, and Obadiah Britt, Thornton 
Wilson and Abner Boyle on the east side. 

George Hinsdale reports that in the early 
days he and Foristoll traveled by land and 
water, the round trip 162 miles, to get a plow 
sharpened. 

Limerick was laid out in 1857, by George 
Limerick. A small place, generally one store 
and a postoffice. Mr. Limerick put up the 
first store, and soon Levi Hansel and Will- 
iam Townsend blacksmith shops. 

Berlin. — The account of the civil history 
and the early settlers of this township may 
be found in preceding chapters. The town 
is Maiden, and was platted in 1856 by B. L. 
Smith, who sold to Enos Smith and W. C. 
Stacy, and the}' laid off an addition north of 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



437 



the railroad. It was originally called Wio- 
na, but when made a postoffice the name was 
changed. Joseph Bill opened the first store. 
The railroad built an elevator in 1855, and 
this has made this an important shipping 
point. 

The first settlement in the township was 
made in 1829, by Justus Ament, on Section 

18. This was the farm occupied by Jamea 
ForistoU for many years. Ament sold to 
Elijah Phillips, who was killed by the In- 
dians shortly after. In 1834 Elias Isaacs 
opened the farm on which he lived. The 
same year Richard Masters settled on Section 
6. Mr. Masters was noted for his enterjjrise 
in surveying and staking out roads as early 
as 1836. Thomas Cole came in 1835. J. W. 
and Israel Huffaker settled on ^Section 8. 
About this time John Wise came. In 1836 
George Clark built a frame house on Section 

19. This was about the first house built out 
in the prairie in the county. Enos and Sid- 
ney Smith made farms in East Bureau. Mar- 
tin Zearing and Oden Smith made farms on 
Section 30. Among the early and prominent 
men in this section were D. Greeley, Benja- 
min Porter, George Rackley, C. G. Eeed, 
John Ballanger, I. Judd, W. E. Durham, 
Nathan and Peletiah Rackley, S. Mohler. 

Elias Isaac, born February 20, 1804, in 
Randolph County, N. C. He was a son of 
John and Anna (Allen) Isaac, of North Caro- 
lina, who died in Indiana, leaving six chil- 
dren: Samuel, Polly, Allen, Elias, John and 
Elijah. The latter died in this county. 
Elias Isaac footed it from Washington, Ind., 
to Illinois in 1823. He stopped in Edgar 
County, where, Febraary 20, 1825, he mar- 
ried Mary Black, who was born March 2, 
1805. Elias and wife moved to Tazewell 
County in 1831, and the next year to Put- 
nam County, and in February, 1834, crossed 
the river into Bureau County (see W. L. 
Isaac's biography). 



Greenbury Hall, a nephew of the Hall 
killed on Indian Creek, was an early settler 
in this township. Rev. P. J. Strong was the 
earliest preacher. 

As an evidence of the neighborly kindness 
existing in the early day, we give the follow- 
ing: Mr Brookbank framed a barn for Mr. 
Isaac, and when it was raised every man ex- 
cept one was present to assist in the raising 
from James Garvin's to Lamoille, and from 
Peru to Green River. Obediah Britt was an 
early settler in this section. 

Walnut. — Walnut and Red Oak Groves 
are in this township and are about all the 
timbor land it has. Walnut Creek is the 
only stream in the limits of the county that 
runs west. This stream does until it passes 
iuto Greenville, when it turns southwest. 

The Aments came and made a claim in this 
township at Red Oak Grove in 1828. Their 
improvement was afterward owned by O. 
Denham. Ament's house was one of enter- 
tainment when the Peoria and Galena stage 
road passed through the Grove. No other 
house after Ament's was built in the township 
for twelve years. In 1831 James Magby 
purchased the property and in 1833 he sold to 
James Claypoll. In 1836 Luther Denham 
became the possessor of it, and he resided 
here some years. Aman made a claim imme- 
diately south of the grove and in 1837 Green- 
bury Triplett and A. H. Jaynes "jumped" his 
claim. They lived here some time and sold 
to Truman Culver. In 1843 Oliver Jaynes 
settled on the south side of Walnut Grove, 
Richard Brewer on the north side and Peter 
McNitt on the east side. In 1845 Richard 
Langford came here and soon Thomas Land- 
ers, E. Kelly, Thomas Fisher, and George 
Smith came in 1847. Richard Brewer, J. and 
P. Van Arman, L. D. Hodges, R. D. Axtell, 
Bohanen and the Wolfs were among the 
prominent early settlers. Deacon Jaynes is 
now a resident of Greenville Township, and 



438 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



E. Kelly lives in Walnut. Thomas Sanders 
was an early settler at the gi'ove. Thomas 
Fisher settled at Red Oak Grove, in 1842, on 
the Denham place, and was for a while the 
only settler. Mr. Fisher was then only six- 
teen years of age. Finneus Wolfe started 
the first store on the east of Main Street in 
the village of Walnut. Wolfe and Kelly 
formed a partnership, opened a small store, 
which is now owned by James Byers and used 
for a furniture store. In 1845 there were 
but six families in the village of Walnut: 
Richard Brewer. E. Kelly, Edward Triplett, 
Truman Culver, Thomas Sanders, Greenbury 
Triplett and James Bartlett. January 29, 
1871, the Clinton Branch of the Chicago, 
Burlington & Quincy Railroad was completed 
to Walnut Grove. At that time there were 
three general stores and a grocery and drug 
store. Reeve, Phillip & Co. started a bank 
here in 1876. They sold to Ferris & Knight, 
who continued running a private bank until 
it was made a national bank in 1882, Marion 
Knight, Presideat, N. L. Trimble, Cashier. 

Richard Brewer platted the village and 
called it Brewerville. It was changed to 
Walnut when it was made a postoflQce. Curtz 
& Williams ship more horses from Walnut 
than are shipped from any other point in'the 
county. As high as 300 car-loads have been 
shipped in a season. 

Fairfield. — This township is in the extreme 
northwest part of the county. It is thirty-six 
full sections, and noted as the Green River 
swamps for a long time. When Green River is 
high it overflowed its banks on Section 1, in this 
township, and passing through and along by 
Sodtown, nearly innundated the whole, and 
the waters passed down into Gold and en- 
tered the south branch of Green River. Some 
extensive ditches have been dug, commencing 
in the northeast part of the township, and 
passing down into Green River. A third 



ditch commences in Section 36, circles into 
35, thence into Section 3, in Gold and on to 
the river. The swamp lands in Fairfield were 
surveyed in 1852. At that time much of the 
land had not been entered. The postoffice js 
Yorktown. The northwest part of the county 
remained without a single settler for years 
after the other portions were taken up aud 
occupied. In 1838 Francis Adams and James 
D. Bingham made claims on Sections 23 and 
24. The next year Samuel D. Brady settled 
on 14, and he was the oldest settler in the 
township when the surveys were made. In 
1840 William Adams located on 12; in 
1842 Jacob Sells, Elijah Olmstead, Daniel 
Davis, and Lewis H. Burroughs. Yorktown 
was commenced in 1846 by W. and S. Dow, 
R. H. and S. W. Sheldon, and the McKin- 
zies. M. A. Myers, H. Hays, D. Baitz, W. 
H. Chase, Alden Booth and Henry Th acker- 
berry were of the early settlers. 

Greenmlle. — Like its immediate neighbors, 
Greenville has had a large amount of swamp 
lands. No less than 3,000 acres were subject 
to overflow. Walnut Creek runs from the 
northeast corner of the township to the south- 
west corner. Near the center of the town it 
simply spreads out into wide lagoons, lakes, 
and marshy lands, and the same is true of 
Green River, one branch of which rises near- 
ly in the town's center and runs northwest to 
the north line of Section 6. There was no 
such thing as a flowing stream to these waters, 
except at New Bedford, where the high land 
on each side of the stream came closely to- 
gether and created a perceptible flow in the 
waters passing out. Many years ago Jacob 
Galer built a mill where New Bedford now 
stands, but the dam caused an overflow of 
nearly all the lands above it. 

October, 1836, Henry Thomas entered the 
land on which New Bedford stands. This 
was the first land entered in the west part of 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



439 



the county, except at French and Coal Groves. 
In 1837 a State road was opened from Henne- 
pin to Prophetstown, on Rock River. This 
crossed the river at New Bedford, and then 
Henry Thomaa opened a ferry here. Cyrus 
Watson built a cabin here about this time, 
and was surprised to tind be was south of the 
Indian line, and on land already entered. 
He then moved to Section 20, which was 
afterward owned by E. G. Jester. Mr. Wat- 
son was the first white man that ever settled 
on Green River. In 1839 William Hill, 
Daniel, James and Peter McDonald settled 
on Sections 20 and 29. In 1840 Joseph 
Heath, Joseph Caswell, Justus Hall and 
Thomas Hill settled in this vicinity. In 
1841 Milton Cain made a farm south of the 
river, and Norman Hall, .Joseph N. Kise and 
William Britt located on the north side. 
Three Frenchmen, Green, Battist and Char- 
ley Shane, lived for some time in Brush 
Grove. They vpere merely hunters and trap- 
pers. Caleb Rice afterward had their place. 
A. H. Jaynes, J. Eastlick, Richai^ Meek, S. 
Upson, J. M. Draper, J. S. Montgomery and 
P. Lanphier were the early settlers. 

Clarion. — This is the northeast corner of 
the county. It is well watered, and a tine 
piece of land. Big Bureau and Pike Creek 
drain it. Perkins Grove postofficewas estab- 
lished here in 1842, but was discontinued 
years ago. 

As fully related elsewhere, Timothy Per- 
kins settled at the grove in 1833. John 
Hetzler occupied for years the first house 
built in the township. Solomon Perkins and 
Elijah Bevans were here soon after Timothy 
Perkins came. The place owned by A. G. 
Porter was originally improved by Perkins. 
A large pai"t of the first roof was deer skins. 
It was in this cabin the first wedding occurred, 
of which we have given a full account else- 
where. Stephen Perkins made his claim in 



1835; Joseph Search in 1834. In 1835 Mr. 
Hart settled on the west side of the grove. 
In 1836 J. and A. R. Kendall made a farm 
on Section 4, on the old Stanard place. 
Joseph and Elisha Fassett settled on Sections 
7 and 18. In 1837 John Clapp and Martin 
Hopp settled in this part of the county. In 
1838 Hiram Johnson, Joseph Allen, Franklin 
Walker, Moses Dis, Winslow and W. R. 
Bruce, Harvey Childs, C. L. Dayton and 
Solomon Williams settled here. 

Theodore Babson, David Wells, A. G. 
Porter, L. H. and Moses Bowen were the 
early settlers. 

Mrs. Black, of Arlington, informs us that 
James Sampson, now of Amboy, passed 
through the northeast part of this county, 
which would probably be on the Picayune 
Grove trail, through Clarion, as long ago as 
1821. He was boldly exploring the country, 
and making his way toward the lead mines 
probably. He retui-ned by the same route, 
and stopped a short time at Picayune Grove 
in 1829. Mr. S. was certainly the first white 
man ever in that portion of the county. He 
is a native of Westmoreland County, Penn., 
born September 6, 1801. 

Mrs. Hiram Gheer resides in Picayune 
Grove. It was at this grove the skeleton of 
the supposed murdered tailor was found 
many years ago. There was nothing to iden- 
tify the man except that near the bleaching 
bones were found a tailor's thimble, thread, 
etc. A silver picayune (6J cents) was also 
found near the skeleton, and from this fact 
the grove took its name. 

Gold. — Except the southeast portion of this 
township it is also mostly swamp land. Green 
River runs through the north part of it, in a 
nearly east and west direction, and nearly 
4,000 acres along this stream once would be 
covered by the high waters of the river. A 
ditch now starts in Section 14, passes south 



430 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



to the center of Section 22, and thence north- 
west to the river in Section 6. There was a 
large supply of timber in this part of the 
county. In addition to that along the streams 
Long Island Grove and Trading House G-rove 
were fine bodies of timber. The latter re- 
ceived its name from a trading house being 
kept there in a very early day, occupied by 
Indian traders. After it was abandoned as a 
trading house the place was a camp for years 
for hunters and trappers. Eagle Grove was 
another good body of timber, though not very 
large. Among the Indian traders as early as 
1829 that occupied this trading house was 
Thomas Hartzell. He was a Pennsylvanian, 
and in a letter to some of his home friends, 
published in 1829, and which received wide 
attention as a curious description of a wild, 
unknown country, among other things he 
said: Northeast of the trading house there 
is a lake, some miles in length, in which 
there are many islands, covered with a heavy 
growth of timber. Indians pass from one 
island to another in their canoes in search of 
game. In low water sage grass grows above 
its surface. Here muskrats build their 
houses, and wild geese make their nests on 
them. Many years ago where there are now 
rich farms it was a common sight in winter 
to see vast sheets of ice, covering miles of 
the country in all directions, and Green 
River could be only detected as a blue streak 
winding its turgid way through the center 
of it. An account in a previoiis chapter of 
the county's swamp land tells what has be- 
come of these great swamps. 

Gold was not an organized township until 
1852, and is therefore two years younger 
than the original twenty-three townships of 
the county. It was originally included in 
Fairfield Township, and there was nothing 
here to organize a township from in 1850. 
In 1850 Samuel Mathis settled on Section 



12, and a few months afterward Milton Cain 
on Section 5, Jacob Walters on 26, James 
Limerick on 28, and James Neflf on Section 
20; in 1851 David Marple and George 
Detro on Section 27, and in 1852 Joseph 
Johnson on Section 26. Dr. Boyden was the 
first physician. The Farrensworth family, 
D. Alexander, David Watkins and Andrew 
Marple were the early settlers. 

Manlius. — This town lies immediately east 
of Gold and is almost entirely unlike it in 
its topography, having little timber, and 
the large part of it is high and rolling, and 
sand knolls and prominent rocky boulders are 
found. Hickory Creek runs from the north- 
east to southwest of the township. Goose 
berry Island, the latter the headwaters of 
Hickory Creek, is timbered land. Goose- 
berry Island is simply a great marsh, con 
taining about 1, 100 acres. A great number 
of gooseberries once grew in this marsh, and 
hence its name. A ditch has drained this 
land and it is being put under a high state 
of cultivation. Portions of this swamp and 
marsh land are peaty, and like all lands of 
this kind, contain too much ulmic acid to 
ever become rich in plant food. 

This township was not organized until 
1854; to that time it was apart of Greenville. 
Sylvester Barber was the first settler, 1847, 
on Section 5. Then near him settled D. Hill. 
In 1848 Allen Lathrop settled on 9. This 
was afterward the property of H. Hays. 
Charles McKune came next. The same year 
James Martin settled on the northeast quarter 
of Section 15. In 1850 W. N. Hewitt and 
Dr. Moore, on Section 14; the same year 
Townsend Fletcher, on Section 36, near Hick- 
ory Grove. In 1851 Thomas Rinehart and 
Henry Hooper, on Section 13; Jacob Seibel, 
Albert Thomas, Jesse Cain and Thomas Hope 
were the early settlers. 

Bureau. — This is amonc; the oldest settled 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



431 



parts of the county. Henry Thomas, as re- 
lated elsewhere, came here in 1828. It is all 
excellent land, rich prairie and originally 
very fine timber. C. C. Corss and George 
Hinsdale built one of the first saw mills on 
Section 33. The section on which Thomas 
settled was eventually occupied by Elias 
Carter. In 1830 Ezekiel Thomas and Abram 
Straiten settled near Henry Thomas. This 
year John Sherley made a claim on Section 
13. This place afterward was occupied by 
Harrison Epperson; John M. Gay lived here 
in 1834. Sylvester Brigham and Peter Cat- 
wright were early settlers. George Hinsdale 
improved his farm in 1832. In 1S33 Eli 
Frankerberger bought the Sherley claim, and 
he sold to Rees Heaton. In 1834 C. C. 
Corss came. The same year George Bennett 
improved his place in Section 13. He was 
mistaken in his location, and when informed 
of his mistake moved his improvements to 
his own land, west of the grove, where Alva 
Stiles afterward resided. In 1837 Nicholas 
Smith made a settlement. The same year 
Samuel Fay, then William M. Matson, Isaac 
Heaton, Sylvester S. Newton, Thomas Til- 
son, Jesse Ballard, G. A. Mowry, James 
Morrison and J. N. Hill were the early set- 
tlers. 

The first postoffice in the county, 1830, 
was the house of Henry Thomas — called 
Bureau. At that time, it is said, there was 
no other postoflSce within a range of fifty 
miles. 

Truxton postoffice was laid off for a town 
in 1851. It never proceeded any further 
than a paper city. 

Mineral. — Hickory and Coal Creeks run 
parallel through parts of this town. They 
were so fraternal that when one was high the 
other would receive its overflow, and vice 
versa. Barren Grove was a large body of 
fine timber in the southwest. It originally 



contained about 4,000 acres. Much of it has 
been put in cultivation. 

Matson says that J. G. Reed built the first 
house in this town in 1836, on Section 24. 
From the old settlers now living we learn that 
G. S. Reed came here in 1834. Curtiss Will- 
iams, the ubiquitous "Uncle Curt," made a 
claim here and entered land in Section 35 at 
Barren Grove; the farm afterward occupied 
by William P. Buswell. Thomas Grattige 
came in 1838. He was a native of England, 
a large farmer. He died in Neponset, leav- 
ing only a daughter. Tbe Halls — George, 
John, and Dr. Langley — were English. They 
came in 1840. .John Hall was the first Post- 
master. John Clark made a farm near Grat- 
tige's. In 1839 James Carroll and Gardner 
Mills and George Squires settled here; about 
the same time E. D. Kemp settled on Sec- 
tion 25. Kemp was a Pennsylvanian, and 
died on the place he improved. His descend- 
ants are still in this county. Enos Campbell 
came in 1843, and died on his farm. His de- 
scendants are in the township. David Bee- 
ver, from Ohio, lived here, a renter for some 
years, and went to California, 1850. Nelson 
Wilkinson lived and died in this township. 
He left no descendants. William Mortherel 
came in 1843. He left and went to Kansas, 
where he died. Albert Bush came in 1849. 
He finally removed to near Aurora. After 
several years' residence, Jacob Abbott went 
to Iowa. A. H. Martin, widely known aa 
"Yankee Martin," was from New York. His 
eccentricities were many, amusing and harm- 
less. He went to Iowa. Martin Tompkins, 
of this town, is an old settler — came to the 
county in 1833 from Champaign County, to 
which jwint he came in 1829 from Carter 
County, Tenn, He first settled in the south- 
east part of the county, near the river; lived 
there two years and moved to Tiskilwa (this 
name, he says, means "Many Waters." In 



432 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



another place we give another rendering, 
"Gem of the Valley." The reader can choose 
for himself). Mr. Tompkins came to Min- 
eral in 1864. Garner C. Mills, an old settler 
here, now lives in Sheffield. William Eiley 
was the first Postmaster in Mineral, and, as 
related elsewhere, the present Postmaster is 
Mrs. Elma F. Squires. The first child born 
in the township was Riley Squires, and the 
second G. T. Squires; though Matson states 
that W. S. Reed, son of J. G. Reed, was the 
first child born here, March 27, 1837. The 
record above shows that George Squires came 
here in 1839 — two years after W. S. Reed 
was born. 

There are seven working coal shafts in this 
town. The following are the owners: W. H. 
Forrest, John Vanvelizer, Peter Duncan, 
James Sprague, Hauxwell & Loyd, Victor & 
Fleming, and The Sheifield Mining & 
Transportation Company. Having given an 
extended account in a previous chapter of 
the coal-bearing lands and mines in the 
county, it is not necessary to here mention 
them any further. 

At the town meeting, April 2, 1850, to 
form the township, Enos Campbell was Mod- 
erator; E. Kent, a Justice from Brawby Town- 
ship, administered the oath of office. Thomas 
Grattige was chosen Supervisor and Treas- 
urer; Orrin Hasard, Clerk; Enos Campbell, 
Collector. 

Mineral Village — was surveyed and platted 
in 1857 by William Riley. Two ten-acre 
additions have been since added. The same 
year Mr. Riley erected a building and opened 
a store, Calvin Cooper built a dwelling and 
Mr. Lenhart a storehouse. John Reynolds, 
William Smith and others soon afterward put 
up buildings and settled in the place. 

This first prosperity soon declined, and in 
a little while no business house was in the 
place. Edward Hooley and West Meeks had 



blacksmith shops, and Gleason & Cooper a 
shoe-maker's shop, and these were the only 
business establishments in the place in 1859. 

In 1865 another change came to the place, 
and prospects revived. Phillips Bros, 
opened a store, which was sold to Emerson, 
Burnett & Co. in 1868. This firm remained 
one year, and sold to M. G. Brainard & Bro., 
who remained until 1874, and sold to W. M. 
Crandall. 

Conibear & Son opened a general store in 
1866. In 1872 they commenced also the 
lumber trade, and this branch they sold to 
Abbott & Scott. An elevator was erected in 
1868, and this added for a time materially to 
the business of the place. 

The first school — fifteen pupils— was in 
William Riley's house. They now have a 
school building that cost $3,600. 

On Section 22, three miles southeast of 
Mineral, was commenced the erection of a 
Union Church. The union and the church 
were both a failure, as its walls stood nearly 
four years without a cover, when it was given 
to the United Brethren Church and com- 
pleted. 

An Educational Association was formed in 
Mineral in 1883. It is in connection with 
the Count)' School Association, and was the 
first town organization of the kind. The 
first officers: C. C. Pervier, President; M. G. 
Brainard, Vice-President; J. W. Boling, Sec- 
retary; F. G. Williams, Assistant Secretary; 
Ella B. Conibear, Chorist; A. M. Laird, 
Treasurer. At present the officers are: G. T. 
Squires, President; M. G. Brainard, Vice- 
President; Ella B. Conibear, Chorister and 
Secretary; A. M. Laird, Treasurer, and F. J. 
Williams, Assistant Secretary. 

Concord. — The first settlement in this town 
was a temporary trading place with Indians 
at Devil's Grove, by Thomas Hartzell, in 
1833. In 1834 Thornton Cummings made 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



433 



an improvement on the north side of French 
Grove. In 1835 Caleb Moore lived in the 
Hartzell cabin. Afterward he went to his 
improvement on Section 30, at Coal Grove. 
J. G. Reed settled near Moore's. The same 
year Paul Riley and James Loughrey settled 
on Section 30, G. W. Reed on 31, Abram 
Fry at Menominee Grove, and Sampson and 
Benjamin Cole at Bui bona Grove. In 1836 
John Stevens, T. J. Stevens, Joseph Lyford, 
Judge Jesse Emmerson and Moses Stevens 
settled at Bulbona Grove; in a short time came 
Peter Fitield, John Loughrey, James Car- 
roll, Samuel Fifield, Joseph Foster, Amos 
Whittemore, John Mason, Benjamin and El- 
bridge Stevens, S. Brainard and C. P. Mason, 
the last now one of the most enterprising 
farmers in the county (see his biography). 

Henry Cummings was born in here Sep- 
tember 20, 1834, the tirst white child. 

In the fall of 1837 Elder Chenoweth mar- 
ried^ Allen Tompkins and Mary Ann Lough- 
rey, and on the same occasion G. C. Mills 
and Ellen Riley. Thus the iirst wedding 
was a double one, or twins, so to speak, or 
really two weddings at once. 

John Stevens built the first saw-mill on 
Section 38, near the head of the grove, in 
1840. This was the first sawmill ever built 
in the county on the prairie. The same year 
Riley and Kemp built on Section 30. 

The Cummings and Mason families are 
among the oldest now living in the town. 

Buda — is in Section 34, and joins the 
south line of the township. It is among the 
neatest and thriftiest villages in the county. 
It is one of the results of building the Chi- 
cago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad through 
the county, and was only laid out in 1854. 
Prior to this French Grove Postoifice was a 
little trading and meeting point for the peo- 
yjle. But the road ran south of French Grove, 
and the result was when Buda started up 



French Grove came down. So much was 
this a railroad town in its inception, it was 
named by the railroad authorities after Buda, 
Hungary. Judge Jesse Emmerson laid off 
on his land the plat of the town. James S. 
Zink laid out the land on the west, and on 
which the main or business part of the town 
is. Judge Emmerson's residence is on the 
part laid out by him. 

Judge Emmerson made the first important 
improvements in the place; opened the first 
store, and erected shops for workmen who de- 
sired to locate here, even hiring blacksmiths 
and putting them to work on salary, in order 
to give the town the best possible start in 
life. He also similarly hired Peter J. West- 
ervelt, a shoe -maker, and also a wagon-maker, 
named Louis Stety. It was thus, as it has 
before happened in the world, that the lib- 
eral enterprise of a single individual was the 
turning point in the history of the new 
place, that made this a prosperous town, full 
of business and business men, while other 
equally well located places apparently dwin- 
dled and nearly decayed. 

The next man to erect a store house and 
open a store, was W. H. Bloom. In 1855 
Dr. Holten, physician, located here. J. B. 
Stewart & Co. erected a large flouring-mill 
here in 1869. It had a capacitj of 100 bar- 
rels a day. But the change in farming and 
the abandonment of wheat-raising in the 
county has induced them to arrange at this 
time to remove their mill to the wheat- 
growing districts. 

The branch railroad known originally as 
the Buda & Rushville Railroad, was built in 
1869. The same year the Buda Manufactur- 
ing Company was organized by J. B. Stewart 
and Capt. Ford. It was a joint stock com- 
pany. The shops were completed and started 
August 29, 1871; Capt. Rufus Ford, Presi- 
dent; James W. Stewart, Treasurer. These 



434 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



parties ran it two years, first manufacturing 
reapers and mowers, and then they manufac- 
tured cultivators on a royalty, and introduced 
these valuable farm implements into use in 
this section of the country. They continued 
in this line for some time, and sold the fac- 
tory to George F. Chalender & Co., who have 
owned and run the works since 1882. In 
1881 Mr. Chalender, Superintendent of motive 
power of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 
Railroad, leased the works of Mason & Ford. 
In 1883 a charter was obtained and the name 
changed to Ford & Mason Company, with a 
paid up capital of $24,000; W. J. Watson, 
Chicago, President; Charles C. Shepherd, 
Secretary and Treasurer. The business now 
is the manufacturing of railway and mining 
supplies, architectural iron works, casting 
and forging of all kinds in iron, and also 
woodwork. The works employ an average of 
forty to fifty men. 

Bourbonnais. — In March, 1864, John H. 
Robinson began sinking a shaft on his land, 
and soon afterward the village of Bourbon - 
nais was platted, and the year following a 
switch was built at the village, and it had a 
postoffice known as Lovejoy. The mining 
operations were continued till in the fall of 
1881, when they were discontinued. Mr. 
Robinson after continuing the business for 
some years sold out to Charles Barney, who 
leased the coal interest except the last two 
years of their operating, when he continued 
the business himself. During Mr. Robinson's 
connection with the mines he was associ- 
ated with different parties — first with Binks 
& Bradbury, of Kewanee, and afterward with 
Binks & Higman. Robinson was a farmer 
and not a miner, and so did not run it suc- 
cessfully; but some of the other parties 
were experienced miners and made money. 
Other parties also opened shafts in this 
vicinity — six shafts in all. Higman & 



Akar opened two shafts, one on John 
Owen's land, and then on Elbridge Stevens' 
farm, and ran it four years. The depth to 
which they had to go was about seventy-five 
feet, and thus reached the second vein, which 
is about five feet thick. The most to con- 
tend against was the great abundance of 
water. About 1876 the postoffice was discon- 
tinued. 

The business of the village was done by 
one store, which was first started by S. Parks 
and Robinson, and then Charles Shepard 
was in it for two or three years, when Binks, 
Higman & Co. bought him out, and then the 
firm of J. H. Morgan & Co. took charge of 
the store in 1874, and discontinued in 1877. 

Sheffield. — It is a miner's town in a rich 
agricultural country. It was laid out by the 
Sheffield Mining & Transportation Company, 
in 1852. The company and town were 
named after Joseph E. Sheffield, of New 
Haven, Conn., who was one of the original 
owners of the tract of 1,000 acres of land 
purchased of John G. Reed by the company. 
The other chief men in the original company 
were Ebenezer Cook, Henry Parnam, and 
Charles Atkinson. The original scheme was 
to develop the coal in their land. The com- 
pany erected the Sheffield Hotel, and opened 
their first shaft in Mineral Township, near 
the village of that name. They paid $10, ■ 
000 for the land alone. The account of the 
mines as now operated is given in the preced- 
ing chapter. 

In 1852 E. Smith opened a store in a 
building afterward occupied by B. M. How- 
ard. Mr. Alex Ruthven was the first Secre- 
tary of the Mining Company. In 1855 the 
railroad put up the elevator. In 1860 A. G. 
Scott erected another. H. C. Porter succeed- 
ed Ruthven in the coal company, and he is now 
remembered as one of the most public spirited 
men ever in the place. He left in 1875. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



435 



I. G. Reed was the first settler here. The 
Mining company put up a frame building in 
a very early time, and hauled the lumber for 
it on wagons from Chicago. This company 
certainly did a great work in developing the 
county's coal interests, and building up one 
of its most thriving towns. 

Wyanet. — As fully told elsewhere, the very 
first settlement made in the county was at 
Bulbona Grove, by old Bulbona, and his In- 
dian wife and half-breed children. Then 
John M. Gay settled on Section 4, on Bureau 
Creek. Gay sold to Abram Obrist and he to J. 
Allen. Id 1831 Thomas Washburn made a 
claim in Section 23, just west of the County 
Farm, and here L. Triplett lived some years; 
he transferred his claim to Benjamin Lamb 
and he sold it to James Triplett in 1834. John 
Phillips settled on Section 10, in 1833, and 
about the same time E. Chilson on 35. 
This was afterward D. Herriott's farm. 
Thomas Finley settled on Section 21. George 
Coleman made the first improvement where 
the County Farm now ia, and Edward Triplett 
just south of the farm. In 1834 Aquilla Trip- 
lett came. In 1835 Solomon Sapp, Leumel 
and Rufus Carey settled here. 

Milton Cain, William Allen, Thomas Clark, 
William Frankerberger, Ellis and Edward 
Mercer were all early settlers. 

Ellis Mercer built a saw-mill in 1837 on 
Big Bureau, Section 36. He put up another 
mill on Section 27. Amos Leonard built the 
first flouringmill on Section 35. In 1835 
Amos Leonard built a mill south of this in 
Indian town. 

Wyanet Village — was laid out in 1856, 
by Henry King. William Mofl'att put up 
the first house. Franklin Crittenden was the 
first man to establish a business in the place. 
He remained a number of years and now has 
a fruit commission house in Chicago. Ham- 
lin Prunk engaged in biisiness here a short 



time before Crittenden did, but remained 
only a short time and left. John Stubbs was 
the first blacksmith. Mr. Crittenden built 
the Wyanet Hotel in 1858. The railroad did 
not erect depot buildings until 1857. A 
warehouse was put up in 1855. William 
Moffatt shipped the first car-load of grain 
from here in 1854. 

The village was regularly incorporated in 
1857. Andi-ew Sapp, George Douglas, 
Isaac Dysinger, F. A. Robinson, L. F. Hough- 
ton were the additional early prominent men 
of the place. 

Selby— is drained by Bureau, Brush and 
Negro Creeks, all running from the northeast 
to the southwest. The early settlers here 
made this a noted place. Amos and Daniel 
Dimmick were the fii-st and they sold to John 
Hall. Then there was Judge Hoskins, the 
Seatons, Kellums, and last but not least the 
Searles and Haslers. Extended accounts of 
all these people are given previously. The 
negro that settled on Negro Creek was said 
to be Enoch Love. 

De Pue — originally called Trenton. It 
may be said to have been founded in 1835, 
as this year John Hal) put up a large ware- 
house here, and then steamboats began to 
come to his landing. The boats would load 
here and go to St. Louis. In 1836 a com- 
pany was formed and purchased land of John 
Clark and put up two large warehouses, and 
this became the great shipping point for all 
the country west of the river. Benjamin 
Newell purchased the property, and in April, 
1853, laid out the town. The postoflSce 
then was named Selby, but the town was 
called Trenton. But as the river men knew 
of Trenton, Miss., and not of Trenton in 
Bui'eau County, there soon grew confusion 
and trouble, and the people petitioned for a 
change of name, and in 1866 the name was 
changed to De Pue. The growth and pros- 



436 



HISTORr OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



perity of the place were sadly affected by the 
building of railroads all over the country. 
It is now a great ice-packing point for one of 
the St. Louis breweries. The lake furnishes 
fine fishing. 

Du Pue Lake is three miles long — a clear 
and placid body of water, and hence the ice 
crop here is very valuable. The name given 
the lake indicates a French origin, and was 
no doubt known to the early French discov- 
erers. The now queer little dilapidated vil- 
lage looks like a strange exotic, grafted on 
the quiet and agricultural world about 
it. 

Neponset — was originally Brawby, in con- 
sequence of many Englishmen residing there, 
who were from a locality of that name in 
England. The Board of Supervisors changed 
it to Neponset in 1860. This town is the 
southwest corner of the county. As there are 
four towns in the county that were within 
the bounds of the military bounty lands — a 
subject that at one time made much confu- 
sion, often disputes as to land titles, and 
materially delayed settlements here for years 
— it may be proper to give a short account of 
the subject. These lands, with others, were 
set apart by Congress for the soldiers of the 
war of 1812-15, and were designated on the 
early maps as military lands. The patents 
therefor were issued to soldiers, and were 
generally regarded as of little or no value. 
Parties generally neglected to pay taxes, even 
long after the county was settled up, and 
lawsuits about them, after they began to 
become valuable, were frequent. The Mili- 
tary District was a large scope of country, 
extending to the Mississippi River. 

William Studley entered in Section 8, and 
made a farm in 1836. Soon William Norton 
came; U. P. Botteril settled on Section 6, 
George Norton on Section 15, and James 
Tibbetts on Section 19. 



The other early settlers were E. Kent, 
Levi Lewis, George Bow en, Robert Norton 
and Mr. Batriam. 

Neponset Village — was ^built atter the 
railroad had made a depot here, and a post- 
oflQce established. M. H. Lee, the first sta- 
tion agent, and eighteen years in the posi- 
tion, built the first house in the place. The 
depot was erected in June, 1855. June 16, 
1855, Caleb J. and Henry G. Little and 
Clai-k M. Carr filed the town plat for record. 
The railroad company wanted to compliment 
Mr. Lee in naming the place, and suggested 
"Leeponset;" but Mr. Lee named it Nepon- 
set, after a Massachusetts town. 

Benjamin Drew built a hotel; Joseph How- 
ard and Joseph Lyford erected stores. 

The farmers here are mostly Englishmen, 
and they have succeeded most admirably in 
raising tine stock, especially French and En- 
glish draft horses. 

Arispe. — The first settler here was Amos 
Leonard, then Michael Kitterman and Dave 
Jones, then Cyrus Watson, Dr. A. Lang- 
worthy, Mr. Argrove, Alexander Hoi brook, 
Ferrill Dunn, Joseph Beeler, Joseph Booker, 
Elijah Searle, Alanaon Benson and Elder J. 
B. Chenoweth. A very complete account of 
all these early settlers will be found in pro- 
ceeding pages. 

Dr. James Swanzy came in 1836; Oliver 
Milling, same year; A. M. Sheldon, 1837; 
Henry Obermier, 1840; David Brown, 1841, 
and Peleg R. Brown, 1842. 

Leepertown. — This town on its eastern bor- 
der winds along the banks of the river and is 
therefore very iri-egularly shaped. It was 
namedafter John Leeper, who built the first 
flouring-mill on the site of the Leepertown 
mills. A full account of Mr. Leeper appears 
elsewhere. The bottom and swamp lands 
in this town lie in fi-ont of Hennepin and 
when this was Putnam County these and the 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



437 



river were a great trouble to the people west 
of the river. 

Timothy Perkins was the earliest settler, 
then Leonard Koth, A. Perkins, Henry 
George, David Nickeraon, David S. Miller, 
Jesse Perkins, Charles Leeper, John McEl- 
wain, and William Shields were among the 
early settlers. 

Of these see fnll account in preceding 
chapters. 

Bureau Junction — is the junction of the 
Bureau Valley and Rock Island Railroads. It 
is on the bottom lands. It was commenced 
in 1853, but the town was not laid out for 
some time. The company put up a large ho- 
tel for the accommodation of their travelers 
and those changing cars here. The place 
was laid out by Maj. William Shields. 

West Hennepin. — Lewis Durley, A. S. 
Needham and G. T. Gorham laid off this 
place in 1836. From 1842 to 1852 it was 
quite a shipping point, and hence was a con- 
siderable pork and grain market. It had sev- 
eral large warehouses. The railroads de- 
stroyed the place. 

A ferry was established here in 1831, at the 
time Hennepin was made a town. 

Milo. — John Dixon was the first settler, 
and then his brother-in-law, Charles S. Boyd, 
succeeded him. The settlement was made at 
the famous Boyd's Grove. After Boyd left 
the grove it was in the possession of the 
Whipples for years. Boyd was alone here 
for ten years. In 1840 David Bryant settled 
on the south side of the grove, and about the 
same time Barney Hagan and Mr. Clark 
made improvements on the north side. In 
1841 John A. Griswold came, and also Isaac 
Sutherland, on Section 22. The year before 
Edwin Merrick and A. E. May settled on 
Sections 2 and 3. In 1842 J. W. Harris and 
J. V. Thompson settled on Sections 24 and 
2. R. Steinhauer, C. R. Cook, H. Griswold, 



R. Hay and J. Sutherland were early settlers. 
A full account of these settlers is in the gen- 
eral county history. 

A few years ago gas was found here 
escaping from certain springs, and also in 
sinking wells at many points, at about a 
depth of thirty-five feet. It would burn 
and roar with great violence from many 
wells, and often burn furiously. A com- 
pany was organized in Marshall County to 
dig for coal oil. They went down several 
hundred feet, and of course found nothing, 
all of which a slight knowledge of geology 
would have told them, and saved them all 
their disappointments. 

The more recent settlers were W. B. 
Whipple. Alfred Thompson, J. Reid, Seneca 
Hunter, A. H. Ford, R. Berry, George Down- 
ing, C. Benson, A. J. Nevitt, A. Cook, U. 
Weidman, H. Rich, N. Pullman, S. G. But- 
ter, J. P. Swift, J. Whittmore, G. W. Ewalt, 
T. R. Capperrune, B. Brewer, William Mus- 
ser, J. E. Hayes, J. W. Lea, R. P. Note- 
man, R. M. Keerns, Walter Galbraith, Will- 
iam Kimball, David Chrisman, J.H. Gudgell, 
W. W. Pettigrew, William Maclin, O. Rob- 
inson, O. C. Berry, J. Demaranville, D. 
Steinbrook and John Bothan. 

Wheatland — is a half congressional 
township, divided in the center north and 
south. The most noted spot in the county is 
Lone Tree. A full account of this is given 
elsewhere. The town was not organized un- 
til 1857, being attached to Milo. Lone Tree 
Postoffice was originally on Section 16, and 
was moved to Section 20, and the name 
changed to Petit, but afterward it was again 
changed back to Lone Tree. 

Locust Spring, on Section 7, is another old 
noted spot. There was a lone locust tree 
near the spring. Here from time immemo- 
rial came the buffalo and game and the In- 
dians to drink of these waters. Old, deep- 



438 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



cut trails ran out in nearly every direction 
from it. Buffalo bones in great profusion at 
one time were found about this locality and 
along the Senachwine. This spring was the 
last place in all these parts that the deer 
abandoned from the approaching white man. 

The Andersons, many of whom are yet in 
the township, and S. Miller, G. W. Henry, 
Raleigh Rich, S. M. Clark, J. Merritt, E. and 
S. Hunter and J. Miller were the early set- 
tlers. 

John and T. Kirkpatrick in 1841 built a 
mill on Crow Creek. This was the hrst set- 
tlement in the town. The same year J. 
Larkins settled on Section 16. Then came 
Nelson Ballman. Alpheus Cook and Michael 
Jennett came in 1843. 

The township was late in settling up, on ac- 
count of being in the military tract, and as 
late as 1845 it was one almost unbroken 
stretch of prairie, except the fringe of Crow 
Creek timber on the south. 



The town was first divided from Milo, and 
then placed back again in that township, and 
finally, as named above, it was again made a 
separate town. It was named by Justus 
Stevens after Buchanan's home. But this 
did not influence the politics of the people, 
as they always give reliable Republican ma- 
jorities. The State Road ran diagonally 
through this township, and this was about 
the only road the people had until 1856. 

The more recent settlers were Joseph Mer- 
ritt, G. W. Ewalt, John Bell, Joseph Merritt, 
J. W. Meelick, John King, Abner Fox, Ezek- 
iel Sales, John Pettit, J. P. Swift, R. R. 
Vail, Thompson Gordon, Simeon Brown, 
Rawley Rich, Levi A. Roberts, William 
Brown, Justus Bare, John Miller, Gardner 
Rodgers, R. S. Kirk, Leander Packard, Rob- 
ert Hunter, N. H. Barto, Thomas Funson, 
F. M. Wells, John Holly, Christian Zerline, 
Silas Miller and Thomas A. Runnells. 




BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, 



JACOB B. ADAMS, Fairfield, was born 
January 19, 1837, in Dayton, Tippecanoe 
Co., Ind. He is a son of William and Isa- 
bell (Bushong) Adams — the former a native of 
Virginia, and the latter of Kentucky. They 
were the parents of five children, viz. : Sam- 
uel, Mrs. Margaret J. Rinehart, Jacob B., 
our subject, Mrs. Catharine Meek, Mary M. 
(deceased), and Francis Adams. The parents 
came to Bureau County, 111., in the fall of 
1840, and settled in Fairfield Township, Sec- 
tion 12. William Adams yet survives. 
Jacob B. Adams was reared in Bureau Coun- 
ty, where he has made farming his occupa- 
tion, and now owns a farm of eighty acres. Po- 
litically, he is connected with the Republican 
party. Mr. Adams was married March 28, 
1872, to Nellie Olson, a native of Sweden. 
Mrs. Nellie Adams was a good wife, and the 
fond mother of four children, viz.: Annie I., 
born January 25, 1873; Almie M. , born July 
13, 1876; Fannie M., born October 8, 1879, 
and Minnie Grace, born June 13, 1881. Mrs. 
Nellie Adams died September 3, 1884 

DANIEL ALBRECHT, Arispe. The his- 
tory of the Albrecht family in this county 
dates back to November, 1837. It was then 
that Christian and Elizabeth (Engel) Al- 
brecht, with most of their children, came 
from Bavaria to the United States, and set- 
tled where their grandson, Daniel Albrecht, 
now resides. They died here, and are buried 
on the farm which they settled and improved. 
The names of their children are: Jacob, de- 
ceased; Peter, Johannes, Joseph, Christian, 
Mrs. Barbara loder, Mrs. Elizabeth Zeirlein, 
Mrs. Catharine Orendorff, the last three de- 
ceased, and Mrs. Magdalena Bui'key, of Ne- 



braska. Of the above, Joseph Albrecht was 
born March 19, 1817, in Bavaria. He came 
here with his parents, who entered 160 acres 
of land. He, like them, followed farming, 
and owns now a farm of 420 acres, which 
his son, Daniel, manages. Joseph Albrecht 
was married in 1841 to Barbara Gingery, 
born May 3, 1815, in Hessen Darmstadt. 
She died here June 25, 1883. Her parents 
were Johannes and Magdalena (Ackhart) 
Gingery. She was the mother of four chil- 
dren, viz. : Catharina, Joseph W., Daniel 
and William. Of the above, the oldest is at 
home. Joseph W. married Jennie Butler. 
They have one son — William W. Albrecht. 
Daniel, our subject, was born February 8, 
1848. He is married to Lena Unzicker, born 
June 19, 1851, in Tazewell County, 111. 
She is the daughter of Jacob and Maria 
(Krabiel) Unzicker, and is the mother of 
Otto F. and Edward U. Albrecht. William 
Albrecht was born April 18, 1850. He died 
December 17, 1877, at Brooklyn, in the 
prime of life. He was a graduate of the 
Lombard University. He traveled extensively 
in Europe, visited the Centennial, and then 
commenced the study of medicine at Long 
Island College, in Brooklyn, where he died. 
While traveling in Europe he visited Ireland, 
Scotland, Germany, and there studied its 
language at Giessen; then went to Switzer- 
land, Italy, France and England, collecting 
many notes and mementoes, which are yet 
preserved in the family. Daniel Albrecht 
and family, and also his parents, are mem- 
bers of the Mennonite Church. 

JOHN ALBRECHT, Arispe, was born 
April 3, 1814, in Bavaria, Germany. He is a 



440 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



son of Christian and Elizabeth (Engel) Al- 
brecht. (See biography of Daniel Albrecht.) 
John Albrecht was reared in Germany, where 
he entered the regular army at the age of twen- 
ty-one years and served six years in a cuirassier 
regiment. Unable, on account of military 
duties, to accompany his parents to America 
in 1837 he waited patiently till his time ex- 
pired, when he borrowed f 100 of a relative 
and in August, 1843, came to America. He 
was fifty-four days on the ocean and running 
out of money after landing, was obliged to 
borrow of a traveling companion with whom 
he came to St. Louis, Mo. He reached home 
in Bureau County, poor in purse but rich in 
strength of mind and body. He worked by 
the month for three years, paid what he owed 
and got married. He then rented land and 
farmed for four years, after which he bought 
eighty acres of prairie and forty acres of tim- 
ber land at $5 per acre. From time to time 
he bought more land till now through his and 
his children's indomitable perseverance and 
industry he is in the possesion of 1, 192 acres 
of land. He was married in March, 1847, to 
Mary Ackerman, who was born in May, 1819, 
in Bavaria. She is a daughter of Henry 
Ackerman. She is the mother of the follow- 
ing children: Mrs. Catharine Stalter, Mrs. 
Mary Ropp, John A., Christian, and Henry 
V. Albrecht. Mrs. Mary Albrecht died Janu- 
ary 27, 1875. The whole family are mem- 
bers of the Mennonite Church. Politically 
they are Democratic. Of the above children 
John A. Albrecht was born April 20, 1849. 
He is farming a place of 240 acres. He was 
married February 9, 1873, in Tazewell 
County, 111., to Elizabeth Burkey, who was 
born July 2, 1851. Her parents are Valentine 
and Elizabeth (Springer) Burkey, natives of 
Germany. Mrs. Elizabeth Albrecht is the 
mother of five children, viz. : Mary E. , born 
January 18, 1874; Simon, February 18, 
1876; Johannes born April 4, 1877, Bertha 
F., born August 17, 1878; and William D. 
born September 19, 1881. Christian Albrecht 
was born November 22. 1850. He is at home 
working the old homestead. He was married 
March 10, 1878, to Fannie Stecker, born 
July 2, 1856, in Ohio. She is a daughter 
of Nicholas and Magdalena (Eimer) Stecker. 
This union was blessed with one son, 



Alvin Roy, who was born October 6, 1880. 
F. S. ALDRICH, Wyanet, is the son of 
Warner M. and Fidelia (Eddy) Aldrich, and 
was born June 1, 1824. His parents were 
natives of Khode Island, but were amonc the 
earliest settlers in Steuben County, N. Y., 
where our subject was born. His early life 
was spent in his native county, farming in 
summer and lumbering in winter. In 1854 he 
immigrated to Bureau County and has since 
lived on his present farm of 190 acres, which 
was first settled by John Yearnshaw. Mr. 
Aldrich is one of the oldest settlers now liv- 
ing on the west of Bureau Creek. He was 
married December 3, 1851, at Thurston, 
N. Y. , to Miss Martha IVEowry, born March 
5, 1829, a daughter of Rev. George Mowry. 
Mr. and Mrs. Aldrich have nine children, 
viz.: Nancy C, born April 5, 1853; Charles 
E., born August 12, 1854; Jerome, born July 

22, 1856; Rosetta F., born October 9, 1858; 
Adaline C, born November 2, 1860; Otis W., 
born February 5, 1863; Ora W.. born Febru- 
ary 2. 1865; M. Edith, born March 15, 1868, 
Mattie F., born July 7, 1870. In politics 
Mr. Aldrich has thus far been identified with 
the Republican party. For about twenty 
years he has been a member of the Masonic 
lodge of Wyanet. 

JASHUB W. ALDRICH. Arispe. was born 
July 30, 1850, in Bureau County, 111., to 
Avhich his parents, Verry and Ruth (Mowrey) 
Aldi-ich, came in the fall of 1845. Verry 
Aldrich was born February 7, 1807, in Smith- 
field, Providence Co., R. I., where he was 
a farmer and carpenter till 1844, when he 
came to Hennepin, 111., and the following 
fall came to Arispe Township, this county, 
where be bought 160 acres of land in Section 

23. He was a successful farmer and fine 
stock-raiser, and at the time of his death, 
April 1, 1882, he owned 300 acres of land. 
The grandparents of our subject were Amasa 
and Urania Aldrich. The former was bom 
August 15, 1783, and died October 6, 1825. 
The latter was born June 21, 1785; she died 
May 10, 1845. They were the parents of 
nine children. The mother of our subject 
is yet living. She was born November 13, 
1805, in Smithfield, R. I. She is the mother 
of ten children, viz.: Burgess; Susan, de- 
ceased; Nathan, deceased; Oliver; Mrs. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



441 



Amanda Yarrington : Sarah,deeeased; Thomas, 
who was killed at the battle of Belmont, Mo.; 
Harriet; Jashub VV. The latter continues 
his father's occupation, and has a herd of 
twenty-tive thoroughbred cattle; among them 
are Victoria and Red Rose. Mr. Aldrich 
was married February 4, 1884, to Miss Mary 
E. Borop, who was born December 22, 1847, 
in this county. She is a daughter of Niles 
and Elizabeth (Hoover) Borop, the former 
a native of Denmark, the latter of New York 
State. 

SULLIVAN ALDRICH, Wyanet, was 
born in Providence County, R. I., December 
29, 1837. He remained in his native State, 
attending school, etc., till 1855, when he 
came to Bureau County, 111., and has since 
made this county his home. The first year 
he worked with his brother, who had bought 
a farm near Wyanet, but the second year he 
began for himself in farming. He gave his 
attention to farming and dealing in stock 
till December 1, 1879, when he invested in 
the lumber business in Wyanet. November, 
1882, he removed from the farm to Wyanet. 
Mr. Aldrich's life has been one of activity 
and of success. He now owns in this town- 
ship over 800 acres of land. Mr. Aldrich is 
also a contractor on the Chicago, Rock 
Island & Pacific Railroad, he having the con- 
tract to change the course of Bureau Creek 
in Section 35 of this township. In politics 
he is identified with the Republican party, 
and for six years was Supervisor of Wyanet 
Township. He has taken the degi-ees of 
Masonry to that of Knight Templar. De- 
cember 11, 1859, Mr. Aldrich was united in 
marriage to Miss Margaret Mowry, who was 
born in Steuben County, N. Y., October 20, 
1889. Mrs. Aldrich is the mother of the 
following named children: Lucy M., born 
November 25, 1860: Silas N., born Septem- 
ber 20, 1862, died September 14, 1863; Ber- 
tha, born October 1, 1864, died August 24, 
1867; Laura G., born April 12, 1867; J. 
Roscoe, born November 24, 1869; Howard G., 
bom June 22, 1872; Myra Anna, December 
24, 1874. Lucy was married to William 
Reynolds November 16, 1882, and has one 
son, Harley Clyde, born September 27, 1883. 
Sullivan Aldrich is the son of Simon and 
Anna H. (Daniels) Aldrich. The father was 



born February 10, 1794, and the mother 
February 8, 1803, and were married October 
6, 1825. They died in Rhode Island. Of 
their family of children, Andrew lives in New 
York City; Pliny in Fairmount, Neb. ; Lucy, 
wife of John Royce, resides in Sutton, Neb. ; 
Phebe, wife of Ornando Vose, lives at Cum- 
berland Hill, R. I.; Sullivan, our subject; 
and Anna I. Aldrich is a teacher in Woon- 
socket, R. I. Mrs. Sullivan Aldrich is the 
daughter of George and Nancy (Jack) Mowiy. 
The father was born April 19, 1804, in Rhode 
Island, but the mother was born in Mary- 
land, Oct<jber 25, 1806. In 1841 they re- 
moved from New York State to Putnam County, 
111., and in 1850 to Bureau County, where 
they now reside. He is a minister of the 
Quaker faith. They are the parents of nine 
children, eight of whom are now living, viz.: 
Martha, wife of F. S. Aldrich, of Bureau 
County; Jesse, of Wyanet; Thomas, a farm- 
er in Bui'eau Township; George, in Wyanet; 
Robert, of Montgomei-y County, Kan.; Mrs. 
Sullivan Aldi'ich; Welcome, of Tama County, 
Iowa, and Nancy, wife of M'^ebster Moses, of 
Minnesota. 

ELISHA ALLEN, Lamoille, is a native 
of Warren County, N. J. , where he was born 
October, 1818. His parents, James and 
Sarah (Groif) Allen, were natives of New 
Jersey, where they died. The mother was of 
German extraction and grandfather Allen 
was also of German descent. Our subject 
was reared in his native State, where he fol- 
lowed farming till he came to the West, 
which was in March, 1871. He bought a 
farm two miles northeast of Princeton, 
Bureau Co., 111., which he sold in 1876 and 
then bought a farm of 124 acres in Lamoille 
Township, where he now resides. Mr. Allen 
was married October 3, 1 840, in New Jersey, 
to Elizabeth Lake, who was born January 
18, 1820, in the above State. She was a 
daughter of John and Sarah (Pettie) Lake, 
who were also natives of New Jersey. Mr. 
and Mrs. Allen are the parents of the foUow- 
inw children: John, a resident of New Jer- 
sey; Sarah F. and Lydia are deceased; Mrs. 
Mary C. Norton, of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; 
Jane, deceased; James A., of Iowa; ImlaL.; 
Mrs. Rebecca S. Trimmer, of Kansas; Will- 
iam M. , Mancious H. and Adeline. Mrs. 



442 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Allen is a member of the Presbyterian 
Church. Mr. Allen is identified with the 
Democratic party. 

JOSEPH ALLEN, Clarion, who is the 
subject of the following biography, was born 
May 21, 1813, in Hampshire County, Mass. 
His parents, Samuel and Elizabeth (Davis) 
Allen, were both natives of Massachusetts, 
where they died. They reared a family of 
three boys and three girls, viz.: Persia, Sally, 
Lucy, Davenport, Joseph and David. Of 
these, only Mrs. Lucy Rodes, David and 
Joseph Allen are yet living. The Allen 
family in America is of English extraction 
and were prominent among the pioneers of 
New England. Our subject was reared and 
educated in his native State, where he farmed 
till April, 1836, when he emigrated and came 
to Bureau County, 111. After one year's resi- 
dence west of Princeton, he came to Lamoille 
Township, and made a claim on Section 18, 
consisting of 120 acres which he bought as 
soon as the land came into market. Owing 
to his untiring perseverance and industry, 
Mr. Allen was enabled to buy more land, and 
at present owns 600 acres in his homestead, 
160 acres in the northwest part of the county 
and 200 acres in Ford County, besides other 
securities. He has been a successful farmer 
and stockman and a self-made man in every 
respect. And to-day, in the evening of his 
life, surrounded by many friends who know 
him to respect and revere him, we are glad 
to place him among our wealthiest citizens of 
Bureau County. 

MARK ANDERSON, Macon, was born 
in Bedford County, Penn., October 23, 
1831. He is the son of Samuel and Mar- 
garet (Tygart) Anderson. The father was 
born in Maryland and was the son of William 
Anderson, a native of Scotland. The mother 
was of Irish descent, her parents being na- 
tives of the Emerald Isle. Mr. and Mrs. 
Samuel Anderson were the parents of ten 
children, but only the following now sur- 
vive: Thomas, a resident of Nebraska; Mark, 
our subject; Mrs. Susan Wible, of Fulton 
County, Penn. and Porter Anderson, also 
of Fulton County, Penn. In 1856 Mark 
Anderson came to Bureau County, 111., 
and bought eighty acres of his present 
farm and began its improvement, it be- 



ing at that time open prairie land. He 
now owns 200 acres of land and gives his at- 
tention to stock raising. He was reared on 
a farm and has made farming his oc- 
cupation during life. He was married in 
Bedford County, Penn., in April, 1853, to 
Wealthy Horton, a daughter of Thomas I. 
and Sarah (Foster) Horton, natives of Penn- 
sylvania. They removed to Bureau County, 
111., and the father died here; the mother 
yet survives. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are 
the parents of seven children, viz.: Uphamy J., 
wife of Frank Henderson, of this county, a 
native of New England; Margaret, wife of 
Neal Anderson, a native of Canada, now of 
Buda; Allen, of Buda; Sarah E., Lyman T. 
Samuel and Hugh, at home. In politics Mr. 
Anderson is identified with the Republican 
party. 

E. B. ANTHONY, Indiantown, was born 
August 9, 1841, in Providence, Bureau Co., 
111. His father, Alfred Anthony, was born 
October 31, 1815, in Rhode Island. The great- 
grandfather of our subject, Isaac Anthony, 
Sr., was also a native of Rhode Island, 
where he died. His son, Isaac Anthony, Jr., 
was born and died there. The latter was a 
Captain in the war of 1812. He married 
Nancy Fish, who was the mother of nine 
children that reached maturity. Of these Al- 
fred was the youngest. He came here with 
the Providence colony, and was married here 
to Mary A. Cushing, a daughter of Caleb 
Cushing. She is the mother of six children 
now living, viz. : Edward B. , the subject of 
this biography; Charles R., Mrs. Emily F. 
Dexter, Mrs. Josephine R. Griswold, wife of 
Dr. Griswold, of Memphis, Tenn. ; George A. 
and Willie H. Anthony. Oiu- subject re- 
ceived a common school education in his 
native county. In the fall of 1867, he went 
to Ottawa, and the spring following to Chi- 
cago, where he clerked in a wholesale mil- 
linery store about seven years. After this 
he went to Peoria, where he clerked in a 
wholesale notion store, also acting as com- 
mercial traveler. Of late years he has been 
keeping a general store in Providence and is 
also Postmaster. Mr. Anthony was married 
here, October 15, 1865, to Anna Patterson, 
who was born April 13, 1844, in South Bend, 
Ind. Her parents were William H. and 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



443 



Mary M. (MeMurry) Patterson. Religiously 
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony are connected with 
the Baptist Church in Buda, 111. 

GEORGE ANTHONY, Wyanet. Jacob 
Anthony was born in Sussex County, N. 
J., May 4, 1808. Since he was thirteen 
years old he has made his own way in 
life, for many years working in foundries 
and iron works. After his marriage in 1828 
he lived most of the time in Morris County, 
and for some time was teaming in New York 
City. He afterward bought a farm in Rox- 
bury Township, Mon-is Co., N. J., and re- 
mained there till 1850, when he sold out and 
came to Bureau County, and settled on his 
present farm when there were but two cabins 
in sight. He now owns 135 acres of land, 
which he has obtained through hard work, 
having always been obliged to depend on 
himself. He was married in New Jersey, 
March 24, 1828, to Sally Tapin; she was 
born October 13, 1810, in the same neigh- 
borhood as her husband. They have two 
children : Martin T. in Adair County, luwa, 
and George, of this county. George An- 
thony was born in Morris County, N. J., 
August 29, 1832. His early life was spent 
on a farm in his native county, where he ob- 
tained his education in the common schools. 
He came to Bureau County in 1850, and has 
since resided in Wyanet Township, and 
given his attention to farming and stock- 
growing. He was married August 31, 1858, 
to Mary A. Krieger, who was born in Hunt- 
ingdon County, Penn., August 26, 1841: she 
came to this county in March, 1855, with her 
parents, George and Susan (Miller) Krieger, 
natives of Pennsylvania. They now reside 
in Lewis, Cass Co., Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. 
Anthony have nine children, viz.: Charles 
W., born August 27, 1860; Frederick, born 
June 28, 1862; John, born January 28, 1864; 
Abby J., born October 11, 1865; Emma, 
born November 25, 1867; Henry, born Jan- 
uary 10, 1870; Laura, born September 18, 
1872; Nellie, born November 8, 1875; George 
E., born July 8, 1877; Mr. Anthony settled 
on his present farm in 1867; he now owns 
380 acres, the result of hard work. In pol- 
itics he is a stanch Republican. 

JOHN ARMSTRONG, Neponset, was born 
February 17, 1836, in Newcastleton, Roxboro- 



shire, Scotland. His father, Wm. Armstrong, 
was also a native of Scotland, where he died. 
He was an active member of the Presbyter- 
ian Church, and a mason by occupation. 
The gi'andfather of our subject, John Arm- 
strong, Sr., was a native of Scotland, where 
his ancestors had resided several centuries, 
they being one of the first families in the 
realm, and are honorably mentioned in the 
history of Scotland as ardent supporters of 
the Scottish crown. (See Scottish Chiefs'). 
The mother of our subject, Margaret Telfor, 
is a native of Scotland, where she yet re- 
sides. She is the mother of seven children, 
viz.: Hannah, Elizabeth, Mrs. Mary Turn- 
bull (now a resident of Stark County, 111.), 
John (our subject), James, William, and 
Walter, a resident of Page County, Iowa. 
The other children are yet living in Scot- 
land. Our subject was educated in his na- 
tive country, where he learned and followed 
the mason's trade for six years, after which he 
farmed. In 1856 he came to Stark County, 
111., where he worked three years for one 
man, and then commenced to farm for him- 
self in Neponset Township, Bureau County, 
where he bought eighty acres in Section 32, 
and now owns 160 acres. He was married 
here June 6, 1867, to Ellen Hall, born June 
10, 1844, in Scotland. She is a daughter of 
William and Mary (Scott) Hall, who are the 
parents of William Hall, Andrew Hall and 
Mrs. Ellen Armstrong, who is the mother of 
eight children, viz. : William H. , Mary M., 
Charley W., Henry J., Jane, Ellen, Etta M., 
and an infant son. Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong 
are members of the United Presbyterian 
Church of America. He is a Republican, 
and a self-made man in every respect, as he 
came to the United States without means. 

WILLIAM ARNETT. The subject of this 
biography is one of our oldest settlers in 
Neponset Township; he was born July 16, 
1826, in Leppington, Y'orkshire, England. 
His grandfather, William Ai-nett, Sr., was a 
native of England and a farmer by occupa- 
tion. His parents, John and Mary (Midgler) 
Arnett, were also farmers and natives of 
England, where they died. They were the 
parents of four children: Mrs. Elizabeth 
Rawntree, Thomas, John, and William, our 
subject. The two oldest children are yet 



444 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



living in England. John came to Neponset 
Township with his brother William; he lived 
here about twenty -seven years, and then re- 
moved to Tama County, Iowa, where he farms 
on a large scale. Our subject landed in Ne- 
ponset Township May 12, 1849; the following 
year he bought 160 acres of land in Section 
21, where he now resides. In 1865 he visited 
England, where he was married May 5, 1866, 
returning to the United States the same year. 
He married Elizabeth Muncaster, born March 
6, 1840, in Fulford. near York, Yorkshire, 
England. Her pai-ents, Thomas and Mary 
(Midgley) Muncaster, were natives of En- 
gland, where they died. Mrs. Arnett is the 
mother of four children, viz. : Thomas A., 
born February 26, 1867; Mary I., born Au- 
gust 14, 1869; William A., born May 25, 
1871; and John V., born June 27, 1881. 
Mrs. Arnett has two brothers, John and Will- 
iam Muncaster, in York County, Neb.; a 
brother and sister, Alfred and Isabell, in 
New South Wales, Australia; and two sis- 
ters, Mary and Jane, yet living in England. 
Politically, Mr. Arnett is a Democrat. 

THOMAS AUGHEY, Lamoille, was born 
in County Meath, Ireland, in 1835. He is a 
son of Christopher and Bridget (Wood) 
Aughey, both natives of Ireland, and now 
residents of Ohio Township, in this county. 
They are the parents of the following chil- 
dren: Mrs. Mary Gould, of Oxford, Iowa, 
Thomas Aughey, Mrs. Bridget McGuire, and 
Jane Aughey. Our subject came to the 
United States with his parents in the fall of 
1847. He landed in New Orleans, and the 
next spring came to Bureau County, 111., 
where his parents first settled west of Dennis 
Driscoll. In Lamoille Township Mr. Aughey 
now owns a fine farm of 240 acres, most of 
which was improved by himself. He was 
married here to Jane Finley, who is the 
mother of Thomas, Henry C, Edmond, 
Blanche, and Henrietta Aughey. Mr. and 
Mrs. Aughey are members of the Catholic 
Church. Politically, he is identified with 
the Democratic party. 

A. N. BACON, Princeton, was born May 
5, 1815, in South Egremont, Berkshire Co. . 
Mass. He is a son of Andrew Bacon, who 
was born 1791 in Canaan, Conn. He died 
1875 in Egremont, Mass. He was a farmer 



by occupation, and was married to Clarissa 
Vosburgh, who was born in Sheffield, Mass. 
She died in 1828, in Egremont. aged thirty- 
eight years. She was the daughter of Henry 
Vosburgh, and was the mother of six children, 
viz.: Henry V., Amos N. , Milton H. (de- 
ceased), Mrs. Amelia C. Hull, Porter A. and 
Andrew U, (deceased). Mr. Andrew Bacon 
was married a second time to Betsey Bron- 
son. She was the mother of two children, 
viz. : Mrs. Nancy J. Potts and John Bacon. 
Our subject received a common school educa- 
tion in his native town, but is mainly self 
educated. In early life he was a farmer 
by occupation, and has always followed 
that pursuit In 1838 he came to Bureau 
County, 111., where he bought land in Sec- 
tion 3, and yet resides. He was joined in 
matrimony in this county May 9, 1841, to 
Julia A. Harris, who was born January 11, 
1824, in Harrisville, Medina Co., Ohio.^ 
Her , parents were Ebenezer and Lucy (Law- 
rence) Harris, who were natives of Connecti- 
cut. Mrs. Bacon is the mother of the fol- 
lowing children, viz.: Coridan H., Mary L. , 
Clinton Y. (deceased), Ernest W. , Herman 
L. (deceased), Alida M. and Harry E. Mr. 
and Mrs. Bacon are members of the Presby- 
terian Church. The former is an active 
member of the " Princeton Academy of Sci- 
ence." During the war he was a member of 
" Union League." Although Mr. Bacon may 
not have reached the acme as a speaker or 
writer, yet to his credit it must be said that 
he has always striven for the advancement of 
good instead of evil. 

G. H. BACON, Indiantown. The Yellow- 
stone National Park, with its many attrac- 
tions, is well known to our citizens, but few 
know the fact that the subject of this biog- 
raphy was one of the discoverers of that 
wonderland. Mr. Bacon was born May 4, 
1838, in Amanda Township, Hancock Co., 
Ohio. His father, Harvey Bacon, was a na- 
tive of Candor Township, Tioga Co., N. Y., 
born April 9, 1806. He died January 19, 
1883, in Tiskilwa. He was a successful 
farmer, an Abolitionist and a school teacher 
in early life. He fostered education and 
tilled school offices. The grandfather of our 
subject, Eli Bacon, was born 1778, in Con- 
necticut. He died 1854 in Bureau County, 



BIOGRAPHiCAL SKETCHES- 



445 



to which he came in 1847. His father was a 
soldier in the Revolutionary war, and died in 
the terrible prison ships in Wallabout Bay. 
The mother of our subject, Betsey A. Robin- 
inson, was born in Barton, Orleans Co., Vt. 
She is a daughter of Joel and Celia (Whit- 
aker) Robinson, who died in New York. 
Mrs. Betsey Bacon survives her husband, and 
is now living in Tiskilwa. She is the mother 
of four children, viz.: George H., Mrs. 
Mary J. Harsh, Charles H. and Seymore 
A. Our subject was educated in Bureau 
County, and reared on the farm. In the 
spring of 18G3 he went West, passing through 
Denver and Salt Lake City till he reached 
Virginia City in Montana Territory, where 
he mined, and was also engaged in the stock 
business for a period of nearly nine years. 
During that time he traveled over a great 
part of the Northwest. In the fall of 1863 
he, with a party of thirty men, discovered the 
geysers, solfataras, etc., in the Yellowstone 
Park, which remained unknown to the out- 
side world till the fall of 1869, when Mr. 
Bacon acted as guide to a party of forty- 
eight men, consisting of the Governor, two 
Chief Justices, tourists, artists and reporters, 
who circulated the news of the wonderful 
discovery. In 1864 Mr. Bacon participated 
in one of the most noted events in the history 
of the Territory, namely, the extermination 
of Henry Plummer's noted band of road 
agents by the Vigilantes. While Superin- 
tendent of Mines and acting as amalgama- 
tor he was also interested in the stock busi- 
ness, and after an absence of nine years, 
which were full of adventure, he returned to 
his old home, where he now has a farm of 
240 acres. He was married Juno 17, 1875, 
to Elizabeth R. Phelps, who was born Sep- 
tember 4, 1838, in Sharon, Medina Co., Ohio. 
She is a daughter of Cicero and Betsey 
(Crane) Phelps. To Mi-, and Mrs. Bacon 
four children, now living, were born, viz. : 
Cicero Phelps, J. Harvey, George Arthur and 
Grace E. Politically Mr. Bacon is Independ- 
ent. He is also an A. F. & A. M. . Sharon 
Lodge, No. 550, and with his esteemed wife 
is an active member of the Congregational 
Church. 

P. C. BACON, Indiantown, was born Au- 
gust 24, 1856, in Senachwine Township, Put- 



nam Co., 111. His father, Emory Bacon, 
was a native of Ohio. He fought bravely in 
the late war, and died in the hospital at 
Memphis, Tenn. He was married to Susan 
L. Ash, who died in Putnam County. She 
was the mother of three children, who are 
now living and whom she reared after her 
husband had offered up his life on the altar 
of his country. The names of the children 
are: Paul Clifford, Joseph Chauncy and Maud 
Bacon. Our subject was educated at the 
State Normal University. He came to this 
county in 1877, and bought 160 acres of land. 
The last four years he has been engaged in 
the cheese business. He was married Feb- 
ruary 7, 1877, to Mary E. Dorr, a native of 
this county. She is the mother of two chil- 
dren, viz.: Edgar D., born October 29, 1880, 
and Jessie M., born August 27, 1882. Mr. 
and Mrs. Bacon are members of the Congre- 
gational Church. He is a Republican, an 

A. F. and A. M. and I. O. O. F. 

D. D. BAILEY, Berlin, was born in Bel- 
mont County, Ohio, June 20, 1838. His 
parents, Wyatt and Maranda (Wooten) Bai- 
ley, were both natives of Virginia, but had 
removed to Ohio in early life, and were 
among the pioneers of that State. The father 
died there in October, 1851, and the mother 
died in August, 1861, in Wisconsin. Our 
subject was reared on a farm and educated 
in the public schools, and Academy of Barnes- 
ville, Ohio. At the age of eighteen years he 
began teaching in his native county, and con- 
tinued till he came to Bureau County in 1859. 
September 17, 1861, he enlisted in Company 

B, Fifty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
Col. Isaac Wilson. He was mustered in as 
First Sergeant of the company, and promoted 
to the captaincy May 10, 1862. He remained 
in the service till October 24, 1864, and was 
mustered out at Rome, Ga. The first battle 
he took part in was at Pittsburg Landing; he 
was also engaged in the siege and battle of 
Corinth, luka, Atlanta, etc. After leaving 
the army Mr. Bailey again engaged in teach- 
ing, in Lamoille, Maiden and vicinity, until 
May, 1878, when he entered the firm of J. 
James & Co., in the grain business in Mai- 
den. Mr. Bailey was married in Monroe 
County, Ohio, February, 1859, to Miss Isa- 
bella Chaddock, born in Jefferson County, 



446 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



Ohio, February 25, 1842. She is the daugh- 
ter of liichard and Eliza (Nicholson) Chad 
dock, both natives of Baltimore County, Ind., 
where the father was born December 24, 1805, 
and his wife September 4, 1808. They came 
to Bureau County in 1864, and are now resi- 
dents of Maiden. Mr. and Mrs. Bailey have 
two children living and two dead, viz: Ida, 
born November 15, 1859, died May 13, 1860; 
David M., born April 23, 1861, died March 
25, 1881; Everett H., born May 28, 1862, a 
resident of Lincoln, Neb. ; May, born Octo- 
ber 22, 1868. In politics Mr. Bailey has 
been a Republican until recently, but is now 
identified with the Prohibition party. He is 
a member of I. O. G. T. , of Maiden, and of 
A. P. & A. M., Lamoille Lodge, No. 383. 

JOHN W. BAILEY, Princeton, was born 
in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 15, 1830. He 
is the son of William S. and Caroline A. 
(Withnall) Bailey. William S. Bailey is a 
native of Massachusetts, but in childhood re- 
moved West with his family, and settled in 
Ohio, and there he was married. At the age 
of eleven years, after having sjtent live years 
in the common schools, John W. Bailey com- 
menced as "devil boy" in a Cincinnati job 
oiBce, where ho remained until he had 
thoroughly mastered the jobbing trade; and 
in the meantime had begun to write sketches 
for the daily papers of the city. Mr. Bailey 
then became connected with various daily pa- 
pers of Cincinnati as a reporter and news edit- 
or; nest assisted in establishing a Republican 
paper in Indiana, and in 1858 became a half 
owner of the Tiffin, Ohio, Tribune. His in- 
terest in this he sold in 18G0, and became a 
one-third owner of the Daily Toledo Commer- 
cial. In 1863 Mr. Bailey purchased the 
Bureau County Republican, and has since 
resided at Princeton (see chapter on the press). 
In early life he was identified with the Abo- 
lition party, and also with the ' ' underground 
railroad" business, and as he lived on the 
dividing line, he relates many incidents con- 
nected with the work which would read well 
in romance. He cast his first vote for Gen. 
Winfield Scott, in 1852, while strongly sym- 
pathizing with the Eree Soil party under the 
lead of John P. Hull, realizing full well that 
either Scott or Pierce would be the choice of 
the people. He vigorously opposed the re- 



peal of the Missouri Compromise in 1854, 
voted for John C. Fremont in 1856, and for 
every Republican President since that time, 
always the uncompromising opponent of 
slavery, and the firm advocate of liberty. He 
was among the first to favor the arming of 
the negroes to help put down the Rebellion; 
to favor their right to citizenship and the 
ballot, and he maintains now that the points 
of the war to preserve a free Republic will 
bo lost unless the purity of the ballot can be 
firmly established. The chief energies of his 
life have been devoted to upbuilding the 
newspapers with which he has been so long 
connected, and his papers have ever taken 
the part of all enterprises calculated to bene- 
fit the public. The Republican has ever 
been the stanch supporter of the high school, 
manufactories and various improvements. 
Mr. Bailey has given but little attention to 
any other business than that of conducting 
his paper in the best and most successful 
way. However, at the beginning of the war 
he spent one winter in Washington, D. C, 
as correspondent for his paper, in the mail- 
ing department of the House; and in 1880 
he accepted the Supervisorship of the Census 
for the Third Illinois District, embracing 
fourteen counties lying between Bureau 
County and the Mississippi River. In Ma- 
sonry he has become far advanced, and is 
now a member of the Blue Lodge, Chapter, 
Council, Commandery, and in Scottish Rite 
Masonry he has taken the thirty-second 
degree. He is an I. O. O. F.. and in relig- 
ion is a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. March 27, I860, at Tiffin, Ohio, he 
was united in marriage to Miss Emma D. Mc- 
Clelland, who was born in Lancaster Countj', 
Penn., October 10, 1835. She is the mother 
of the following named children: EllaC. , 
William J., Harry U., J. Howard andJMable; 
also two others who died in infancy. The 
two eldest are following in the footsteps of 
their "dad," and are now in the Repiiblican 
office. 

JOHN W. BAILEY, Ohio, was born in 
Syracuse, N. Y., October 12, 1838, and is 
the son of Throupe and Olive Bailey, for- 
merly of Vermont. The father was born 
June 19, 1803. The mother was born June 
17, 1805. They were the parents of seven 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



447 



children, six of whom are now living: 
Lewis M. Bailey, born May 13, 1826, lives 
in Wisconsin; Hester A., born September 16, 
1828, now Jlrs. G. B. Young, P. O. Ros- 
coe. 111.; Caleb, born February 13, 1831, 
died in 1852; Andrew, born September 24, 
1834, lives in Iowa; John W., subject of 
this sketch; Deborah A., born January 14, 
1842, now Mrs. G. Teachout of Minneapo- 
lis, Minn.; Elijah F., born August 21, 
1847, lives in Illinois. The subject of this 
sketch lived on a farm in his native State 
until he came to this State with his parents 
in 1853, and settled in Boone County. Mr. 
Bailey finished the com*se in the Rock River 
Seminary in 1858. December 25, 1860, he 
was united in marriage to Miss Juliette 
Wheeler, of this county, a daughter of 
Charles and Martha B. Wheeler, formerly of 
Windsor County, Vt. The father was born 
at Royalton, Vt., March 28, 1808. The 
mother was born at Tiinbridge, Vt., Septem- 
ber 23. 1810. They were married January 
1, 1834, and came to this county in Febru- 
ary, 1853. The father, Charles Wheeler, 
died August, 1863, from injuries inflicted by a 
vicious horse, surviving but a few hours. 
The mother died December 8, 1864, leaving 
six children living of a family of seven: 
William W., born December 1, 1834, of Mal- 
com, Iowa; Martha B. , October 27, 1837, 
died September, 1859; Juliette, (Mi-s. J. W. 
Bailey), born July 3, 1839, of Ohio, 111; Orin 
M., February 7, 1842, of Malcom, Iowa; 
Charles H., July 15, 1844, killed by the 
cyclone at Grinnell, Iowa, January 17, 1882; 
Ethan Allen, June 7, 1846, of Montezuma, 
Iowa; Luna P., January 2, 1850, (now Mrs. 
F. A. Winslow), Chicago, 111. Mr. and Mrs. 
Bailey are the parents of eleven children, 
eight of whom are now living, as follows: 
Charles W., born December 13, 1861, died 
March 4, 1863; infant daughter, born Jan- 
uary 25, 1863, died April 3, 1863; Martha 
L., born November 25, 1864; Olive A., March 
28, 1867; Glenn G., December 25, 1868; 
Susan K, December 29, 1870; Fred E., 
April 1, 1873; John W., Jr., March 21, 1875; 
Bessie B., March 28, 1877, died September 
15, 1877; Chester V., born September 15, 
1879; Dexter W., November 3, 1882. Mr. 
Bailey has taught a winter term of school 



in this county during the past seven- 
teen years, and during the past twenty-five 
years in the State. Mrs. Bailey is a teacher 
of large experience, having taught twelve 
years in this county. Martha L. Bailey hav- 
ing prepared herself for the profession at 
the State Normal, is now engaged in the 
graded school at Ohio, III, while Olive A. 
Bailey is engaged in teaching in the public 
schools of her own township. Mr. Bailey is 
Republican, and owns 240 acres of land in 
Ohio Township. 

CHARLES C. BAIRD, Lamoille, was 
born June 28, 1818, in Fairfield Township, 
Westmoreland Co., Penn. His grandfa- 
ther was AVilliam Baird. His father. Jo- 
seph Baird, was a native of Chambersburg, 
Penn. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, 
and died in Bolivar, Penn. The mother of 
our subject, Jenny Henderson, was a native 
of Westmoreland County, Penn., where she 
died. Her mother, Mrs. Polly Henderson, 
was a native of Ireland, and was three months 
crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Mrs. Jennie 
Baird was the mother of seven boys and two 
girls. Of these only three are living, viz. : 
Charles, our subject, who is the oldest child; 
Joseph Baird, a resident of Ford County, 
111. and Samuel, who is the youngest child, 
and resides in Lamoille Township. Our 
subject was reared in Pennsylvania, where he 
boated seven years on the Pennsylvania Canal. 
First, he drove for $12 per month, and then 
steered for $14 per month. After that he 
worked three years repairing the Pennsylva- 
nia Canal at 75 cents per day, boarding him- 
self and family. After this he farmed suc- 
cessfully. In February, 1865, he removed to 
Bureau County, 111., where he bought a farm 
of 180 acres, at $40 per acre. He has now 
230 acres of land and ten acres of town 
property in Lamoille Township. On his 
farm he keeps some fine horses. His success 
in life is due to his indomitable perseverance 
and industry. Our siibject was married in 
Pennsylvania to Martha Snyder, a native of 
Westmoreland County, Penn, and the daugh- 
ter of Nicholas and Christina Snyder. Mrs. 
Baird is the mother of seven children, who 
are now living, viz. : Mrs. Hannah J. McCray, 
Mrs. Sarah Hainey, Mrs. Martha Maine, Mrs. 
Mary Schwabenland, Francis R., Andy J. and 



448 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Charles T. Baird, who is managing the home 
farm. All the children own real estate, and 
are settled in Lamoille Township. Politi- 
cally, Mr. Baird is a Republican. He and his 
excellent wife are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. Their grand-daughter. 
Miss Sally McCray, brightens their home 
with her presence. 

JUDGE MARTIN BALLOU, Princeton, 
was born July 18, 1812, in Halifax, Windham 
Co., Vt. His father, Asahel Ballou, was born 
January 18, 1771, in Rhode Island; he died 
March 20, 1851. in Halifax, Vt. He was a 
mechanic and farmer by occupation, and a son 
of Benjamin Ballou, whose brother, Hosea 
Ballou, was the celebrated clergyman of New 
England. The Ballou family is of French 
extraction. The mother of the Judge was 
Martha (Starr) Ballou, who was born May 28, 
1776; she died October 9, 1839, at Halifax, 
Vt. She was the mother of nine children, 
viz. : Hosea, Asahel. Perley, Levi, Will- 
iam S., Reuben and Martha (twins). Alvin 
and Almon. Of these Reuben died in infan- 
cy, and only Martin, our subject, Alvin and 
Almon still survive. Judge Ballou received 
his primary education in the common schools 
and academy of Brattleboro, Vt. Afterward 
he studied law with C. K. Field, of Wilming- 
ton, Vt. , and also attended the Harvard Law 
School at Cambridge, Mass., and was admit- 
ted to the bar in the spring of 1839, at Fiiy- 
etteville, Vt. He then resolved to go West 
to grow up with the country. In the same 
year that he was admitted to the bar he hung 
out his shingle in Princeton, Bureau Co., 111., 
and here he has followed his profession ever 
since, and is the oldest member in the legal 
fraternity. In March, 1857, he was elected 
Judge of the Circuit Court of the old Twen- 
ty-third Circuit, serving till June, 1861. The 
Judge can look back with pleasure upon a well- 
spent, active, professional life, from v?hich he is 
gradually retiring. Judge Ballou was joined 
in matrimony in Princeton, 111., to Miss 
Catharine S. Tuttle, who was born in Medina 
County, Ohio. She is a daughter of Carolus 
Tuttle, a native of Connecticut. Mrs. Martin t 
Ballou is the mother of five children, viz. : 
Charles T., now living in Marshalltown. Iowa; 
William S., an attorney in Colorado; Frank 
M., a merchant in Boone, Iowa; Elizabeth 



M. , who is the wife of Seth Mendell, a mer- 
chant of Boston, Mass., and Addie B., a stu- 
dent in Boston, Mass. Mrs. Judge Ballou is 
a member of the Congregational Church. 
The Judge and his estimable wife have 
made many friends in Bureau County, and 
are widely esteemed for their many good 
qualities of bead and heart. 

J. J. BAMBURG & CO., Princeton. In 
1856 M. Dernham engaged in business in 
Princeton, and the same business has been 
continued till the present time. In his 
employ were Messrs. J. J. Bamburg and A. 
Oppenheim, both natives of Baden, Ger- 
many. In 1872 Mr. J. J. Bamburg pur- 
chased the business of M. Dernham, and the 
same year took as a partner Mi-. Oppenheim, 
and for twelve years the firm of J. J. Bam- 
burg & Co. have done a large and successful 
business as clothiers and merchant tailors. 
They carry a stock of goods which will aggre- 
gate at least $25.00() in value, and have 
annual sales reaching from $45,000 to $50,- 
000. In the tailoring department they em- 
ploy eight hands besides the cutter, and in 
this department, as in all else, their cus- 
tomers are given the benefit of the proprietors' 
large and judicious purchases. 

GEORGE BARR, Berlin, was born in 
Wurtemberg, Germany, May 26, 1841. His 
father, George Barr, was also a native of 
Germany, where he passed his life chiefly in 
farming, though for twenty years he served 
in the army. His wife, Salmon Busteter, 
was of French birth, but moved to Germany 
with her family when a girl. She died when 
her son George was six years old. They 
were the parents of seven children, six of 
whom are still living, all except one in 
America. Our subject came to this country 
when about eleven years old, and lived in 
Wisconsin three years, removing to Bureau 
County in the spring of 1859. August, 1862, 
he enlisted in Company B, Ninety-third Illi- 
nois Volunteer Infantry, served for one year, 
when he was discharged for disability. He 
participated in the siege of Vicksburg. Since 
his return from the war he has been engaged in 
farming, and has also run a threshing-machine 
and corn-sheller for several years. In 1877 
he bought his present farm of eighty acres 
in Section 33, Berlin Township. Previously 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



449 



he had resided on a farm near De Pue. He 
was married October 14, 1867, to Rachel 
Martin, a native of Warren County, N. J., 
born October 14, 1840. She is a daughter of 
Henry and Mary (Brown) Martin, both 
natives of New Jersey. Mr. Martin died at 
Maiden in April, 1879, but his widow still 
resides there. Mr. and Mrs. Barr have two 
children, viz.: Fleedia, born March 14, 1870, 
and Henry, born October 30, 1874. In pol- 
itics Mr. Barr is identified with the Repub- 
lican party. He is a member of the Presby- 
terian Church of Maiden. 

BENJAMIN BARRETT, deceased, was 
born March 12, 1809, in Jonesboro, County 
Aramah, Ireland. He died August 6, 1879, 
in this county, where he had spent the best 
part of his life and labored faithfully for his 
family and for all things pertaining to the 
interest of the community, especially in the 
support of churches and schools. His par- 
ents were George and Mary Barrett. He 
was married April 18, 1834, to Elizabeth 
Barrett, born November 14, 1814, iu Jones- 
boro. Ireland, where her parents, William 
and Jane (O'Neil) Barrett died. Soon after 
Mr. Barrett was married he removed to Bel- 
mont County, Ohio. In 1847 he removed 
to LaSalle, 111., and in September, 1856, 
came to Westfield, Bureau County. 111., 
where he bought a farm which he improved 
and OD which he died. Mrs. Elizabeth Bar- 
rett survives her husband and is living on 
the old homestead. She is the mother of 
nine children, viz. : Mrs. Mary A. Nelson ; 
William, of Mendota; Ann J. ; Mrs. Elizabeth 
Holbrook; Joseph, of Wyanet; Robert, of 
Dakota; 'Mrs. Fannie Butler; James M., of 
Fort Wayne, and Mrs. Mattie Gill of this 
county. Of these Fannie is the wife of Will- 
iam H Butler, a native of Madison County, 
N. Y. They were married October 1, 1878, 
and are the parents of Nettie E. and Jessie 
M. Butler. Religiously, Mrs. Barrett is 
connected with the Protestant Episcopal 
Church, as was also her husband. 

CHARLES P. BASCOM, Princeton, was 
born July 5, 1842, in Chicago, 111., and is 
the eldest son of Flavel Bascom, D. D. , and 
Elizabeth Bascom, nee Sparhawk. The lat- 
ter died in Galesburg, 111. Rev. Flavel 



Bascom was born in Connecticut, June 8, 
1804. After working his way through Yale 
College, he came to Illinois in 1833, under 
the auspices of the Home Missionary Society. 
For some years he resided at Pekin,"but later 
went to Chicago, where he was pastor of a 
church for ten years and during that time 
was President of the first anti -slavery society 
in Chicago. In 1850 he became pastor of 
the Congregational Church at Galesburg. In 
1855 he removed to Dover, 111., and in 1864 
to Princeton, where he was pastor of the 
Congregational Church. He now resides at 
Hinsdale, 111. More of his life will be 
found in connection with the church history 
of Bureau County. Since 1855 Mr. Charles 
P. Bascom has been a resident of this county. 
He was educated in Beloit College, Wiscon- 
sin, graduating in the class of 1864. Decem- 
ber 11, 1867, he was united in marriage to 
Miss Lucia M. Colton, who was born in this 
county and is the daughter of Egbert Colton, 
deceased. December, 1874, Mr. Bascom 
became junior partner in the Republican 
printing ofBce, and his connection with this 
paper will be found in the chajjter on the 
Press. 

EDWIN BASS, Se., Maiden. The Bass 
family came from England to this country 
some time in the seventeenth century, and 
settled in Massachusetts. From there the 
different branches scattered; our subject be- 
ing a descendant of a family which located 
iu Connecticut, where for 150 years the old 
farm in Windham County has been owned by 
some one of the Bass name. Edwin Bass, 
Sr., was born in Windham, Windham Co., 
Conn., January 28, 1816. His father, Eben- 
ezer Bass, was born July 4, 1784. and died 
February 28, 1875. His wife, Sarah Mo- 
Curdy, was a native of Nova Scotia, born 
May 9. 1789, and died September 24, 1850. 
In early life she removed to Connecticut and 
was there married. They were the parents 
of seven sons and five daughters, all of whom 
are living except two sons and two daugh- 
ters, but are scattered through Missouri, 
Kansas, Connecticut and Illinois. Edwin 
Bass was reared on a farm and educated in 
the common schools of his native State, after- 
ward teaching several terms. At the age of 



450 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



twenty- one he began working by the month, 
and in three years saved $400. April 13, 
1840, he started for this county, and after 
three weeks on the way, by the Ohio, Missis- 
sippi and Illinois Rivers, he landed at 
Hennepin. He then invested the remainder 
of his $400 in ninety acres of land in Berlin 
Township, and for three years worked by the 
month, teaching school, etc. April 27, 1843, 
he was married to Emeline J. Stanard, born 
May 6, 1824, in Madison County, N. Y. 
She is the daughter of Lebius and Lueeba 
(Fay) Stanard. The father was a native of 
Vermont, near Montpelier, the mother of 
Connecticut. They came to the county in 
the fall of 1840, and lived in Lamoille for 
some time. Mr. Stanard died in Clarion 
Township in October, 1858, and his wife died 
January 3, 1842. Mr. and Mrs. Bass are the 
parents of eleven children, six of whom are 
living: Caroline L., born August 28, 1844, 
died February 6, 1873, wife of Thomas L. 
Phillips; Lucian, born March 26, 1847, lives 
in Walnut Township, Bureau County (he 
was in the Civil war for one year); Luther 
G., born July 25, 1848, is a physician in 
Koseland, 111. ; Sidney B., born March 18. 
1850, died October 26, 1853; Charlotte M., 
born April 12, 1852, died October 27, 1853; 
Oscar S. , born May 19, 1854, an attorney by 
profession; Edwin, Jr., born April 23, 1856, 
a farmer in Berlin Township; Heber and 
Howard, born February 15, 1858 (Howard 
died September 15, 1858, Heber died Sep- 
tember 25, 1858); Wallace, born March 12, 
1860, a farmer in Lee County, 111. ; Alonzo 
C, April 12, 1862. After marriage Mr. Bass 
remained on the farm^he first bought until 
February, 1851, when he came t6 his present 
farm in the corporation of Maiden. Mr. 
Bass has been successful in his business ca- 
reer, and now owns as the result of his labor 
1,432 acres of land in this and Lee Counties, 
besides other property. He has been a Re- 
publican in politics since the party was first 
organized. Mr. Bass and wife are members 
of the Baptist Church of Dover. 

EUGENE C. BATES, Princeton, was 
born in Cummington, Mass., November 9, 
1840, his parents also being natives of the 
same Green Mountain nook. Jacob Bates, 
son of Alvin Bates, and father of Eugene C, 



was born in 1805, was bred a farmer, and 
served for a time as Captain of Massachusetts 
militia. He married in 1831 Miss Mary 
Mason, daughter of Elisha Mason, a lady five 
years his junior, of great personal beauty and 
unusual intelligence, with whom he lived hap- 
pily until her death in Princeton, in 1878. The 
fruits of this union were a large family of ener- 
getic sons and daughters, faithful in filial 
affection, and, like their parents, " diligent in 
business, serving the Lord," in a manner ex- 
cellent, if not evangelical. These parents, 
Jacob and Mary M. Bates, were active of 
mind and body, liberal and outspoken in re- 
ligion, earnest in the cause of temperance, 
and stood with the faithful few. unflinching 
in devotion to liberty, in the days when it 
cost something to be an Abolitionist. It was 
in this healthy atmosphere that E. C. Bates 
passed his boyhood, and learned to believe in 
honest industry and liberty as the right and 
left hands of human progress. His early 
years were divided between the schoolhouse 
and the farm, the latter getting the larger 
share. At the age of eighteen he took his 
place behind the counter of a store in his 
native town, where he served four years, af- 
terward adding a shorter term as salesman in 
the city of New York. Meantime the war for 
the Union being in progress, he enlisted, but 
on account of his slender physique could not 
be accepted. A second attempt was no more 
successful, though he did succeed in getting 
as far as Key West on a man-of-war. On 
this trip a severe sickness came very near 
terminating his voyage of life. In 1864 Mr. 
Bates married Miss Lora S. Ward, of Worth- 
ington, Mass., and in 1865, rich in a wife's 
companionship, but quite otherwise in the 
matter of funds, he came to Peoria County, 
111. After a few months' work as salesman 
in Elmwood, he removed to Princeton, where, 
in partnership with his brother, J. K. Bates, 
he opened the dry goods store which after- 
ward became so widely and favorably known. 
J. R. retired in 1869, and removed to Stuart, 
Iowa, and Mr. Bates continued the business 
alone till 1878, when another brother, Charles 
E. Bates, and C. M. Durley became members 
of the firm, C. E. Bates retiring in 1882. In 
November of the same year the firm sold 
the business to Messrs. Palmer Bros. . since 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



4S1 



which time Mr. Bates has conducted a real 
estate and loan business with marked suc- 
cess, being himself an extensive land owner 
in Bureau County and in the West. He was 
also for fourteen years a partner in the firm 
of Robinson & Bates, in the boot and shoe 
trade, withdrawing in 1884. He is also a 
Director and stockholder in the First Nation- 
al Bank of Princeton. Successful business 
men are not rare in Bureau County, but the 
success of E. C. Bates has been so unusual 
in degree and of so broad a character as to 
demand special mention. Business is not 
alone a means of making money, but, prop- 
erly conducted, it is also a civilizing force, a 
means of maintaining social order and 
friendship and for the development of char- 
acter. The business conducted by Mr. Bates 
is a forcible illustration of this fact. His 
clerks and salesmen, as well as most of his 
customers, became his firm friends. From 
small beginnings the trade grew, until for 
ten years the pay roll of employes averaged 
$17,000 per annum, an amount larger than 
that of any manufacturing concern in the 
town. In seventeen years over $2,100,000 
worth of goods were sold over the counters. 
Over $1,000,000 of that amount went 
on to the books of the house as credit sales. 
Of this amount, strange to say, the loss by 
bad debts was less than one- fourth of one 
per cent. Facts like this are not only honor- 
able to the people of Bureau County, but 
prove Mr. Bates' accurate judgment of men 
and his admirable methods of doing business. 
These close collections were not the result 
of harsh measures, for, in the entire seven- 
teen years, only four or five law- suits were 
brought against customers. Mr. Bates has 
been doubly fortunate in being able to keep 
his head cool and his heart warm, and it is 
not too much to say that his example as a 
trader will be felt for good in this region for 
many years to come. Mr. Bates has recently 
built and furnished and now occupies a 
capacious and elegant residence in the city, 
which, with its wide and generous sweep of 
lawn, is a credit to Princeton, and a source 
of well-earned satisfaction to its occupants. 
Mi-s. Lora S. (Ward) Bates, wife of oui- sub- 
ject, was born in 1840, in Worthington, 
where her father, Daniel Ward, was 



also born, and where he died in 1881. The 
Ward family was of English extraction, with 
many salient traits of character. This was 
true of Daniel Ward, the father, and espec- 
ially so of Col. William Ward, grandfather of 
Mrs. Bates. He was for a long time a prom- 
inent figure in western Massachusetts, a gen- 
tleman of the old school, and of a type of 
character now seldom met with in real life. 
Mrs. Lucretia Ward, an amiable and well- 
preserved lady, mother of Mrs. Bates, resides 
with her daughter. This sketch of the social 
and business career of E. C. Bates would be 
sadly incomplete if we failed to state that 
during all these busy years Mrs. Bates has 
been a most efficient co-worker, both in the 
store and the home. Her rare and well- 
known taste and skill in the dry goods busi- 
ness were only equalled by her easy grace in 
society, thus furnishing a living testimony to 
the fact that business tact and capacity are 
not necessarily incompatible with true deli- 
cacy and gentle womanhood. 

T. BATES, Neponset, was born October 26, 
1823, in Derbyshix-e, England. He is a son of 
John Bates, an able minister of the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church, who was born in 1790 
in England. He died September 18, 1871, 
in Bureau County, 111. The mother of our 
subject, Mary (Weekley) Bates, was born in 
England, and died in August, 1847, in 
Madison County, 111. Our subject, T. Bates, 
came to Neponset in 1849; he settled on Sec- 
tion 16, where he now resides, and owns 240 
acres of well improved land. He was mar- 
ried March 14, 1850, in Madison County, 
111., to Emma Handsaker, who was born 
June 19, 1829, in Derbyshire, England. She 
is a daughter of Thomas and Mary (Falkner) 
Handsaker, natives of England, where he 
died August 5, 183fi. She died in Madison 
County, 111. , and was an intelligent and re- 
ligious lady. Mrs. Emma Bates was the 
mother of six children, viz.: Joseph H., 
born January 4, 1851 (he married Mary J. 
Wood); Mrs. Mary J. Weed, September 10, 
1852; Samuel H., January 1, 1855 (he mar- 
ried Fannie E. Handsaker); John William, 
July 17, 1857 (he married Emma J. Carr); 
James T., March 28, 1860; and George E. , who 
was born July 1, 1868. Mr. Bates' eldest son, 
Joseph H. Bates, is a physician in Neponset; 



452 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



he has practiced three years in Altona, 111. 
He was educated in the Northwestera Uni- 
versity of Evanston, Til., and received his 
medical education at the Chicago Medical 
College, where he graduated. Politically 
Mr. Bates is a Republican, and religiously 
he and his wife are active members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. 

MAJ. SILAS B.ITTEY was born in Provi- 
dence County, R. I., July 10, 1815, to Sampson 
and Abigail (Phillips) Battey. The father was 
a native of Warwick, R. I., and of an old fam- 
ily of that State. The life of Maj. Battey 
has been quite varied. He was reared on a 
farm, but soon after starting for himself be- 
came interested in an iron foundry, and 
there learned the business of moulder, and 
later years followed his trade in Providence, 
Bristol and Pawtucket, until coming to 
Bureau County in 1854, where he purchased 
a farm, upon which he lived until the fall of 
1862, when, having been elected Sheriff of 
the county, he moved to Princeton. After a 
term of two years as Sheriff, he, in the early 
part of 1865, recruited a company of soldiers 
for the war, and was mustered into the service 
as its Captain in February of that year- They 
were assigned to the One Hundred and Fifty- 
first Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, as 
Company H, whereupon Captain Battey was 
almost immediately commissioned Major of 
the regiment. During most of his service the 
regiment was stationed at different points in 
Georgia. They were mustered out in Jan- 
uary, 1866, at Columbus, Ga. Maj. Battey 
also had four sons in the army: F. A., who 
enlisted on the 12th day of September, 1861, 
as a private in Company F, Fifty-seventh 
Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and 
passing through all the successive grades, 
except that of Lieutenant, became Colonel 
of his regiment, one of the youngest of 
that grade in the army. He served through 
the entire war, and participated in all the 
battles of his regiment, being twice wounded 
at the battle of Shiloh, and once a prisoner, 
captured at Dalton, Ga. In command of his 
regiment he was with Sherman on his famous 
''march to the sea." After the close of the 
war he was commissioned First Lieutenant 
in the Regular Army, and served as such 
until he resigned, October 31, 1870. Mar- 



shall enlisted in the same regiment and com- 
pany with F. A. in the fall of 1861, but was 
afterward promoted to a Lieutenancy, then to 
a Captaincy in the One Hundred and Eleventh 
United States Colored Infantry, serving 
through the entire war, and participating in 
some of the moat sanguinary battles of the 
West. George and Alonzo each served about 
six months toward the close of the war, the 
former as Orderly Sergeant. After retir 
ing from the army Maj. Battey moved to a 
farm about one mile west of Sheffield, which 
he had purchased, and upon which are ex- 
tensive coal deposits. For a number of years 
he varied his farm pursuits with coal mining, 
operating at times quite largely. His valua- 
ble farm consists of about 500 acres, well 
improved. In March, 1884, he moved to 
Sheffield, retiring from active life. Maj. 
Battey has ever taken an active interest 
in the political matters of the day, and since 
the Republican party was organized has been 
identified with its principles. While still in 
his native State he was a participant in the 
Constitutional troubles of Rhode Island, 
and was on the side of the people. He also 
served as Deputy Sheriff of Providence County 
for some time, and besides being Sheriff of 
this county has held various township offices. 
November 9, 1833, he was united in marriage 
to Miss Mercy Bennett, who was born Novem- 
ber '23, 1814, in the same township as her 
husband, and the daughter of George and 
Martha (Wilcox) Bennett, both natives of 
Providence County, R. I. Mr. and Mrs. 
Battey are members of the Unitarian Church 
of Sheffield. Mrs. Battey is a woman of 
sterling qualities, her life and energies hav- 
ing been dedicated to the good of those about 
her. To the interests of her large family she 
has been especially devoted, and to her hus- 
band she has been a helpmate indeed, a reli- 
ance in the weary strife of life. They are 
the parents of fifteen children, viz.: San- 
ford W., born January 8, 1835; Martha 
M., March 12, 1836; George, July 4, 1837; 
Frederick A., November 21, 1838; Cyrean, 
August 27, 1840; Bernard, November 17, 
1841; Marshall, February 26, 1843; Silas 
Alonzo, October 19, 1844; Betsey M., July 7, 
1846, died in Providence, R. I., December 
27, 1852; Linnseus A., February 28, 1849, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



453 



died in Providence May 25, 1853; LinnseuH 
A., the 2d, May 14, 1853; Edson T.. Sep- 
tember 19, 1854, died April 28. 1862; Jared, 
April 29, 1856, died April 5, 1882; Herbert 
O., October 26, 1857, died November 3, 1882, 
and Elmer E., born June 11, 1861. Sanford 
is in the mercantile business at Creston, 
lovca; Martha is the wife of C. W. Abbott, 
of Bureau County; George is in Portsmouth, 
Iowa, dealing in grain, etc. ; E. A. is an 
extensive publisher in Chicago, 111. ; Cy- 
rean is a teacher in Bureau County; Bernard 
is railroad agent, etc., in Dexter, Iowa; Mar- 
shall is in business at Sabetha, Kan.; S. 
Alonzo, a farmer of Nickerson, Kan.; Lin- 
nteus A. is a farmer in Bureau County; and 
Elmer E. is with Col. Battey, of Chicago. 
O. W. BATTEY, Tiskilwa,"wa8 born June 
15, 1823, in Foster, Providence Co., R. I. 
He is a son of Sampson Battey (see the 
preceding sketch). Our subject received 
a common school education in Connect- 
icut, where his early life was spent on the 
farm. He came to Illinois with his parents, 
and lived several years in Peoria and La- 
Salle Counties. In 1854 he came to Tis- 
kilwa, where he was appointed station agent 
on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Rail- 
road, which position he has filled ever since, 
and is known as the oldest and most trusted 
agent on the route. For the last twenty 
years he has also been engaged in the grain 
and lumber business. He was married 
March 18, 1851, in Dubuque, Iowa, to Paul- 
ine A. Walker, who was born February 1, 
1825, in Vermont. Her parents were Asa and 
Elizabeth (Mathewson) Walker. She is the 
mother of three children: Galen S., Losada 
L. and Owen W. Mrs. Battey is a member 
of the Methodist Episcopal Chnrch. Mr. 
Battey has filled town and school ofHces. 
He has taken a lively interest in political af- 
fairs, and has supported the Republican 
party. He was formerly a warm supporter 
of the famous underground railroad, which 
has done so much to break the shackels of 
slavery in the land of the free. 

• JOHN H. BAUER, Clarion, was born 
June 3, 1818, in Au Kronau, Bavaria, Ger- 
many. His parents, Henry and Catharina 
(Bauer) Bauer, died in Germany. They were 
the parents of the following chi Idren : George, 



deceased; John H., our subject; John, de- 
ceased; Thomas Bauer, of New York City; 
Mrs. Julia Fisher, of Bavaria, and Marga- 
retha Bauer. John H. Bauer, our subject, 
came to this country in August, 1847. He 
worked fourteen months for Squire Dayton, 
and two years for William Lewis, and then 
moved on to his farm of eighty acres, which 
he entered in 1848. At present he has 340 
acres, the result of hard work and economy, 
as he came here a poor man, and gradually 
worked his way to his present prosperity. 
Mr. Bauer was married here in December, 
1850, to Kunigunda Miller, who was born in 
March, 1826, in Au, Bavaria. She is the 
mother of nine children: Thomas, George, 
Mrs. Susan Keen, Mrs. Katie Rapp, Mary, 
Barbara, Lucy, Rosa, and Philip, who died 
in infancy. Of the above Lucy Bauer is one 
of Bureau County's wide-awake teachers. 
Mr. and Mrs. Bauer are members of the Ger- 
man Emanuel Evangelical Church. Politi- 
cally he is connected with the Republican 
party. 

C.HENRY BAUER, Clarion, was born Janu- 
ary 16, 1828, in Stranszfort, Prussia, where 
his parents, Friedemann and Sophia (Starkey) 
Bauer died. They were the parents of seven 
children, viz.: Frederick, William, Fritz, C. 
Henry our subject, Mrs. Fredericka Goetz, 
Mrs. Hannah Schultze and Mrs. Minnie 
Ditmar. Our subject, C. Henry Bauer, came 
to Clarion Township, Bureau Co., 111., in 
1854; here he worked on a farm and finally, 
in about 1862, had saved enough money to 
buy forty acres of land. He has now 273 
acres of land which is the reward of persist- 
ent industry and economy. Mr. Bauer was 
married here to Mrs. Catharina Erlenborn 
{nee SchuUe), who died heie. She was the 
mother of seven children, viz.: Henry Erlen- 
born, Mrs. Rebecca Buehlhorn (n«e Bauer), 
William. John, Therese, August and Loiiisa 
Bauer. He was married a second time to 
Maggie Zopf, who is the mother of Augusta, 
Fred and Matilda Bauer. Mr. and Mrs. 
Bauer are members of the Lutheran Church. 

DR. J. M. BEACH, Princeton, was born in 
Burlington, Hartford Co., Conn., December 
16, 1813. He is the son of Joel and Lydia 
(Sutliff) Beach, both natives of Connecticut, 
which State they made their home till the 



454 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUXTY. 



time of their death. Of their family one son 
and two daughters yet survive, viz.: Dr. J. 
M., of Princeton; Mrs. Squires, of Winona, 
widow of Martin Squires, and Mrs. F. A. 
Raymond, of Henry, 111. Dr. Beach was 
reared in his native county, aid in 1836 began 
the study of dentistry with Dr. Crane, of 
Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1839 he began the 
practice of his profession in Pittsburg, 
Penn. In 1851 he came West and settled in 
Mount Palatine. Putnam Co., Ill,, where he 
continued the practice till 1804, when he 
lociited in Princeton. The Doctor has been 
in active practice for forty-live years, and is 
one of the oldest dentists in the State. In 
1844 he was married in Pittsburg, to Miss 
Josephine Williams, a native of Philadel- 
phia. She died in 1849 of the cholera; she 
was the mother of one son — James — who 
died when about eighteen months of age. 
In 1851 Dr. Beach was united in marriage 
to Mrs. Ann (Wiley) Smith. She was born 
in Pittsburg and died in Princeton in 1879. 
She was the mother of one daughter by Dr. 
Beach, viz. : Anna J., wife of Dr. William 
Landreth. Dr. Beach cast his first vote for 
Henry Clay, and is now identified with the 
Republican party. He is an active worker 
for the temperance cause. In 1880 in order 
to be relieved of some of his professional 
duties. Dr. Beach formed a partnership 
with his son-in-law. Dr. William M. Land- 
reth, and they have practiced together since. 
Dr. Landreth is a native of Philadelphia, 
and is the son of one of the founders of the seed 
industry of Philadelphia, he being previous to 
death one of the members of the Landreth seed 
firm of that city. His widow is now a resi- 
dent of Battle Creek, Mich., and one son, 
Albert Landreth, is a wholesale seed grocer, 
of Manitowoc. Wis. In early life Dr. Land- 
reth received the appointment to West Point, 
but after a few months had to give up the 
position on accovint of not being able to 
endure the training. For some time he was 
a resident of Battle Creek, Mich., and came 
to Princeton from there, and was here mar- 
ried to Miss Anna J. Beach. This union 
has been blessed with the following named 
children: Anna, Alice and Beach. In poli- 
tics he is Republican. He and wife are 
members of the Congregational Church. 



AMASA E. BELDEN, Berlin, was born in 
Wyoming County, N. Y., April 17, 1813. 
His early life was spent in farming in hia 
native county. His father, A.masa Belden, 
was a native of Vermont, and was in the war 
of 1812; his wife. Amy Banister, was a native 
of Connecticut, They were the parents of ten 
children, three of whom are now living, viz.: 
Amasa E., Timothy and Sylvester P. Our 
subject came to Bureau County in 1845. He 
crossed the lakes to Chicago, and then came 
by team to this county, where he has since 
resided. He first bought the farm at Dover 
now owned by J. Hoyt, on which he built a 
house, hauling the lumber from Chicago, 
which he also made his grain market. He 
lived in Dover for eight years, and then 
bought his present farm in Section 28, which 
was then unimproved prairie. Ii[r. Belden 
was married, in Wyoming County, N. Y., to 
Miss ilary Kellogg, a daughter of Deacon 
Daniel Kellogg. She was born in 1816, and 
died at the age of sixty years and two months. 
She was the mother of three sons and three 
daughters: Daniel K. ; Harlan A.; Augus- 
tus H., who was in the army three years; 
Sarah, wife of W. B. Howe of Chicago; Amy, 
wife of Rev. James Hunter Clark, who is 
pastor of the Congregational Church at Mil- 
lard Avenue Station, Chicago; Janie B., 
wife of W. H. Lewis, a farmer of Berlin 
Township. The sons are all dead, but all 
were married; one left a wife and four chil- 
dren, another a wife and two children. In 
politics Mr. Belden is identified with the 
Republican party, and in earlier days was 
associated with Lovejoy, Bryant, and othera 
in the Abolition movement in this county. 
He has been a member of the Congregational 
Church most of his life, and has been a Dea- 
con in the church at Maiden since its organi- 
zation. Mr. Belden has always believed in a 
strict observance of the law, of the Sabbath, 
and of morality, and his influence has not 
been unfelt. 

ELI B. BELKNAP, Berlin, was born in 
Niagara County, N. Y., April 13, 1819. His 
parents, Elisha and Lucy (Finch) Belknap, 
were both natives of New York, and in 1830 
moved to Licking County, Ohio, where the 
father died in 1839, at the age of fifty-two 
years. Eli B. Belknap spent his early life on 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



455 



the farm in New York and Ohio, till 1839, 
when he came to Bureau County. In 1840 he 
brought his widowed mother here, where she 
died in 1845, at the age of sixty- three years. 
July 3, 1844, he was married, in Licking 
County, Ohio, to Mis,? Mary Whitehead, who 
was born in that county July 3, 1826. She 
is the daughter of E. F. and Margaret (Dore- 
mus) Whitehead, both of whom were natives 
of New Jersey, removed to New York when 
small, and after marriage, to Ohio. He was 
born November, 1796, and died in Ohio, at 
the age of seventy-one vears. His wife was 
born July 31, 1799; died August 13, 1880. 
After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Belknap came 
to Bureau County, but after a residence here 
of two years they returned to Ohio; remained 
there four years, and then again came to this 
county, settling in 1852 on their present farm 
of 160 acres, in Section 3, Berlin Township. 
They are the parents of six children living, 
viz.: Augustus H., born February 20, 1848, 
married Lydia S. Palmer, and resides in 
Pocahontas County, Iowa; Edwin F. , born 
April 26, 1850, married Esther Hall, and 
lives in Mitchell County, Kan.: Jerome B. , 
born August 2, 1852, lives in Wright County, 
Iowa, married Flora L Taylor; Harry W., 
born June 15, 1855, resides on the old home- 
stead, married MaryM. Cater; Mary L. ,born 
June 3, i860, wife of Edward H. Cater, of 
Pottawatomie County, Iowa; Emma S. , born 
May 3, 1862, wife of Elias Bower, of Adair 
County, Iowa. The eldest child, Sarah, born 
September 9, 1845, died October 5, 1845. 
Mr. Belknap and wife are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church of Arlington. 
In politics, he has been a Republican since 
the party was organized, and previous to that 
was an Abolitionist. 

JULIUS BENEDICT, Berlin, was born in 
St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., August 6, 1826. 
His parents, L. Nathan and Clarissa (Thatcher ) 
Benedict, were both natives of Vermont. 
At the age of sixteen years he left home and 
worked for three years in Rochester, N. Y., 
and in 1846 came to Lamoille, 111., which 
he made his home for three years, though 
during that time he traveled south through 
Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas, engag- 
ing in whatever work presented itself. In 1849 
he made the overland trip to California and 



engaged in mining for three years. In 1852 
he returned to this county and was married 
May 9, 1852, to Henrietta Cleveland, a native 
of Skaneateles, N. Y. After marriage they 
settled on Section 1, Berlin Township, and 
made that their home until January, 1884, 
when they broke up housekeeping and have 
since resided at different points. Mr. Bene- 
dict has been very successful in his agricultural 
pursuits; his home farm contains 1,200 acres, 
and he also owns a ranch of 7,000 acres in 
Dawson County, Neb., which is stocked with 
cattle. His family consists of five sons, viz. : 
Emerson, born September 1853, a farmer in 
this county, maiTied to Ida Chamblin, of 
Mason City, 111. ; Harry, a farmer in this 
county, is married to Belle Kyle, of Prince- 
ton; Lewis, a commission merchant in Cedar 
Rapids, Iowa; Charles and Frank, in Dawson 
County, Neb. Mr. Benedict is an Independent 
Republican in politics. He is a member of 
the Baptist Church of Lamoille. 

T. N. BENNETT, Neponset. The subject 
of the following biography was born March 24, 
1854, in the State of Indiana. His father, 
Timothy Bennett, was born April 15, 1813, in 
Clinton Co., Ohio. He was a farmer by oc- 
cupation and well known for his many 
good qualities of head and heart. He 
came to Neponset Township, Bureau Co., 
111., in 1856. and died here February 
6, 1872. The grandfather of our subject, 
Timothy Bennett, Sr. , was a native of 
Kentucky. The great-grandfather's name 
was also Timothy Bennett. The mother of 
our subject. Elizabeth (Russell) Bennett, 
was born May 9, 1814, in Clinton County, 
Ohio; she is now residing with her son 
Timothy N. Bennett. She is the mother of 
seven children now living, viz: Mrs. Mary J. 
Williamson, George M. , Mrs. Juretta Jud- 
kins, Samuel H., Mrs. Alice Gridley, Timo- 
thy N. and Mrs. Laura Gould. Mr. Bennett 
was educated in the common schools of Bureau 
County, 111., to which he came in the fall of 
1856. Here he has resided ever since and is 
the owner of a fine farm of 200 acres. Here 
he was joined in marriage, August 8, 1879, 
to Miss Laura Addie Seott, a daughter of 
Robert Scott (see sketch). Mrs. Bennett 
is a native of Bureau County ; was born March 
14, 1861. She is the mother of the follow- 



456 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



ing children: Grace, born Angust 8, 1880, 
and Elsie, who was born September 12,1882. 
Mr. Bennett has been a township and school 
officer. Politically he is identified with the 
Republican party. 

A. BENSON, Arispe, who is one of Bu- 
reau County's self-made and prosperous 
farmers, was born February 27, 1823, in 
Douglass, Mass. His father, Alanson Ben- 
son, Sr. , was born in 1783 in Massachusetts. 
He came to this county in 1839, and settled 
on Section 21, in Arispe Township, and 
died here in 1857. His mother, Lucina 
(Lapham) Benson, was born April 25, 1792, 
in Burrilville, R. T. She died here in 1853. 
She was the mother of nine children, viz. : 
Mrs. Maria Blake, Rufus, Mrs. Sarah Sher- 
man, Mrs. Henrietta Woodford, Alanson, 
Elias T., Mrs. Mary A. Culver, Mrs. Lucina 
Allen and Darius Benson. The Benson fam- 
ily is of Scotch and English descent, and the 
grandparents of our subject were Aaron and 
Lydia (Bairbanks) Benson, natives of Massa- 
chusetts. The former was a soldier in the 
Revolutionary war, and hia ancestors were 
among the pioneers of New England. Our 
subject was educated in his native State and 
this county. Here he commenced to farm 
with eighty acres, but at present owns 1,500 
acres of land in this county, also a farm of 
400 acres of land in Iowa, and an interest in 
a cattle ranch in Montana. Mr. Benson was 
married here February 27, 1851, to Sarah 
Loop, who was born November 3, 1828, in 
St. Lawrence County, N. Y. Mrs. Benson 
is the mother of the following children: 
Alanson, who was born March 31, 1858; he 
died in his early manhood March 9, 1876; 
Clara P., wife of James M. Gardner; Lucina 
and Lora Benson. Financially, Mr. Benson's 
life has been a grand success. Religiously, 
he and wife are members of the Baptist 
Church. Politically he is a Republican, and 
has been Supervisor for two years. 

BURGHARD BERGE, Fairfield, was born 
July 17, 1831, in Landerfeld, Cur Hessen, 
Germany. His parents were Paulus and 
Elizabeth (Herte) Berger. The father died 
in Germany, but the mother came to America 
in 1860, and died in Bureau County, 111., 
March 28, 1878. She was the mother of live 
children: Carl, Burghard, Andrew, George 



and Mrs. Elizabeth Sippel. Of the above, 
Burghard Berge came to America in August, 
1857. He worked three and a half years by 
the month in Tazewell County, 111. , and then 
married and removed to Woodford County, 
where he farmed three and a half years. He 
then removed to Henry County, where he 
farmed another year, after which, in March, 
1866, he came to Bureau County, 111. He 
bought eighty acres, which he sold, and bought 
160 acres in Fairfield Township, where he 
resides. He was married July 25, 1862, to 
Hattie E. Parks, who died in Henry County. 
He was married a second time January 9, 
1866, to Martha E. Miller, born July 5, 
1844, Vockerode, Cur Hessen, Germany, 
daughter of Johannes and Catharina E. 
(Grabe) Miller, who died m Germany. Mrs. 
Berge is the mother of seven children, viz.: 
Matilda, Johannah, Frederick William, J. 
Burghard, Carl William, Rosette and Lydia 
E. Berge. Mr. and Mrs. Berge are meoibers 
of the German Evangelical Church. Politi- 
callv he is a Republican. 

JOHN BERKSTRESSER, Buda, was born 
in Bedford County, Penn., January 1, 1818. 
He is the son of John and Barbara (Sheckler) 
Berkstresser, both natives of Pennsylvania 
but of German descent. Their ancestors had 
lived in the State for several generations, 
except the mother's mother, who was born in 
Germany. They were the parents of seven 
sons and one daughter, all of whom yet sur- 
vive, except the eldest son. Our subject was 
reared on a farm among the hills of Pennsyl- 
vania, with but very limited means for an 
education ; but with a determination to suc- 
ceed in life and lo overcome all obstacles, he 
entered life's contest fearlessly. His first 
work for himself was to clear land, and for 
his work have the first crop. So the first sea- 
sou he succeeded in clearing seven acres, on 
which he raised a good crop of wheat, but the 
price being low, the net profits were but about 
$75. He then purchased a saw-mill which 
was built for the purpose of sawing up the 
timber on a tract of land supposed to be 
owned by our subject's uncle, and each to 
have half of the timber, the one for furnish- 
ing the timber, the other for the sawing. Af- 
ter Mr. Berkstresser had run the mill for one 
week, it was destroyed by fire; but nothing 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 



457 



daunted, he again rebuilt the mill, but before 
it was completed the water of the stream was 
too low to run it, and so work was suspended 
for the season, and before the next season 
came, it was found that his uncle's title to 
the land was not good, and so the mill had to 
be stopped, and was worthless property, and 
Mr. Berkstresser was left without anything 
except a debt of $300 hanging over him, and 
the time appointed for his marriage rapidly 
approaching. Being a man always prompt 
to keep any engagement, he was married at 
the appointed time, but for the six succeeding 
years his struggles were such that a less de- 
termined and ambitious man would have 
failed. He rented land in Huntingdon Coun- 
ty, Penn., and began working on it, and knew 
no rest day or night scarcely for six years, at 
the end of which time he bad paid his way 
through, and in 1854 sold out what property 
he had accumulated and then found himself 
clear of debt and $700 ahead, with which he 
came to Bureau County, 111., in 1854, and 
located on Section 16 in Macon Township. 
He remained on that farm till 1876, when he 
removed to his farm of 400 acres adjoining 
Buda on the south. However, in 1S82 he re- 
moved to Buda, where he now resides, but 
still retains his farm adjoining town. In 
March, 1878, he bought one-half interest in 
the Buda Bank of Benedict A Son, and two 
years later bought the entire banking and 
clothing business, which had been carried on 
together. This was the first established bank 
in Buda. In 1882, at the earnest solicitation 
of citizens of Hennepin, Putnam Co., 111., 
Mr. Berkstresser established a bank there, 
and leaves it in charge of the cashier, Mr. I. 
B. Lesh. Mr. Berkstresser has been very suc- 
cessful in business since coming to this coun- 
ty, but he has used the same energy and de- 
termination which carried him through his 
early years of struggle. In 1844 he was 
married in Bedford County, Penn., to Miss 
Elizabeth Carper, who was born in Lebanon 
County, and is the daughter of Samuel and 
Christina Carper, both natives of Pennsylva- 
nia but of German descent. Mr. and Mrs. 
Berkstresser have the following children: 
William Henry, who died at six years of age; 
Christina, now of Clay County, Neb., and 
wife of George Lee; Levi, who is in the bank 



of J. Berkstresser & Son, of Buda; Rev. Will- 
iam Irving Berkstresser, of Carroll County, 
111., who is a minister in the Church of God; 
Mary, who is also a minister, and has for 
three years had regular charges; Martha, of 
Clay County, Neb., wife of William Pitt; Liz- 
zie, who died after reaching womanhood; 
Beckie, wife of S. L. Ewing, of this county. 
Mr. Berkstresser and family are members of 
the Church of God. Daring his entire life 
he has taken an active interest in political 
matters, first as a Whig and then as a Repub- 
lican. 

JACOB BERNHARD, De Pue, was born 
in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, October 13, 
1832. He is the son of Christian and Mary 
(Lied) Bernhard. The father's occupation 
was that of a farmer. He died in 1842. but 
his widow lived till 1859. Our subject was 
educated in the schools of his native coun- 
try, and in early life learned the trade of 
shoemaking. In 1853 he came to the United 
States, and for one year remained in New 
York City, working at shoemaking. He then 
went to Hudson City, N. Y., and there fol- 
lowed his trade for one year. In 1855 he 
came to Bureau County, HI., and began 
clerking in the store of Benjamin Newell at 
Trenton, now De Pue. He remained with 
Mr. Newell for three years, when he engaged 
in business in partnership with Moses Mercer 
and John W'. York. After several changes 
in the lirm Mr. Bernhard sold out his interest 
in 1864. In December, 1864, enlisted in 
Company A, Forty-eighth Illinois Volunteer 
Infantry, and served till September, 1865. 
when they were discharged. He participated 
in the battle at Nashville, Tenn., being un- 
der Gen. Thomas at that time. He was also 
in the encounter with Bragg at Kingston, 
N. C. In 1866 he engaged in the mercantile 
business again at De Pue, and has since con- 
tinued here. He carries a general stock of 
goods valued at about $10,000. For a num- 
ber of years he has also been in the grain 
business, buying and shipping by water. 
For some time the annual shipments of 
grain have averaged about 200,000 bushels. 
Besides his different business investments, 
Mr. Bernhard owns about 1,000 acres of Bu- 
reau County's valuable land. Such is the 
success attained by energy, industry and a 



458 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



close application to business. Mr. Bernhard 
came to this county without any capital, but 
his business ability soon made him a success- 
ful merchant and business man. He was mar- 
ried in this county in April, 1858, to Miss 
Rosina Frey, who is a native of Baden, Ger- 
many, but came to America (he same year as 
her husband. Her parents, Bernhard and 
Elizabeth Frey, first settled in Philadelphia, 
but in 1856 came to this county and died 
hero. To Mr. and Mrs. Bernhard eight chil- 
dren have been born, viz.: Lissetta, Charles, 
Emma. Mary. J. A.., W. M., Albert and Frank- 
lin. In politics Mr. Bernhard is Republican. 
He is a member of the De Pue Lodge, No. 
669, I. O. O. F. He and wife are members 
of the Evangelical Church at Hollowayville, 
which church he helped build. 

G. C. BETZ, Lamoille, is a native of the 
Grand Duchy of Darmstadt, Germany, as 
were also his parents, Adam and Elizabeth 
Betz. Adam Betz was a soldier under Napo- 
leon Bonapart T, the great emperor and con- 
queror, and with him participated in the 
world-famed battles of Austerlitz and Jena 
and a number of other engagements. He 
was a farmer and came to the United States 
in 1844. He died in Peru, 111., in March, 
1864. aged 82 years. Our subject went to 
school in the old country and there learned 
the shoemaker trade. He immigrated to the 
United States in 1840, and followed his trade 
in Philadelphia till 1848, when he removed 
to Lamoille, 111., where he worked at his 
trade till 1861, when he became a successful 
farmer. He yet owns a farm of ninety acres. 
Politically Mr. Betz has been a Republican 
and tilled the office of Postmaster from 1858 
to 1875; the office of Commissioner for six 
years; and Justice of the Peace and Police 
Magistrate almost from 1870 to the present 
time. Religiously he is an earnest member 
of the Congregational Church. He was mar- 
ried November 23, 1843, in Philadelphia, to 
Fredericka Steltz, a native of Wurtemberg, 
Germany. She died here February 3, 1876, 
aged fifty-five years. Her two children now 
living are Charles H., of "Sork County, Neb. 
and Mrs Lillie I. Morrison, also a resident of 
Nebraska. She is the mother of Mr. Betz's two 
grandchildren, George and Herman Morrison. 

PHILIP H. BETZ, Clarion, was born in this 



county August 18, 1853. He is a son of Jacob 
Betz, who was born in 1813 in Germany. 
He came to New York in 1842. Two years 
afterward he came to Bureau County, where 
he bought a claim of Joseph Screach, in 
Clarion Township, where our subject now 
owns 390 acres. The grandfather of our sub- 
ject was Adam Betz (see proceeding sketch). 
The mother of our subject was Elizabeth 
(Fauble) Betz, who died in 1883. She was 
the mother of nine children, viz. : Jacob, 
George, Adam, Philip H., Mary, Sarah, 
Susan, Ruth and Lydia. Philip H. Betz was 
married here to Emma Eby, a daughter of 
Moses and Sarah Eby, natives of Pennsylva- 
nia. Mrs. Emma Betz was born August 26, 
1854, in LaSalle County, 111. She is the 
mother of Frankie A., who was born October 
16, 1881, and Anna M., born April 26, 1883. 
Religiously Mr. and Mrs. Betz are connected 
with the German Evangelical Church. 

GEORGE M. BETZ, Clarion, was born 
November 4, 1845, in Clarion Township, 
south of Perkins Grove. He is a son of 
Jacob and Elizabeth (Fauble) Betz (see 
preceding sketch). Mr. Betz was reared here 
and has been engaged in farming and 
stock raising, which latter he follows mainly. 
On his farm of 311 acres he raises short- 
horn and Jersey cattle, Clydesdale horses 
(of which two are imported), Jersey Reds 
and Poland-China hogs, and also a drove 
of 300 head of * pure bred ' ' Cots wool " 
sheep, which are renowned for their wool 
as well as their mutton. Mr. Betz is a 
firm believer that it pays to raise different 
kinds of stock on a farm, and his excellent 
success proves the soundness of his theory. 
He pays, however, the most attention to the 
raising of shorthorns, having a herd of 100 
head of thoroughbred cattle. Mr. Betz was 
joined in matrimony July 13, 1871, in Men- 
dota, 111., to Ann M. Eby, who was born 
July 13, 1851, in Mendota Township, La 
Salle Co., 111., of which place her parents, 
Moses and Sarah (Hawk) Eby, were pioneers. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Betz six children were bom: 
Sarah I., Lizzie E., AVilliam A., George M., 
Eddie E., and an infant son. Mr. Betz is a 
firm supporter of the Republican party, and 
of every enterprise which will be a benefit to 
the community wherein he resides. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



459 



W. D. BILLHORN, Clarion, is a son of 
Sebastian and Elizabeth (Bauer) Billhorn, 
natives of Germany, where the family name 
was spelled Buehlhorn. The grandparents 
of our subject were Peter and Margaretha 
(Wagner) Buehlhorn, also natives of Ger- 
many, where the grandfather died February 
13. 1849, aged tiftyone years. The grand- 
mother died June 28, 1883, aged seventy- 
eight years. They were the parents of seven 
children: Sebastian, John, Mrs. Catharine 
Trockenbrod, deceased ; Mrs. Sophia Shaller, 
Veit; Mrs. Margaret Wilder and Frederick 
Buehlhorn. 

Sebastian Buehlhorn was born Janu- 
ary 25, 1825, in Kueps, Ober Frankin, Ba- 
varia, Germany. He came to this country 
June 17, 1850. He was in debt $1.50 when 
he arrived in Clarion Township, Bureau 
Co., 111., where he worked three years, then 
rented, and afterward bought 103 acres. 
He has now 262 acres, and has been a suc- 
cessful farmer. He was married here June 
19, 1853, to Elizabeth Bauer, born January 
1, 1829, in Baickheim, Germany. She is the 
mother of the following children: Mrs. Jane 
White, White D., whose name heads this 
biography, Mrs. Elizabeth Sark, John, Mar- 
garet and Henry Buehlhorn. The Buehlhorn 
family are members of the Lutheran Church. 

John Buehlhorn was born September 25, 
1829. He came to New York September 1, 
1853, and the next day was married to Bar- 
bara Ullman, born July 21, 1832, in Thon- 
berg, Bavaria. She is the mother of ten 
children: Mrs. Katie Pohl, Mrs. Sophia 
Reck, Sebastian (deceased), Maggie, Henry, 
Thomas, Mrs. Louisa Ellenborne, Mary, 
Frederick and Lewis Buehlhorn. 

GEORGE W. BLACK, Walnut, was born 
November 32, 1829, in Perry County, Ohio. 
He is the son of Samuel and Rebecca (Skin- 
ner) Black. The father was born in Penn- 
sylvania August 1, 1808. At an early day he 
removed to Ohio, and died in Sandusky 
County, Ohio, April 11, 1846. The mother 
was born in Perry County, Ohio, April 22, 
1812. She now resides in Bureau County, 
111., wife of a Mr. Ferguson. George W. 
Black is the oldest child and only son of a 
family of nine. The daughters are: Mary 
Black, who lives with her mother; Lucinda, 



deceased; Emeline, wife of William Fergu- 
son of Walnut, 111.; Elizabeth, wife of Jamea 
Brown, of Whiting, Kan.; Rhoda, wife of 
Alonzo Rider, of Adel, Iowa; Sophia, wife of 
William Cronkwright, of Adel, Iowa; Eliza J., 
wife of George B. Jones, of Princeton; Re- 
becca, wife of William Catherman, of Walnut 
Township. April 18, 1850, Mr. Black was 
married to Mary C. Paden, who was born in 
Middletown, Md., December 31, 1829, and is 
the daughter of Alexander and Mary (Rems- 
berg) Paden. The father was born June 8, 
1806, in Funkstown, Washington Co., Md., 
and now resides in Bureau County, 111. The 
mother was born August 10, 1810, in Middle- 
town, Frederick Co., Md. , and died in Bu- 
reau County, 111., December 9. 1875, whither 
she had come with her husband in 1860. She 
was the mother of six daughters and live 
sons. Mr. and Mrs. Black are the parents of 
two sons, viz.: George F. and George W. Jr., 
George F. was born July 7, 1853, in San- 
du.sky County, Ohio; October 12, 1875, was 
married to Laura F. Remsburg, of this coun- 
ty. I hey are the parents of four children, 
viz. : Harvey O., born October 16, 1876; Charles 
W., born February 13, 1878; Edward V., 
born September 7, 1879; Morris F., born 
October 25, 1881. George W. Black, Jr., was 
born in Cass County, Mich., August 30, 1856. 
December 23, 1877, was married to Miss Em- 
ma Wymer, of this county. They are the 
parents of two children, viz: Foster, born 
July 7, 1881; and Mabel C, born June 26, 
1883. George W. Black was reared on a 
farm in Sandusky County, Ohio, but in 1853 
removed to Cass County, Mich., where he re- 
mained till 1865, when he came to Bureau 
County, 111. Mr. Black's farm in Walnut 
Township contains 320 acres and is under a 
good state of cultivation. 

ISAAC C. BLACK, Arlington, was born 
September 22, 1832, in Plumstead Township, 
Bucks Co., Penn. He is a son of Isaac and 
Cynthia (Carver) Black, who were natives of 
the same place and were the parents of nine 
children, viz.: Sophia, William, Catharine, 
Anna, Levi, Isaac C, Ezra, Abraham and 
Jesse Black. Of these Abraham was killed 
in the battle of the Wilderness. Only our 
subject and his brother William Black, who 
is a farmer in Ohio Township, came to Bureau 



460 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



County. Isaac C. Black was reared in his 
native county, where he worked at saw-milling 
and carpentering till August 3, 1854, when 
he came to Lost Grove, now Arlington, where 
he helped to build the first business place in 
the town. After following his trade several 
years he farmed about three years and then 
went into the grain business. In 1865 he com- 
menced business in the elevator built by the 
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Com- 
pany. The next year he worked for S. C. Gray, 
in the new elevator and was there for fourteen 
years. In 1882, after working two years at his 
trade, he took an interest in the rirm of J. H. 
Dole & Co., commission men, and now has 
charge of both elevators. Mr. Black was mar- 
ried July 8, 1858, to Mariah H. Simpson, a 
daughter of James and Lydia (Pickelheimer) 
Simpson. They are the parents of eleven 
children, who are all living. Mrs. Black is 
the mother of the following children: Anna, 
deceased; Mrs. Ada D. Miller; Millie R., de- 
ceased; Louis I., deceased; Joseph R., and 
Bertha I., deceased. The grandparents of 
Mrs. Black were Joshua and Sarah (Rose) 
Simpson. Religiously Mrs. Black is connect- 
ed with the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
Mr. Black is an Ancient I. O. O. F., politi- 
cally a Republican, and the oldest male resi- 
dent iu Arlington. 

WILLIAM H. BLOOM, Tiskilwa, was 
born October 10, 1833, in Eaton, Green Co., 
Ohio. His father, Peter Bloom, a native of 
New Jersey, was a farmer by occupation and 
settled on Section 12, near Tiskilwa, where 
he died May 17, 1867. William Bloom, the 
grandfather of our subject, came from Ger- 
many to America about the year 1800. He 
first settled in New Jersey, but removed to 
Ohio, where he died. He reared a family of 
six boys and two girls, and was a farmer and 
weaver hj occupation. The mother of our 
subject, Jane Hankius, was born at the Blue 
Ridge in Virginia. Her parents, Thomas 
and Anna Hankins, were born iu Virginia. 
The latter's mother was one of the many chil- 
dren captured in Ireland at an early day and 
sent to this country. Mrs. Jane (Hankins) 
Bloom died here December 12, 1870. She 
was the mother of the following children: 
Eliza A., Mary, Catharine, Elizabeth, Sarah, 
William H., Martha J., James and Francis 



Bloom. Mr. Bloom's early life was spent on 
the farm He has been a grain and lumber 
merchant in Buda, 111. After that he was a 
contractor on the Southwestern Railroad in 
Iowa one year. In 1855 he returned to Tis- 
kilwa, where he merchandized one year and 
then farmed. At present he resides in Tis- 
kilwa. He owns over 500 acres of land in 
this county. Mr. Bloom also owns a one- 
sixth interest in a large cattle ranch in Col- 
orado and Nebraska. The company is known 
as the " Putnam Live Stock Company," and 
has the brighest prospect of success. Mr. 
Bloom was married December 16, 1856, in 
Clinton County, Ohio, to Eliza M. Hester, 
born December 16, 1834. Her parents, David 
and Mary (Vandervort) Hester, were natives 
of Ohio, and of German descent. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Bloom the following children were 
born: Emery C, David H., William C, Jen- 
nie, Cora May and Ida Bloom. Mr. and 
Mrs. Bloom are religiously connected with 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically, 
Mr. Bloom is Independent. In the stock 
business he is well posted and wide awake. 
He is an A. F. & A. M. and is also an I. O. 
O. F. 

G. F. BLUST, Princeton, was born in 
Freeport, 111., February 24, 1857. He is 
the son of George and Mary (Heck) Blust. 
Mr. Blust was reared and educated in Free- 
port. For seven years in early life he clerked 
for Best & Morgan, of Freeport, and there 
laid the foundation for his future success as 
a business man. In 1877, after having been 
absent from his native city for some time, he 
returned, and in partnership with Mr. R. 
Donaldson engaged in the dry goods and 
notion business. In 1880 Mr. Blust located 
at Princeton, where he has since done a suc- 
cessful business. He has increased his stock 
of goods year by year till he now has a very 
complete stock of dry goods, millinery, fancy 
goods and notions, most of which he pur- 
chases in the East for cash. When first en- 
gaging in business in Princeton it was in 
partnership with Mr. W. G. Flindt. They 
also had a branch store at Rockford. 111. 
February 5, 1882, the firm dissolved partner- 
ship, Mr. Flindt continuing at Rockford and 
Mr. Blust at Princeton. February 24, 1881, 
at Freeport, Mr. Blust was united in mar 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



461 



riage to Miss Ida A. Wade, a daughter of 
,lohn and Agnes (Moore) Wade. Mr. and 
Mrs. Blust have one child, -viz. : May Jo- 
sephine, born May 3, 1883. 

DR. JAMES F. BOAL. Buda, was born 
in Union County, Ohio, April 24, 1817. He 
is the son of James and Margaret (Mitchell) 
Boal. The father was born in Pennsylvania, 
but, in about the year 1800, removed to 
Green County, Ohio, and after marriage to 
Union County, and that State was his home 
till 1834, when he removed to Indiana. He 
and wife both died in Indiana, he in 1838, 
and she in 1839. His wife was born in 
Kentucky, and was the daughter of Judge 
David Mitchell, who i-emoved from Penn- 
sylvania to Kentucky in 1796, but two years 
later— in 1798— settled in Union County, 
Ohio, and became a large land owner. One 
of his sons, Jesse Mitchell, was the first 
white child born in Union County. Dr. 
Boal's early life was spent in his native 
State, and in 1846 he began the practice of 
medicine, having attended lectures at Cleve- 
land, Ohio, but in 1849 he graduated from 
the Sterling Medical College of Columbus, 
Ohio. He continued his practice in Franklin 
County, Ohio, till in the spring of 1857, 
when he removed to Knox County, 111., 
where he remained about seven years, and 
then located in Tipton, Iowa, where he re- 
mained till July, 1860, and then came to 
Buda, 111., and continued in the practice of 
his profession for some years. However, in 
the spring of 1867 he opened a stock of 
drugs in Buda, and has continued the busi- 
ness since, the firm now being J. F. Boal 
& Son. They carry a stock of goods valued 
at about $5,000. In 1847 he was united in 
marriage in Columbus, Ohio, to MissLucinda 
Starr, by whom he has one son — Albert F. — 
and one daughter — Ella. Dr. Boal is a mem- 
ber of the A. F. & A. M. of Buda, and also 
of the Congregational Church. In politics he 
is a stanch Republican. Albert F. Boal was 
born November 12, 1848, in Franklin 
County, Ohio. He was united in marriage 
November, 1871, to Miss Elizabeth Murphey, 
who died January, 1874, and left one son — 
Tracy E. — who was born October 10, 1872. 

ROBERT BOARDMAN. The subject of 
the following biography was born December 



15, 1810, in Lancastershire, England. His 
parents, Robert and Ann (Radcliflf) Board- 
man, were both natives of England, where 
their ancestors had resided for many genera- 
tions. Our subject immigrated to the United 
States, April 13, 1849. He worked nearly 
one year in New York City, and then went 
back to his native country, where his family 
resided, but returned to New York in 1851. 
The following year he sent for his family. 
While in New York he followed the occupa- 
tion of an iron molder. In 3 859 he removed 
to Bureau County, 111., where he farmed 
seventeen years on Section 7, in Milo Town- 
ship. In April, 1876, he came to Mineral, 
where he at present resides. Mr. Board- 
man was married January 26, 1883, in En- 
gland, to Jane Chatterton, who is a native 
of England. She is the mother of ten chil- 
dren; of these four are now living, viz.: 
Joseph, Mrs. Mary A. Walker, Mrs. Jane 
Vantassell and Mrs. Amelia Conibear. Mr. 
and Mrs Boardman have been active mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church for 
forty-two years. They have celebrated their 
golden wedding, and their retrospective view 
of life is satisfactory. As a farmer Mr. 
Boardman has been fairly successful. He 
owns 160 acres in Shelby County, Iowa, 
besides property in this county. Politically 
he supports the Republican party. 

A. C. BOGGS, Princeton, was born Feb- 
ruary 18, 1820, in Ohio County, W. Va. His 
father, William Boggs, was born in the 
same place, September 7, 1789, and died 
there, July 26, 1869. He followed farming 
as an occupation. His grandfather was Fran- 
cis Boggs. The mother of our subject, Lee- 
ann Carter, was born 1801, in Ohio County, W. 
Va., where she died in 1841. She was a 
daughter of Arthur and Bethann (Beal) Car- 
ter, natives of Maryland and of German de- 
sent. Mrs. Leeann Boggs was the mother 
of eight children, viz. : Bethann, Francis (de- 
ceased), Arthur C, William J., Bfary J., 
David B. , Margary, and Sarah, who died 
while young. Our subject, A. C. Boggs, 
went to school in West Virginia; there he 
also farmed till Jutoe, 1867, when he came to 
Bureau County, 111. , and settled on the M. 
Triplett farm in Dover Township. After liv- 
ing nearly two years on that farm he sold it 



462 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



and bought the Henry Bacon farm in Prince- 
ton Township, where he lived till August, 
1881, when he moved to town, where he now 
resides. While on the farm he dealt to a 
considerable extent in blooded stock. At 
present he is dealing in stock. Mr. Boggs 
was married September II, 1854. in the place 
of his nativity to Miss Mary Milligan, who 
was born December 18, 1827, in Ohio County, 
W. Va. Her parents were Hugh and Ruth 
(Brown) Milligan. They were natives of Vir 
ginia, near Harper's Ferry. Mrs. Mary 
Boggs is the mother of live children, viz.: 
Flora B., wife of J. W. Thompson, now a 
resident of Colorado, where he owns a sheep 
ranch; Willis A. is a merchant in Griswold, 
Cass Co., Iowa; Ida Lee, deceased; Mary E. 
and Sarah E. Mr. and Mrs. Boggs are mem- 
bers of the Presbyterian Church. He is a 
man interested in all public enterprises and 
ready to do his duty anywhere. 

ALDEN BOOTH, Fairfield, was born Sep- 
tember 24, 1811, in Tompkins County, N. Y. 
He is a son of William and Sally (Ashley) 
Booth, natives of Massachusetts, as was also 
Grandfather Joseph Booth, who died in 
Tompkins County, N. Y. William Booth 
was a soldier in the war of 1812. He was a 
farmer and died in Cattaraugus County, N. 
Y. His widow, a native of Salem, Mass., 
survived him and drew his war pension. She 
died in Whiteside County, 111., aged ninety- 
two years. She was the mother of seven 
children, viz.: Ashley, now a resident of 
Whiteside County; Phebe, deceased; Alden, 
our subject; William, deceased; Daniel, who 
remained in New York State; Lyman, of 
Adair County, Iowa; and George W., of 
Blue Earth, Minn. All came West except Dan- 
iel. Our subject was reared in New York 
State, where he was married to Eliza Whit- 
more, who died there. He was married in 
the same State a second time, December 1, 
1836, to Mary A. Glazier, born July 21, 
1817, in Spencer, Worcester Co., Mass., 
daughter of Jonas and Sally (Goodnow) 
Glazier, natives of the same place. The for- 
mer was a Baptist minister and the latter was 
a sister of Lyman Goodnow, the well known 
ex-Mayor of Boston. Mrs. Mary A. Booth is 
the mother of four children, viz.: Alden L., 
deceased, who was married to Emma A. 



Hoge; Mary E., deceased, former wife of 
Levi Hopkins, she was the mother of Millie 
A. and Matie E. Hopkins; Flora, deceased, 
had been married to James Bonker; Horace, 
who was born May 19, 1845. The latter re- 
sides in Fairfield Township. He has been 
married three times. His first wife, Sarah J. 
Hunter, deceased, was the mother of Min- 
nie A. Booth; his second wife, Josephine 
Sheldon, deceased, was the mother of Grace 
D. Booth. His present wife is Lovina R. 
Bowdish. Allen Booth came to Bureau 
County in 1855 and bought 120 acres of land. 
He at one time owned (340 acres. At present 
he has 206 acres. He has taken a deep in- 
terest in educational matters and been one 
of the standbys in Fairfield Township. Po- 
litically he has been identified with the Dem- 
ocratic partv. 

IRWIN 'bORGER, Hall. The Borger 
family is of German descent, and for several 
generations lived in Pennsylvania. The 
great grandfather of our subject was captured 
by the Indians on the frontier in Corben 
County, Penn., while returning from his 
blacksmith shop. The Indians told him if 
he would go with them quietly they would 
keep him five years, and then he might go 
home. At the end of the five years he volun- 
teered to stay another year, but finally re- 
turned to his family. His son, John Borger, 
had five children, of whom Theobald was our 
subject's father. He was a blacksmith, and 
lived in Peansylvania, where he married 
Lydia Miller. Both are now dead. They 
had five cnildren, viz. : Mrs. Mary A. McKee. 
of Selby Township; Ephraim, William, both 
of Pennsylvania; Mrs. Polly Wolle, deceased, 
and Irwin. Ii-win Borger was born January 
17, 1832, in Northampton County, Penn., 
where he was reared and educated. He was 
married February 2, 1857, to Emma Faust, 
who was born April 18, 1836, in the same 
county as her husband. Her parents, Paul 
and Emelie (Breinig) Faust, were natives of 
Pennsylvania. Mrs. Borger is the mother of 
Mrs. Ida M. Combs, born March 22, 1860, 
widow of Oscar Combs. They had one child, 
L-win W., born December 4, 1880. Mr. 
Borger has been mari'ied twice. His first 
wife, Sarah Bush, died in Pennsylvania. 
Mr. and Mrs. Borger are members of the 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



463 



German Reformed Church. Politically he 
is Indepeudent, but was formerly a Demo- 
crat. He has held various township offices — 
Commissioner, Assessor and School Trustee, 
which oiBce he holds at present. He owns 
175 acres of land, 120 of which was wild 
land, which he has improved. 

THOMAS BOWEN, Bureau, was born at 
Woodchurch, Kent Co., England, August 13, 
1831. He came to .\merica with his parents, 
Thomas and Phebe (^Markwick) Bowen, in 
1838. They settled in New York; first 
in Monroe County, and then in Orleans 
County, where our subject's father died in 
1850. The mother is still living at an ad- 
vanced age. Our subject was the second in a 
family of ten children, sis of whom are now 
living, five in New York. Mr. Bowen was 
reared in New York, and there learned his 
trade of blacksmith. In 1851 he came to 
Bureau County, and for five years worked at 
his trade in Princeton. In 1857 he quit 
blackamithing, and came to hie present farm, 
which was then unimproved, paying $6.25 
per acre for the first eighty. He now owns 
332 acres in Bureau Township, one quarter 
section of which he purchased of William 
Cullen Bryant. In politics Mr. Bowen is 
identified with the Democratic party, and has 
held most of the ofiices of the township. He 
was married in Princeton, March 25, 1855, to 
Elvira Thomas. She was born near London 
February 21, 1829. Her parents, AVilliam 
and Mary (Gibbon) Thomas, both died in the 
old country when she was a child. She was 
the youngest of ten children, and has four 
brothers and one sister now living in Wales. 
Mrs. Bowen landed in America July 4, 1848, 
and lived in Peoria County, 111., till 1853, 
when she came to Princeton. Mr. and Mrs. 
Bowen have had four children, two of whom 
are living: William, born August 17, 1856, 
died April 12, 1858; Thomas, born April 12, 
1858, died October 17, 1876;- Mary, born 
February 15, 1860, wife of William H. John- 
son, of Princeton; Frank B., born November 
1. 1863. 

WILLIAM BOWEN (deceased). The 
following biography is devoted to a man who 
is well remembered by our older settlers, and 
who distinguished himself as a soldier in our 
late war, and what is more, as a useful citizen 



after the war, in all matters pertaining to the 
interest of the community. He was born 
October 19, 1836, in Scropton, Derbyshire, 
England. He was a son of George and 
Sarah (Moocroft) Bowen, who were natives 
of Scropton, England, and the parents of 
six children, viz. : Hannah, William, John, 
Mary, George, and Sarah, who was born in 
Bureau County, 111. They emigrated from 
England to the United States in 1846. It 
took them seven weeks and three days to cross 
the Atlantic Ocean in a sailing vessel. They 
landed at New Orleans, and the joui'ney 
from there to Hennepin, 111., was accomplished 
on a steamboat. They settled in Neponset 
Township, Bureau County, the same year, 
and here the parents died. George Bowen, 
Sr., December 15, 1879, and his wife June 
27, 1881. William Bowen farmed in early 
life, and when his country called for volun- 
teers to protect the stars and stripes he en- 
listed August 5, 1861, in Company I of the 
Twenty-seventh Regiment Illinois Volunteer 
Infantry, and was discharged September 20, 
1864. He served with the rank of Sergeant, 
and participated in the battles of Belmont, 
where he was wounded in the arm. Stone 
River, Chickamauga, Union City, Island No. 

10, Farmington, siege of Corinth and La- 
vergne. After the war he farmed till his de- 
mise, which occurred November 13, 1880. 
He was an active member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, and made himself useful 
in many ways to the community wherein he 
resided. William Bowen was married Octo- 
ber 5, 1864, to Miss Sarah J. Norton, who 
was born October 5, 1842, in Pickering, Can- 
ada. She survived her husband, and resides 
on the farm of 400 acres which he had ac- 
cumulated by his industry. She is a daugh- 
ter of Thomas and Frances (Walker) Norton, 
natives of England, who came here in 1854. 
He is yet living, but she died April 18, 1867. 
She was the mother of two children, viz. : 
Mrs. Mary A. Saddler and Mrs. Sarah J. 
Bowen, who is the mother of six children, 
viz.: George T., born July 18, 1865; AdaF., 
born July 18, 1867; Effie J., born January 

11, 1869; Mary M., born September 6, 1871; 
Arthur J., born January 12, 1873, and Frank- 
lin, who was born January 9, 1875. Mrs. 
Bowen manages the large property left by 



464 



HISTORY OF BLTREAU COUNTY. 



her husband with ability. Religiously she 
is connected with the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. 

NATHANIEL BOYD, Concord. Charles 
S. Bovd was a merchant tailor in New York 
City till 1820, when he closed out business 
and came to Illinois with his former partner 
in the tailoring business, John Dixon. They 
came most of the distance to the State with 
ox teams, and when they landed in Spring- 
field, 111., Mr. Boyd erected the third cabin 
there. From 1820 till 1830 he resided at 
Springfield, and would work at his trade 
whenever he could during the summer, and 
would often get paid for his work in cattle, 
so during the fall he would drive the cattle 
to the lead mines around Galena, and sell 
them to the miners, and then stay and work 
at the mines during the winter, and would 
then again return to his home. However, in 
183(*, he came to Bureau County, 111., and 
bought the claim of John Dixon at Boyd's 
Grove, and remained there till 1840, when 
he removed to Princeton. (More of his early 
settlement will be found in the General His- 
tory.) Diu-ing the Black Hawk war he re- 
moved his wife and daughters to Ft. Clark, 
now Peoria, but he and two of his sons re- 
mained on the farm and made a crop of corn. 
Mr. Boyd was married in New York City to 
Eliza Dixon, a sister of John Dixon, and 
their three eldest sons were born before com- 
ing West, but their two daughters and young- 
est son were born in Springfield, 111. The 
following are the names of the children: 
Charles, Alexander, Nathaniel, Elizabeth, 
John H. and Angelica. The residence of 
Charles is not known. Alexander, Nathaniel 
and Mrs. Angelica Paddock, widow of Dr. S. 
A. Paddock, reside in Bureau County. Eliz- 
abeth is the wife of Ebenezer Chamberlin, 
of Jameson, Daviess Co., Mo. John H. 
Boyd went to California with the early gold 
hunters, then to Australia, but for many 
years has been on the Island of Tahiti, one 
of the Society Islands, aa a trader with the 
natives. Both Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Boyd 
died in Princeton, III. Nathaniel Boyd was 
born October 1, 1820, and came to this county 
with his parents in 1830, and with little ex- 
ception has resided here since, and most of 
his life has been engaged in farming. He 



now owns in Concord Township a farm of 
425 acres. He was married in this county 
March 12, 1845, to Mary A. Cummings, who 
was born February 20, 1827, and was the 
daughter of Thornton Cummings. (See 
sketch of William Cummings.) Mrs. Boyd 
died September 20, 1866. She was the 
mother of the following children; Frances, 
born January 13, 1847, wife of Charles 
Wetherell, of Bureau County; Roxanna, born 
September 2, 1848, wife of Harry Rawson, 
of Bayard, Iowa; John W. Boyd, born April 
8, 1850, now of St. Louis, Mo.; Comma, 
born January 18, I860, at home; Henry, born 
December 25, 1862, died June 13, 1882, and 
also three daughters, who died while small. 
In political matters Mr. Boyd is identified 
with the Republican party. 

ALBERT W.BOYDEN,Sheffield,son of Dr. 
Wyatt and Elizabeth Woodbury Boyden, was 
born in Beverly, Mass., May 24, 1833. His 
father was a practicing physician of Beverly, 
and intended his son should be a farmer, con- 
sequently, when old enough, he was placed on 
a farm during the summer seasons, and was 
also employed in a bank for some time, and 
there was taught lessons which have been 
valuable to him in his business career. In 
September, 1853, Mr. Boyden came West, 
clerking a while in Chicago, and for the 
Stevens firm in Tiskilwa, and then settled on 
his farm north of Sheffield. Not being suited 
with farming, he removed to Sheffield in the 
fall of 1858, when for two years he was 
Deputy Sheriff of Bureau County under 
Sheriff David E. Norton. His name was 
then announced to the Bureau County Rer 
publican Convention as a candidate for the 
office of Sheriff, when, fortunately, he did 
not secure the nomination. After clerking 
three years for Scott & Porter he bought the 
interest of Mr. Porter, and the firm was 
changed to Scott & Boyden. In 1870 Mr. 
Boyden sold to Scott & Co., and engaged in 
business with Mr. H. C. Porter, and banking 
was added to their mercantile business. Mr. 
Porter died in October, 1875, and January 1, 
1876, the firm was changed to Boyden & 
Dewey. (See sketch of B. F. Dewey. ) Since 
Mr. Porter's death Mr. Boyden has been 
Secretary and Treasurer of the Sheffield Min- 
ing Company. He is also engaged in mer- 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



465 



cantile, lumhor and grain business in Min- 
eral (W. W. Dewey & Co.), and in mercantile 
business at Sioux Rapids, Iowa (F. D. White 
& Co.), and is pre-eminently one of the suc- 
cessful business men of Bureau County. In 
politics he is Republican, and an active mem- 
ber of the Congregational Church. In 1884 
he was nominated by the Republican Conven- 
tion of the Twenty-fifth District one of the 
candidates for Representative to the State 
Legislature, and elected the November fol- 
lowing. Mr. Boyden married, April 2, 1856, 
Ellen R. Webb, (born in Skowhegan, Maine, 
April 18, 18S1,) daughter of Joseph B. and 
Martha (Weston) Webb, who came to this 
county in 1851. They have the following 
children: George W. Boyden, born January 
'S. 1858, now a member of the firm of Boyden 
& Dewey,married in Rock Island, 111., June 28, 
1881, Ella Wiser, and they have Albert W. 
Boyden second; William C. Boyden, April 
6. 1864, iu Junior Class Harvard College; 
Mattie F. Boyden, July 21, 1866; Charles W. 
Boyden, July 81, 1872; Albert A. Boyden, 
April 10, 1875. 

E. P. BOYDEN, Tiskilwa, who is the 
subject of the following biography, was born 
February 16, 1823, in Pelham, Hampshire 
Co., Mass. His father, Plyna Boyden, was 
born November 2, 1788, in South Walpole, 
Mass., near Boston. He was a shoe-maker 
and farmer by occupation, and died Septem- 
ber 25, 1866, iu Henry County, 111. The 
Boyden family is of English descent and are 
classed among the pioneers of New England. 
The mother of our subject, Clarissa Fales, 
was born July 6, 1793. She died June 5, 
1861. She was a daughter of Joseph Fales, 
and was the mother of six children, viz. : 
Mrs. Adeline Marsh, deceased; Mrs. Clarissa 
Knowlton, widow of Dr. Perry Knowlton: 
Sanford Boyden, a resident of Massachusetts; 
Erastus P. Boyden, our subject; Lydia Boy- 
den, deceased, and Mrs Lydia A. Cresset. 
Our subject was educated in Massachusetts, 
but he is principally self educated, having 
gained his fund of general knowledge in 
contact with the world. In early life he 
taught school in his native State, after which 
he followed various occupations. Owing to 
his popularity and efBciency he was elected 
to raanv town offices, and at one time had the 



doubtful pleasure of filling nine distinct 
offices. During his last years in Massachu- 
setts he was extensively engaged in mercan- 
tile pursuits. In 1854 he removed to 
Tazewell County, 111., where he resided five 
years and then removed to Geneseo, 111. In 
1860 he opened a general store in Atkinson, 
111. He also bought and sold grain, dealt in 
real estate, also engaged in farming and 
dealt extensively in broom corn. Durinc this 
time he was elected Supervisor of his town- 
ship and filled that office with tact and abil- 
ity. In 1876 Mr. Boyden removed to 
Tiskilwa, where he bought the "Tiskilwa 
House," and where he now, in the capacity 
of landlord, dispenses entertainment and 
comfort to his fellowmen. Our subject has 
been married twice. His first wife, Mary R. 
Dunbar, was a native of Massachusetts. She 
died September 10, 1869. She was the 
mother of sis children, viz.: John D. , now a 
resident of Nebraska; Mrs. Clara E. Welsh, 
of Dakota; Mrs. Ella A. Crouch, deceased; 
Frank L., deceased; Charles D., a resident 
of Dakota, and Hattie M. Mr. Boyden was 
married a second time to Mrs. Marcia A. 
Penney (nee Valentine), a daughter of Edwin 
and Hannah (DeLong) Valentine, natives of 
Warren County, Penn. , the former deceased. 
Mrs. Marcia A. Boyden has two children 
from a former marriage, viz. : Mrs. Ella P. 
Crossett and Norton T. Penney. Mr. and 
Mrs. Boyden are members of the Congrega- 
tional Church. He has ever been identified 
with the Republican Party, is a friend of 
prohibition, has taken a deep interest in 
local affairs and has been President of the 
Board of Trustees. 

DR. SIMON PETER BREED, Wyanet. 
In the possession of William J. Breed, of 
Raynham, Mass., are records stating that A. 
D. 1100 a colony of Breeds emigrated from 
Germany to Sussex County, England, and 
there founded a town called Breed, which 
bears that name to the present day. From 
this colony of Breeds sprang Allyn Breed, of 
1601, who came to America and settled in 
Lynn, Mass., in 1630, and became the sole 
progenitor of the Breed family in America. 
One of his great grandsons, Ebenezer Breed, 
is noted for being the owner of Breed's Hill, 
where was fought the battle of Bunker Hill. 



466 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Dr. S. P. Breed, the subject of this sketch, 
was born in Manlius, Onondaga Co., N. Y. , 
February 1, 1819, and is the son of the late 
James Breed. In his possession are records 
by which he can trace his lineage back 
through his grandfather, Gershom Breed, of 
1755; Allen Breed, of 1714, who settled in 
Stonington, Conn., and therefore called the 
Stonington branch of the family; thence 
through John Breed, of 1663, Allen Breed, of 
1626, and AUyn Breed, of 1601, who settled 
in Lynn in 1630. Simon Peter Breed was 
taken by his parents to Cicero, Onondaga 
County, in 1820, and there on the farm he was 
reared till he was seventeen years of age, 
except one year when the family had 
returned to Manlius. When seventeen he 
removed with his parents to Hannibal, 
Oswego County, and there four years more 
of his life were spent upon the farm, in a saw- 
mill, at the carpenter's bench and in the 
school room. When nineteen years of age 
he began life's work for himself, having 
made an arrangement with his father for his 
time. In 1839 he went to Manlius, where 
he attended the old Manlius Academy for 
some time, and also taught three terms of 
school. May 11, 1843, he started from 
Oswego, N. Y. , for the West, and landed 
June 11, at his uncle's near Vermont, 
Fulton Co., 111., where his fii-st business 
was teaching at $13 per month. He contin- 
ued teaching for three terms, and in 1844 
began the study of medicine in Vermont. In 
the winter of 1846-47 he attended his first 
course of lectures at St. Louis, Mo., in the 
Medical Department of the Missouri State 
University. In the spring of 1847 he began 
the practice of medicine in Schuyler County, 
111., and there continued for eighteen years. 
However, in the winter of 1856-57 he went to 
Philadelphia, and attended the Medical 
Department and graduated from the Pennsyl- 
vania University. He then continued in his 
practice in Schuyler County, where he waa 
widely known and eminently successful. In 
1865 Dr. Breed removed to Princeton, and 
in the fall of the same year took part in organ- 
izing a district medical society, and was its 
first delegate to the State Medical Society, 
and through a report read there was first 
introduced to the literary medical world, and 



since that time has contributed many articles 
to medical journals, full of interest and value 
to the profession, but of which our limited 
space will allow no further mention, only to 
say that they were characterized by many of 
the leading physicians in this and other 
States as able and exhaustive. In a centen- 
nial address before the International Med- 
ical Congress at Philadelphia, in 1876, H. I. 
Bowditch, M. D., President of the Massachu- 
setts State Board of Health, speaks of Dr. 
Breed as one of his valuable correspondents. 
In the published transactions of the nine- 
teenth annual meeting of the Illinois State 
Medical Society are given a number of pages 
taken from his report on Practical Medicine. 
Not only has Dr. Breed been an able contrib- 
utor upon medicine, but his ready pen has 
not been slow to record his thovights upon 
other topics, including those on temperance, 
a tour through Kansas in 1869, woman's 
crusade, etc., the mere mention of which will 
call them to the minds of many of the lead- 
ing citizens of the county. In early life the 
Doctor was an Abolitionist, and cast on(^ of tlie 
two first votes in Vermont, Fulton County, 
for James G. Birney, the candidate of the 
Liberty party in 1844. He is now a stanch 
Republican, and in 1870 he wrote articles 
against many of the Republicans, who bolted 
the regular nominee for Congress, after sub- 
mitting their claim at the primary election. 
December 25, 1848, Dr. Breed was united in 
marriage to Miss Alzina S. Powers, of Mc- 
Donough County, 111. She was born in Essex, 
Vt., in 1827, but came to McDonough County 
in 1833. Her father, Isaac Powers, was a 
farmer; she was educated in the district 
schools and at the female seminary of Jack- 
sonville, 111. She is the mother of seven 
children, three of whom died before they 
were seven years of age. The living are: 
Lena May, a school teacher; Lizzie Rachel, 
wife of Charles E. Sisler, who resides near 
Lincoln, Neb. ; LuelJa and Ralph at home. 
They were educated in the Princeton High 
School. In later years Dr. Breed has lived 
in quiet retirement on Center Grove farm. 
This farm of 200 acres lies in Wyanet Town- 
ship, and was settled in 1836 and when Dr. 
Breed purchased it in 1870 was very much 
run down, but he has added many valuable 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



467 



improvements to it, and has made it a model 
farm. Although not a member of any church, 
order or fraternity, he is opposed to none 
provided they bear the test of being a bene- 
fit to mankind. He has always been a friend 
to the poor and especially during the war, 
be not only assisted the families of the sol- 
diers by his services as a physician, but his 
purse was ever open to them, and many 
kindly words of sympathy did he write to 
those in the field. 

MARTIN BRENNEMAN, Selby, was born 
in Lancaster County, Penn., March 12, 1819. 
His parents, Martin and Varunaca (Kendick) 
Brenneman, were both natives of Lancaster 
County, Penn., but their ancestors came to 
America among the first German immigrants 
to the New World, coming from Rhinelyran 
over 200 years ago, and of their descendants 
in the country the sixth generation is now 
living. When our subject was about eleven 
years old he removed with his parents to 
Wayne County, Ohio. His mother died in 
Stark County, Ohio. She was the mother of 
ten children, four of whom are living, viz.". 
Anna, widow of John L. Messenkop, of Gales- 
burg, 111.; Mary, widow of M. Kaufman, of 
Rushville, 111.; Martin, and Christian, a res- 
ident of Orrville, Wayne Co., Ohio. Our 
subject's father died in this county, lacking 
but a few days of being eighty-five years of 
age. His occupation was always that of 
farming, and he was considered one of the 
best in Lancaster County, Penn., and also in 
Wayne County, Ohio. At one time he was 
quite wealthy, but lost his property, through 
being security and bondsman. In 1853 our 
subject, who had heard of the land in Illi- 
nois, where there were no stumps or rocks, 
determined to see for himself, and finding it 
even better than he had hoped for, he returned 
home, and in 1854 removed to Bureau County, 
and settled on his present farm in Section 6, 
Selby Township, where he has since resided. 
He has always been a farmer, and as was 
said of his father, he also has been one of 
the best. Although he began with little, he 
has accumulated considerable property 
through his industry. His farm contained 
640 acres, but as he believes in helping his 
children while he is still living, he divided 
with them, and now owns but 240 acres. Mr. 



Brenneman was married, in Stark County, 
Ohio, to Lydia Young; she died in Cuyahoga 
County, Ohio, leaving two children, viz. : 
Mary A., born July 8, 1843, wife of James 
Lewis, of Jackson County, Kan.; Henry, 
born November 3, 1844, drowned in the Lit- 
tle Osage River, Bates County, Mo. Mr. 
Brenneman was married, in Cuyahoga County, 
Ohio, February 8, 1847, to Mary Garman, 
who was born December 25, 1822, in Frank- 
lin County, Penn. She is the mother of 
seven children, viz.: John, born July 16, 
1848, of Clay County, Neb.; George, born 
February 22, 1850, of Selby Township; 
Amanda, born August 17, 1853, wife of Levi 
Shettle, of Clinton County, Iowa; Martin V., 
born April 27, 1855, of Clay County. Neb.; 
Maggie, born October 6, 1857, wife of L. H. 
Kaufman, of Clav County, Neb. ; Hattie, born 
May 26, 1860, at home; Daniel, May 8, 1863, 
at home. In politics Mr. Benneman is a 
life- long Democrat. He is a member of the 
English Lutheran Church. 

JOSEPH H. BRIGHAM, Dover. The 
Brigham family came to this country at a 
very early date in the history of America, 
having formerly resided on a tract of land 
called Brigham lying between Scotland and 
England, and at that time belonging to 
neither country, but now owned by England. 
From this family are descended all the Brig- 
hams now in America. They are of remark- 
able longevity; on one tombstone in the old 
burying-ground in New Hampshire is re- 
corded the age of one hundred and three 
years. Another family of seven children 
lived till their average age was eighty years, 
and one member yet survives. Such being 
the physical nature of the family they were 
well adapted to a pioneer life in a new coun- 
try. Joseph Brigham was born in Cheshire 
County, N. H., in 1774. He cleared a farm 
among the hills and timber of his native 
State and resided there till 1832, when he 
sold out and came to Illinois. He lived near 
Hennepin till the Indian trouble was over, 
and then in the spring of 1834 came to 
Bureau County, and settled on the farm now 
owned by James Hensel, in Dover Township, 
occupying a log-cabin built by his son Syl- 
vester Brigham. The family resided here 
until 1837, and then moved on to the present 



468 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



farm of Joseph H. Brighatu, where Joseph 
Brigham died in 1846. He was married, in 
his native county in New Hampshire, in 1802, 
to Polly FuUum, also a native of Cheshire 
County. She died in 1861 at the age of 
eighty-three years. They were the parents 
of nine childi'en; three died in youth. The 
following reached maturity: Sylvester, Lucy 
(widow of David Chase, of Dover), Polly 
(widow of Christopher Corss, who lives in 
Princeton), Nancy (wife of Thomas Mercer, 
died in Oregon), Eliza (wife of James Por- 
tertield, died in Dover), Joseph H. (lives in 
Dover Township.) Sylvester Brighan\, when 
twenty two years old, left his native State in 
company with Warren Shirley. They crossed 
the lakes, and then traveled through Michi- 
gan, Indiana, Illinois, and into Iowa on foot. 
In 1829, while traveling through the coimtry, 
he located his claim in Dover Township, 
Bureau County, where James Hensel now 
lives In the fall of the same year he 
returned to his native State, New Hampshire, 
traveling as before on foot. In 1830 he again 
came to Bureau County and settled, and 
remained here during the Black Hawk war, 
in which he was engaged. He resided in 
Bureau County until 1855, when he removed 
to Coi'dova, 111., aud from there to Wilson 
County, Kan., in 1870, where he died Jan- 
uary, 1872, at the age of sixty-four years. 
He was twice married, first to Lucy Gunn in 
1840, who died two years later. He was 
again married, in 1843. to Mary Bingham, in 
Fitzwilliam, N. H. She is still living, and 
is the mother of five sons and three daugh- 
ters. Joseph H. Brigham was born January 
31, 1823, in Fitzwilliam, N. H. He was but 
a boy when he came to this county with his 
parents, and has resided here ever since. 
His education was chiefly obtained in the log 
schoolhouse. His occupation has always 
been that of farming; he now owns the old 
homestead where his father settled. His 
farm contains 360 acres. Febraary 29, 1848, 
he was married to Jane Elizabeth Mercer. 
She was born January 22, 1830, in Tusca- 
rawas County, Ohio, a daughter of Aaron 
Mercer, who came to this county in 1834. 
Mrs. Brigham died June 22, 1871, leaving 
seven children, viz.: Harriet, Sylvester, 
Sarah, Mary, Joseph, Eliza, John. Mr. 



Brigham was married, January 1, 1873, to 
Carrie Dunbar, born April 21, 1841. She is 
the mother of two children — ^Curtis and 
Charles. Mr. Brigham has always been a 
Republican in politics. He and his wife are 
members of the Congregational Church of 
Dover. 

E. H. BROOKS, Wyanet. The gentleman 
whose name heads this paragraph was born 
in Bucks County, Penn.. February 29, 1824, 
and is the son of William and Mary (Worth- 
ingtou) Brooks, both natives of Pennsylva- 
nia. The father was born October 3, 1793, 
and died June 9, 1880. The mother died 
August 8, 1850, at the age of fifty-two years. 
They were the parents of fifteen children, all 
of whom yet survive. Our subject remained 
in his native county till 1850, when he re- 
moved to Belmont County, Ohio, and the fol- 
lowing year to Bureau County, 111,, where he 
has since resided. His occupation in early 
life was that of a farmer, and he continued 
farming near Princeton for two years after 
coming to Bureau County, but when the 
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad was 
completed to Princeton he began dealing in 
gi-ain. He continued i o the grain business 
at Princeton till 1860, when he came to 
Wyanet, where for twenty years he continued 
in the same business; however, in 1880, he 
sold out and retired from active life. Po- 
litically he is identified with the principles 
of the Republican party, but not an active 
politician. Of the Brooks family one other 
member now resides in Bureau County, Mrs. 
Susan (Brooks) Trego. In the spring of 
1865 she removed to Mercer County, 111., 
where herjhusbandj Cyrus Trego, died in De- 
cember, 1866, and in 1867 Mrs. Trego came 
to Wyanet, and has since resided in this 
county. She is the mother of two children, 
viz.: Edwin A., now of Cass County, Iowa, 
and Ella, wife of William A. Weaver, of 
Wyanet. The Trego family is one of the 
oldest families in Pennsylvania, as their an- 
cestor, Peter Trego, came to America with 
the Penn colony. 

CAPT. ROBERT BRUTON, Bureau, was 
born near Dublin, Ireland, April 26, 1838. 
He came to the United States with his par- 
ents when about ten years old, and resided 
in Bergen, N. Y.. until 1857, when he came 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



469 



to Bureau County, 111. He was reared on a 
farm and educated in the academy at Riga, 
Monroe County, N. Y. July 24, 18(31, he 
enlisted in the service of his country in Com- 
pany I, Twelfth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
Capt. F. B. Ferris. He passed through the 
successive ranks from private to Captain, and 
served in that capacity till his discharge at 
Louisville, Ky., July 10, 1865. At the bat- 
tle of Shiloh he was with Capt. Ferris when 
he received his fatal shot. At the battle of 
Allatoona, Ga., Capt. Bmton was shot 
through the shoulder, and was sent to Rome, 
Ga., but after thirty days received a fur- 
lough, and came home. As soon as he was 
able he joined his company in North Caro- 
lina, and was with them at the grand review 
at Washington, D. C. Capt. Bruton is the 
son of Michael Bruton, who had three sons 
and one daughter. All of the sons entered 
the service as privates. Christopher C. 
enlisted in the 100-day service in the 
Eighteenth New York Infantry, but was 
wounded and discharged. He afterward 
raised a company at Rome, N. Y., and later 
was commissioned Captain in the Twenty- 
second New York Cavalry. While in com- 
mand of a battalion he captm-ed the head- 
quarters of Gen. Early, and had the honor of 
receiving the sword from him. He was after- 
ward placed on Gen. Custer's staff, and at 
the close of the war was on the staff of Gen. 
Sheridan. He died from disease contracted 
on the Rio Grande River, Texas. Patrick 
Bruton, another brother, was Sergeant in a 
New York regiment; he now resides near 
Grand Rapids, Mich. After his return from 
the war, Capt. Bruton engaged in farming in 
this county for live years on a farm rented 
from J. V. Thompson. He purchased a farm 
near Atchison, Kan., but a year later traded 
it for his present farm of about 200 acres in 
Bureau Township. He was married August 
16, 1863, to Martha Matson. daughter of 
Peter Matsou, deceased (see sketch of 
Enos M. ^latson). Capt. and Mrs. Bruton 
have five children, viz.: Emma, born October 
30, 1864; Maggie L., born October 24, 1809, 
died January 17, 1S84; Joseph V.. born De- 
cember 4, 1876; Leslie V., born August 31, 
1880; Vida C, born June 4, 1883. In poli- 
tics Capt. Bruton is identified with the Re- 



publican partv. He is a member of the Wal- 
nut Lodge No. 722, A. F. & A. M. 

THE BRYANT FAMILY. The progeni- 
tor of the Bryant family was Stephen Bryant, 
who immigrated from the west of England 
to America in 1643. He settled in Plymouth 
County, Mass., where his son, Stephen Bry- 
ant, Jr., was born February 2, 1657. The 
latter's son, Ichabod Bryant, was born July 
5, 1699, in Plymouth. He was a farmer by 
occupation, and a man of great physical 
powers. He died of apoplexy, away from 
home, aged sixty years. His son, Philip Bry- 
ant, was born December, 1732, in Plymouth 
County, Mass. He was a physician, and died 
February 7, 1817, in North Bridgewater, 
Mass. He was married to Silence Howard, 
born 1738; she died June 1777. She was 
the mother of eight children, viz. : Oliver, 
who was a soldier in the Revolutionary war; 
Ruth, Daniel, Bazaliel, Peter, Cyrus, Mrs. 
Anna Kingman, and Mrs. Silence Bryant and 
Charity Bryant. Her grandfather, Ephraim 
Howard, was born in 1666. He died August 
11, 1750, in Bridgewater, Mass. Her father, 
Abiel Howard, M. D., died January 10, 1777, 
in Massachusetts, aged seventy-three years. 
Her mother. Silence (Washburn) Howard, 
was born 1713; she died August 17, 1775. 
Peter Bryant, son of Philip and Silence 
(Howard) Bryant, was born August 12, 1767, 
in North Bridgewater, now called Brockton, 
Mass. Early in life he became imbued with 
a desire to fit himself for the medical profes- 
sion. He read medicine with his father, and 
also had a French surgeon named La Preliet 
as his preceptor for two years. For one year 
he was on board of one of Uncle Sam's men- 
of-war. After that he followed his profes- 
sion in Cummington, Mass., to which place he 
came in 1792, and where he died in 1820 of 
consumption. His professional career was 
one of activity and usefulness. He was the 
preceptor of forty pupils, and the author of 
many articles to medical journals. He was 
married to Sarah Snell, who was born De- 
cember 4, 1768, at North Bridgewater, Mass. 
She died in Princeton, May 6, 1847. Her 
parents, Ebenezer and Sarah (Packard) Snell, 
were also natives of North Bridgewater. The 
former was born October 1, 1738. He was a 
farmer by occupation, and removed to Cum- 



470 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



mington in 1774, where he died August 2,1813. 
The latter was born September 3U, 1737; she 
died March '8, 1813. She was the mother of 
five children, viz. : Abigail, Samuel, Sarah, 
Ebenezer, and Thomas, who was a doctor of 
divinity, and was a minister in North Brook- 
field, Mass., for nearly sixty years. Mrs. 
Sarah Bryant was the mother of seven chil- 
dren, viz.: Austin, William Gullen, Cyrus. 
Mrs. Sarah S. Shaw, Ai-thur, Mrs. Louisa C. 
Olds and John Howard Bryant. The boys 
all were farmers, except William Cullen. 
Of the above, John H. was married near 
Jacksonville, 111., June 7, 1833, to Miss Har- 
riet E. Wiswall, born September 14, 1808, 
in Norton, Bristol Co., Mass. She came to 
Illinois in the summer of 18'20, accompanied 
by her parents, Elijah and Elizabeth (Verry) 
Wiswall, who were large farmers. Mrs. 
Hai-riet E. Bryant is yet living, and is the 
mother of two children, viz.: Henry W., 
born April 17, 1835, he died April 26, 1854, 
of typhoid fever: and Elijah W., born De- 
cember 2, 1836. He' is working the old 
homestead, and was married here J une 6, 
1865, to Laura Smith, born March 27, 1846, 
daughter of Sidney and Laiu-a (Doolittle) 
Smith, the foruier a native of Massachusetts, 
and the latter of Oneida County, N. Y. Mrs. 
Laura Bryant is the mother of the following 
children: Frances E., born May 17, 1866; 
Kate, born March 12, 1869; John H., born 
November 19, 1870, he died March 1, 1872; 
William C, born November 8, 1871 ; Laura 
S. , born March 18, 1875, and John Howard, 
Jr., born May 27, 1876. (See General His- 
tory, where the life and public career of 
John H. Bryant are given in full.) 

ARTHUR BRYANT, Princeton. Arthur 
Bryant (deceased] was born in Cummington, 
Mass., November 28, 1803. In 1830 he came 
to Jacksonville, 111., but in the fall of 1831 
he returned to his native State, where he was 
united in marriage. May 10, 1832, to Hen- 
rietta R. Plummer, who was born in Pitts- 
field, Mass., October 17, 1812. After mar- 
riage Mr. Bryant returned to Morgan County, 
111., with his wife, and resided there until 
November, 1833, when they removed to 
Bureau County, and settled on Section 29, 
two miles south of Princeton. Here Mr. 
Bryant resided until his death, February 5, 



1888. His widow is still living. They were 
the parents of the following children: Arthur, 
born October 15, 1834; Julian E., born No- 
vember 9, 1836; Ellen A., born June 18, 
1839; Joseph P., born March 25, 1845; 
Lester R., born September 8, 1848; Hen- 
rietta R., August 15, 1851; Adaline R., Sep- 
tember 4, 1855. Henrietta R. died October 
10, 1852. Julian E. was drowned May 14, 
1865, in the Brazos River, Texas. At the 
time of his death he was Colonel of a colored 
regiment, though he enlisted from this 
county in Company E, Thirty-third Illinois 
Volunteer Infantry, and was Lieutenant of the 
company. Arthur Bryant, Jr. , was born and 
educated in Bureau County. His early life 
was spent on his father's farm, and in assist- 
ing in his nursery. When he started in life 
for himself he chose the same occupation, 
in which he had spent most of his youth. 
For several years he was interested in the 
nursery on the old homestead two miles south 
of Princeton. In 1869 he began to break 
ground for his present place, and in 1870 
began planting stock, and has extended the 
business till it reached its present immense 
proportions. September 19, 1864, he was 
united in marriage to Lizzie Hughes, born 
February 18, 1842, in Steubenville, Ohio. 
Her father, Greorge Hughes, was born in Ire- 
land. March 10, 1809, and died October 6, 
1880, in Washington, 111. His wife, Cas- 
sandra Jones, was born in Virginia, Decem- 
ber 6, 1819, and is now living in Washing- 
ton, 111. Mr. and Mrs. Bryant have eight 
children, viz.: Lucy H., born June 26, 1865; 
Harry G., born February 18, 1867; Guy A., 
born December 12, 1868; Henrietta, born 
May 5, 1871; Cassandra, born August 6, 
1873; Lester P., born April 7, 1875; Ralph 
C, born January 22, 1877; Edith W., born 
December 1, 1878. Mr. Bryant is a member 
of the State Horticultural Society, and in poli- 
tics is identified with the Republican party. 
Ellen A. Bryant, daughter of Arthur Bryant 
(deceased), was married to Clement Freeman 
Lester R., son of Arthur Bryant (deceased), 
was married March 7, 1877, to Jane L. Hunt- 
ington. They have three children, viz. : Hat- 
tie, Arthm-, Frank. 

EDAVARD RAYMOND BRYANT, de- 
ceased, was born November 2, 1823, in the 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



471 



old family mansion at Cummington, Mass. 
He was son of Austin Bryant, who was born 
in the same place as his son, April 16, 1793, 
and died in Bureau County, February 1, 
1866. Austin Bryant was married Novem- 
ber 18, 1819, to Adeline Plummer, a daugh- 
ter of Edward Plummer, and a native of 
Pittstield, Mass. She was born May 24, 
1801, and died February 26, 1882. Her 
children were as follows: Mrs. Sarah L 
Reeve, wife of Tracy Reeve (see sketch) 
Edward R., deceased; William Austin, de 
ceased; Mrs. Frances A. Moseley, deceased 
Charles H., deceased, and Mrs. Mary Snel 
Smith. Edward R. Bryant came to Bureau 
County with his parents in 1835. He was 
married May 7, 1862, to Ellen Fields Mc- 
Duffie, a native of Cameron, Steuben Co., 
N. Y. Her father, Isaac McDuffie, is of 
Scotch extraction, and was born on the Hud- 
son in Montgomery County, N. Y., in 1804:. 
He is a cousin of Gov. McDuffie, of South 
Carolina. Mrs. Bryant's mother, Cynthia 
(Baker) McDuffie, is of French and English 
extraction, and was born in Athens, Penn., 
in March, 1804. Her father, Samuel Baker, 
was a soldier in the Revolution and in the 
war of 1812. Mr. and Mrs. McDuffie now 
reside in Concord Township, near Sheffield, 
Bureau County. They are the parents of 
the following children: Mrs. Ellon F. Bry 
ant, Mrs. Valeda Van Patten, William H, of 
this county; Mrs. Anna Myers, of Dakota; 
John v.. Probate Judge, of Haynesville, Ala.; 
James M., deceased, was a soldier in the late 
•war, and died in camp, near St. Louis; and 
Samuel A. McDuffie. Edward R. Bryant 
died November 11, 1881, leaving five chil- 
dren, viz.: James M., born April 27, 1863; 
William A., born December 13, 1865; Ed- 
ward A., born January 17, 1868; Frederick 
R., born August 13,' 1870; Mary C, born 
November 27, 1874. Mrs. Bryant and her 
children are members of the Episcopal 
Church. 

MARCUS BRYANT, deceased, Princeton, 
was born March 21, 1842, in Princeton, 111. 
He was a son of Cyrus and Julia (Everett) 
Bryant. Cyrus Bryant was a brother of Will- 
iam Cullen Bryant, our American poet. The 
genealogy of the Bryant family appears in 
this work. Mrs. Julia (Everett) Bryant was 



a daughter of James and Phebe (Clark) Ev- 
erett. Her brother, James S. Everett, is yet 
living in Princeton. Marcus Bryant was 
educated in the town of his nativity. His 
early life was spent on his father's farm, and 
fai'ming was his main occupation in life. As 
most of the Bryants, from whom he inherited 
many noble traits of head and heart, he loved 
the country and was therefore a farmer. 
While on the farm he was fond of the woods 
and loved to admire nature in its most beau- 
tiful temple. In after life he was engaged as 
a grain merchant. He was a man whose 
word was never doubted; his character was a 
shining light and his memory will be cher- 
ished by those who knew him. He died at his 
home in Princeton, February 27, 1876. He 
was married December 19, 1868, in Dixon, 
Lee Co., 111., to Miss Kezia McGrinnis, who 
was born March 11, 1840, in New York City. 
She is a daughter of Stewart McQinnis, a 
native of Ireland, who was supposed to have 
died in New Orleans. He was a lumber 
merchant and architect by occupation. Her 
mother was Mary (Law) McGinnis; she was 
also a native of Ireland and is yet living. 
She is a daughter of David and Kezia (Hil- 
lis) Law, both natives of Ireland. The for- 
mer was a farmer, and died in Dixon, Lee 
Co., 111., where the latter, who was born July 
2, 1782, yet resides, aged over one hundred 
and one years. She is the mother of eight 
childi-en. Mary (Law) McGinnis is the 
mother of four children, viz. : Margaret, James, 
William and Mrs. Kezia Bryant, the widow 
of the subject of this sketch. She is the 
mother of two children, viz. : Grace M., born 
November 4, 1869, and Alice M., born De- 
cember 7, 1871. Mrs. Bryant yet resides on 
the old homestead, which contains over 300 
acres, pleasantly situated in the southern 
part of Princeton. 

JOHN G. BUBACH, Princeton, was born 
in Harrisburg, Penn., April 5, 1818. He is 
the son of John G. and Elizabeth (Rickel) 
Bubaeh. The father died in Pennsylvania 
during our subject's childhood. The mother 
died in Bureau County, 111. The Bubaeh 
family, which is of German descent, came to 
Lancaster City, Penn., in 1750. While 
young, our subject removed to near Lancas- 
ter City, Penn., and lived there till the fall 



472 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



of 1839. During his youth he spent four 
years in an apprenticeship at the tailor's trade. 
In 1839 he came to Wayne County, Ohio, 
and worked at his trade in various places, till 
the spring of 1846, when he came to Prince- 
ton, 111., with Mr. William Carse, and clerked 
for Carse a short time and then began in 
business for himself, in partnership with 
Justin S. Olds. Later Mr. Bubach bought 
his partner's interest in the business, and 
continued alone till 1849, when he sold out 
and was variously employed till 1853, when 
he engaged in the nursery business, and has 
continued in the same since. In later years 
he has abandoned the heavy nursery stock, 
and has given his time and attention to the 
gi-owing of small fruits for the maiket, and 
plants and vines for sale. Strawberries, 
raspberries, Snyder and other varieties of 
blackberries, he makes a specialty. Mr. 
Bubach has over 500 varieties of seedling 
strawberries, which he has scientifically 
originated. These he tested from single 
plants in 1883, and found many excellent 
varieties. He was united in marriage in 
Princeton, to Miss Lucinda W. Phelps, May 
1, 1848. She was born January 26, 1830, in 
Northampton, Mass., and is the daughter of 
Ebenezer and Anna (Wright) Phelps, who 
came to Springfield, 111., in 1831, and to 
Bureau County in 1838. Mr. and Mrs. 
Bubach have three daughters, viz. : Florence 
A., May V. and Alice, who is the wife of 
Douglass Judd, of Brooklyn, Iowa. In poli- 
tics Mr. Bubach is Republican, and is a strong 
temperance man. 

M. BUHLEE, Lamoille, was born April 
25, 1842, in Dornhan, Wurtemburg, Ger- 
many. Hia parents, Andrew and Mary 
(Smith) Buhler, died in Germany. They 
were the parents of the following children: 
George, Andrew and Christina, are deceased; 
Mrs. Mary Wossner and Mrs. Cordula Woss- 
ner, are residents of Germany; John Buhler, 
a resident of Iowa; Jacob Buhler, of Milwau- 
kee, and Matthew Buhler, our subject. He 
was educated in Germany, where he learned 
his trade, which he followed two years in 
Chicago. In the fall of 1860 he came to 
Lamoille, where he worked two years at his 
trade for Squire Betz, and then worked in 
Princeton till March, 1863, when he returned 



to Lamoille and engaged in business for 
himself, and has been a wideawake business 
man ever since. Since 1877 he has been in 
the wind-mill and pump business, and is now 
sole manufacturer of the "Victor Wind- 
mills." He is also a member of the firm that 
is the patentee and manufacturer of the 
"Luptons Cultivator Knives." Mr. Buhler 
was maiTied here November 12, 1865, to 
Syrena G. Roth, who was born February 16, 
l846, in Lamoille, where she died February 
17, 1877. She was a daughter of David and 
Nancy D. (Phelps) Roth, natives of New 
York. Mrs. Syrena G. Buhler was the 
mother of four children: Ada M, George P., 
Frank M. and Clara B. Buhler. Mr. Buhler 
is a member of the Lutheran Church. Polit- 
ically he is a Republican. He was a soldier 
in the 100-day service, enlisting in Company 
G, of the One Hundred and Thirty-ninth 
Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He 
is an active member of the G. A. R. Post and 
of the A. F. & A. M. fraternity. 

J. P. BUMPHREY, Neponset, was born 
December 18, 1835, in Pottsville, Penn. His 
father, Stephen Bumphrey, was a native of 
Berkshire County, Mass. He was a farmer by 
occupation; he came to Pennsylvania in 
1835; the next year he came to Putnam 
County, 111., and in 1837 he removed to Cen- 
tre Grove in Bureau County. There he 
farmed till 1845, when he removed to La- 
Salle County, 111. , and from there to Cedar 
Falls, Iowa. He died in 1854, near 
Dubuque, Iowa, while on his way to Bureau 
County. His father was a native of France, 
and was a gallant soldier in the Revolution- 
ary war. Julia Packingham, a native of 
Massachusetts, was the mother of our subject. 
She died in 1844, in Centre Grove. She 
was a daughter of James Packiugham and is 
the mother of four children that are now liv- 
ing, viz. : Mrs. Elizabeth Osman, James P. 
our subject, C. Henry, of Henry County, 
111. , and Albert, a resident of Kansas. Our 
subject was educated in the common schools 
of Bureau County, where he farmed; he also 
farmed seven years in Henry County, 111., 
and lived live years in Iowa, returning to 
Bureau County in 1857, and has been a 
resident here ever since. He was married 
September 21, 1862, in Kewanee, 111., to 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



473 



Mra. Elizabeth Moon {nee Elizabeth Studley), 
born March 7, 1837, in Scott County, 111. 
She is a daughter of William Studley, the 
old pioneer of Neponset Township. She is 
the mother of eight children, viz. : William 
H. Moon and Louvina Moon, children by 
her tirst husband, George Moon; Alice J., 
Henry A., Frank P., James C, Luella and 
Grace. Mr. and Mrs. Bumphrey are active 
members of their community, and of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically 
Mr. Bumphrey ia a Republican; he is a use- 
ful citizen and has tilled town offices; at 
present he is President of the Board of Vil- 
lage Trustees. 

THOMAS BURDEN, Fairfield, was born 
in Queens County, Ireland, in the year 1831. 
His parents, Thomas and Mary (White) Bur- 
den, were natives of the same place, where 
the father died. The mother immigrated to 
Oswego, N. Y. , in 1847, and was accom- 
panied by the following children: Richard, 
John, Thomas, Dennis, William and Mrs. 
Julia Henricken. The last-named also came 
to Fairfield Township, Bureau County, where 
she died. The mother died in Oswego, N. 
Y. Oui- subject, Thomas Burden, worked 
one year in Oswego, and then came to Elgin, 
111., where he worked till about 1850, when 
he came to Bureau County and railroaded for 
nearly two years and then bought 160 acres 
in Fairfield Township, which he pre-empted 
and improved. He started on a small scale 
in farming and stock-raising and bought 
more land from time to time till at present 
he has about 2,000 acres of land in Fairfield 
Township. He is one of the largest land 
owners not only in the township but in the 
county, which is saying a great deal when we 
remember that he came here a poor man. 
Stock-raising is his main occupation. Mr. 
Burden was married in LaSalle, 111. , to Miss 
Eleanor Fitzgerald, daughter of Marten and 
Margaret (Cavanaugh) Fitzgerald, who came 
here in an early day. Mr. and Mrs. Burden 
are members of the Catholic Church, and are 
the parents of eight children, viz. : George, 
John, Charles, William, Mary, Emma, Eliz- 
abeth and Nellie Burden. In political mat- 
ters Mr. Burden is identified with the Dem- 
ocratic party. 

J. Y. BURNETT, Lamoille. The sub- 



ject of this biography is a native of Jefferson, 
Schoharie Co., N. Y. His grandfather, 
Joseph Burnett, was a native of New Jersey. 
He was a carpenter and jobber in New York 
City for many years and one of the pioneers 
of Schoharie County, N. Y. , where he died. 
His son, Joseph Burnett, Jr., was born in 
New York City. He is the father of our sub- 
ject, and came to Schoharie County when he 
was twelve years old. There he was a stage 
contractor by occupation till the railroad 
drove the stage further west. He was a sol- 
dier in the war of 1812 and died in the above 
place about 1862. He was married to Jane 
Havens, a daughter of Jeremiah and Eliza- 
beth (Young) Havens, who survived him and 
who died in 1878. She was the mother of 
the following children : Mrs. Mary A. Cham- 
plin, Mrs. Jane Brand, Joseph O. (deceased), 
David H., George H., Mrs. Huldah E. Bare 
and Jeremiah Y. , our subject. He was edu- 
cated in his native State, where he also learned 
the carpenter and joiner's trade. In 1855 he 
removed to Mendota, 111., where he lived 
three years and then came to Lamoille, where 
he followed his trade till 1872, when he 
opened a lumber yard, which proved a suc- 
cessful venture. He has also a branch yard 
in Van Orin and Ohio, besides carrying on 
a furniture and undertaker's store in La- 
moille, where he also manufactures "Dean's 
Celebrated Corn Cutter," which is gaining in 
reputation and favor every day. Mr. Bur- 
nett was married twice. His first wife, Olive 
Smith, died here, leaving two children, viz.: 
Mrs. Alice Murphy, and Hattie J. Burnett. 
He was married the second time to Mrs. Ellen 
Holbrook {nee Ellen Kane), a daughter of 
George and Mary (Brown) Kane. She is the 
mother of three children, viz. : Mamie Hol- 
brook, deceased, aged ten years, Lewis Hol- 
brook, born March 1, 1867, and Ida Blanche 
Burnett, who was born August 10, 1880. 
Mrs. Ellen Burnett was born September 7, 
1844, in Michigan. She is a member of the 
Baptist Church. Mr. Burnett is a member of 
the Congregational Church. Politically he 
is identified with the Republican party. He 
is a wide-awake business man and a self- 
made man in every respect. 

COL N. C. BUS WELL, Neponset, the sub- 
ject of the following biography, was born 



474 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



December 5, 1831, in Caledonia County, Vt. 
He is of Scotch descent, a son of James Bus- 
well, a native of Caledonia County, Vt. , 
where he was born in 1793; he died in 1875 
six miles south of Neponset, in Stark Coun- 
ty, 111., to which he came in 1837. He 
came to Peoria County, 111., in the fall of 
1833, and the next year brought his family. 
Ho was a farmer by occupation, and dealt 
extensively in land while in the West. The 
grandfather of our subject, N. C. Buswell, 
Sr., was a native of Salisbury. Mass.; he 
died in Caledonia County, Vt. He was also 
a farmer, and a soldier in one of the In- 
dian wars. His mother was Elizabeth Colby, 
whose brother, Nicholas Colby, took an act- 
ive part in the battle of Lake Champlain, 
and is honorably mentioned in the naval 
history. After him Col. Buswell was named. 
The mother of our subject, Mrs. Chloe 
(Pratt) Buswell, was born in 1800, in Cale- 
donia County, Vt. She is yet living in Ne- 
ponset. She is the mother of ten children, 
viz. : Elizabeth, deceased, former wife of 
Judge A. Tyler (she left three children, viz. : 
William, Mary and G-race Tyler); William P. ; 
Lucinda, wife of J. A. Gillillan, Principal of 
a St. Louis school; James, deceased; Mrs. 
Mary C. Dunham, now a resident of Florida; 
Nicholas C, our subject; Charles P., of Osceo- 
la, 111.; Henry C, of Grinnell, Iowa; Mrs. 
Ellen B. Scott, and Albert, the latter de- 
ceased. Our subject, Col. Buswell, is prin- 
cipally self-educated. He was reared on a 
farm, but followed farming only in early 
life and then turned his attention to various 
occupations. He came to Neponset in 1857, 
and here kept a hotel and livery stable, but 
was connected with different enterprises, and 
at that time was one of the leading business 
men of the town. In the summer of 1862 
he was commissioned by Gov. Yates, of Illi- 
nois, to raise a company of soldiers for the 
late war, and was made Captain of Company 
H, of the Ninety-third Regiment, Illinois 
Volunteer Infantry. In September, 1862, 
the Ninety-third Illinois Regiment was or- 
ganized at Princeton, and of this N. C. Bus- 
well was elected Lieutenant-Colonel. At 
the death of the commanding Colonel he 
was promoted, November 25, 1863, to the 
rank of Colonel, which he held till the close 



of war. He participated in the capture 
of Jackson, and the battle of Champion 
Hill, siege of Vicksburg, Missionary Ridge, 
capture of Atlanta, Bentonville, and was 
also with Sherman in his famous march to 
the sea and across the Carolinas. He was 
with his regiment in the grand review at 
Washington, D. C. , and was mustered out at 
Chicago, July 6, 1865. He was never 
wounded, although his horse was shot from 
under him at the battle of Champion Hill. 
Col. Buswell always had the esteem and good 
will of the men in his command, and his mil- 
itary career has been, to say the least, a 
brilliant one. (See chapter on Current History 
of the Late War.) As an evidence of his 
ability as a military man he received in the 
summer of 1866 an appointment in the Regu- 
lar Army as First Lieutenant, which position 
ho did not accept, as he had just been elected 
Sheriff of Bureau County, serving one term. 
After this he engaged in the liverv business 
with B. F. Cox, of Princeton. In" 1873 the 
organizations known as " Farmers' Clubs" 
chose Col. Buswell as agent to go to Eu- 
rope to buy and import blooded draft horses 
for breeding purposes. He bought a num- 
ber of animals in Normandy, France, and 
returned with them to Princeton. He was 
very successful, and in 1874 made another 
trip to Europe, which was equally successful. 
While in Europe he visited Scotland, Eng- 
land and France both times. In 1879 he re- 
turned to Neponset, where he now resides 
and does a general collecting and pension 
business. He has been Village Attorney and 
Marshal, and holds the office of Notary Pub- 
lic. Politically he is independent. He is a 
member of G. A. R., W. S. Bryan Post, No. 
284. Col. Buswell was married February 
13, 1852, to Miss Ellen Fowler, a native of 
Hillsdale, Vt. , where she was born September 
6, 1834. She is yet living, and is a daughter 
of Eli as and Eliza (Elmore) Fowler. 

THOMAS J. CAHILL, Westfield, was born 
February 17, 1858, in Westfield Township. His 
father, Daniel Cahill, was a native of County 
Kerry, Ireland. He came to America when 
quite young, landing in Quebec. From there 
he'went to New York and then to New Orleans. 
After living in the South several years he 
came to Illinois, where he was married to 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



475 



Mary McDonald, who died here. She was 
the mother of the following children: Cor- 
nelius (deceased), James, Michael, Johanna 
and Mrs. Mary Fitzgerald. Daniel Cahill 
was married a second time, to Mrs. Bridget 
Manning (nee Sheehy), a native of County 
Kerry, Ireland. She survived her husband 
and is the mother of four children, viz. : 
Mary and John Manning, the former deceased, 
and Ellen and Thomas J. Cahill, our subject. 
Daniel Cahill died June 27. 1878. He was 
a good citizen and farmer, and at the time of 
his death owned a fai'm of 160 acres. His 
son, Thomas Cahill, a wide-awake young 
man, has a farm of 120 acres. He is a Dem- 
ocrat, and connected with the Catholic 
Church, as was also his father. 

THOMAS C. CALLINAN, Berlin, was 
born in Clare County, Ireland, December 22, 
1844. He is a son of Frederick and Mary 
(Kane) Callinan, both of whom lived and 
died in Clare County, Ireland. The father 
died when his son Thomas was six weeks old. 
The mother died July 15. 1878. Of their 
family five are still living, three in Bureau 
County and two in San Francisco, Cal. One 
son, a Captain in the English Navy, died in 
the East Indies, and another, a clerk, died 
in Ireland. The early life of our subject 
was spent on the farm and in school. His 
father was a landlord, and of a wealthy fam- 
ily in Ireland. In 1858 Mr. Callinan came 
to America, and since that time has made 
Bureau County his home. October, 1864, he 
enlisted in Company I, Thirtieth Illinois 
Volunteer Infantry, and served until May, 
1865, when they were mustered out at David's 
Island, New York Harbor. He participated 
in several engagements, among which was 
the battle of Allatoona Pass., Ga. , and also 
Nashville, Tenn. After leaving the army he 
returned to Bureau County, and has since 
been engaged in farming, having occupied 
his present farm of 120 acres in Sections 
31 and 32, Berlin Township, since May, 
1871. He was married in this county 
February 24, 1870. to Miss Mary A. Rinker, 
born in Ohio Township, Bureau County, Au- 
gust 27, 1852. She is the daughter of Isaac 
and Eveline (Wilson) Rinker, who came to 
this county in 1850. Mr. Rinker was a na- 
tive of Virginia, and his wife of Belmont 



County, Ohio, where they were married in 
1849. He died January 1867, and his widow 
now lives in Maiden. Mr. and Mrs. Callinan 
have two children, viz.: Murty A., born 
March 31, 1871; Eva, born November 11. 
1878. Mr. Callinan is a member of the 
Bureau Lodge, A. F. & A. M., No. 112; Prince- 
ton Chapter, No. 28; Orrin Council. No. 8; 
Temple Commandery.'No. 20; also of Knights 
of Pythias, of Princeton ; Grand Army of the 
Republic, Ferris Post, No. 309, at Princeton. 
He is a member of the Presbyterian* Church 
of Maiden, of which he is Deacon. His wife 
is a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church of Maiden. In politics he is an 
active Republican. 

ARMSTRONG CAMPBELL. Selby, was 
born in Juniatta County, Penn., January 19, 
1 1822. He is of Scotch descent, a son of John 
: and Nancy (Bard) Campbell. His father was 
a native of Sherman's Valley, Penn., and his 
mother of Mifflin County. Both died in 
i Huntingdon County, Penn. — he in the fall 
j of 1860, at the age of seventy- three; she in 
1870, at the age of eighty-three. They were 
, the parents of two sons and two daughters, 
I viz.: William I., of Selby Township; 
Eliza, deceased; Armstrong, our subject, 
Celia Ann Stewart, deceased. When our 
siibject was ten years old he removed with 
his parents to Huntingdon County, Penn., 
where he resided until 1854. when he came 
to Bureau County, 111., and settled in Selby 
Township, where he has since resided. He, 
in partnership with his brother, bought the 
south half of Section 1, and since 1856 he has 
resided on the southwest quarter of Section 1. 
He now owns 240 acres in Selby Township, 
one tract of eighty acres being in Section 
11. Mr. Campbell was reared on a farm and 
has always made farming his occupation. 
He was married in Pennsylvania, December 
19, 1850, to Mary A. Duff. She was bom in 
Huntingdon County, Penn., February 19, 
1832, a daughter of John and Barbara (Ran- 
dolph) Duff, both natives of Pennsylvania. 
He was born in 1804 and is still living in 
Huntingdon County, Penn., a retired farmer. 
His wife, who was born in May, 1807, died 
June 16, 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell are 
parents of seven children, viz. : Alexander, 
born June 20, 1857, died March 20, 1884; 



476 



HISTOEY" OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Nancy, born October 3, 1858, wife of Ezra 
Kouse, of Selby Township; William Irvin, 
born January 31, I860; Clark, born April 
27, 1865. Three childi-en died in infancy. 
In politics Mr. Campbell is a Republican. 
He has been a member of the Levi Lusk 
Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of Arlington, since 
1860. He is also a member of the M. B. 
Society of Princeton. He and wife are mem- 
bers of the Baptist Church. 

THOMAS R. CAPPERRUNE. Milo, was 
born August 11, 1816, in Kent County, Del. 
His parents, William and Rebecca (Row) 
Capperrune, were natives of Delaware. The 
former was a farmer by occupation, and died 
there in 1839. The latter died there also in 
1817. She was the mother of seven children; 
of these only three are yet living. The 
gi'andfather of our subject was of Irish 
descent, and a teacher by profession. Our 
subject is principally self educated. He 
immigrated to Ohio in October, 1835, and in 
1841 removed to Knox County, 111. In 1850 
he came to Milo Township, Bureau County, 
where he bought eighty acres of land for 
$300. At present he has 160 acres of prai- 
rie and twenty acres of timber land. He was 
married in Knox County to the widow of 
Anderson Corbin, Mrs. Caroline Corbin {nee 
Caroline McGinnis), a daughter of Johnston 
and Jane (McMullen) McGinnis. Mrs. Caro- 
line Capperrune was born July 2, ISIO, in 
Chester County, Penn. She is the mother of 
the following children: Mrs. Emily Snow 
(nee Emily Corbin); B. Frank Corbin; Mrs. 
Sarah Gammel (nee Capperrune), who is now 
a resident of Kansas; Irwin Capperrune; 
Mrs. Mary J. Hunt, and Thomas J. Capper- 
rune. Religiously Mr. and Mrs. Capper- 
rune are connected with and are active mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
Politically he is now a Republican, and was 
formerly an Abolitionist. He has filled the 
offices of Commissioner, Collector and Asses- 
sor; the latter for a number of years. 

RUFUS CAREY, deceased Of the pub- 
lic men in Bui'eau County who deserve men- 
tion in this work, and who have acquitted 
themselves honorably and creditably while in 
office, we are glad to note him whose name 
heads this sketch. Mr. Carey was born 
March 14, 1813, in Enfield, Mass. He died 



August 7, 1873, in Princeton. His parents 
were Thomas and Sarah (Packard) Carey. 
Rufus Carey was reared and educated in 
Massachusetts. In 1835 he came to Bureau 
County and settled in Wyanet Township, 
where the County Poor Farm now is. He 
lived in the country till 1854, when he re- 
moved to Princeton, where his widow yet re- 
sides. In 1853 he was elected Treasurer of 
Bureau County, and for four years held that 
position to the great satisfaction of the 
people. After serving four years as Treas- 
urer, Mr. Carey served two years as Deputy 
Treasurer. He was one of the four promi- 
nent men who started the Carey, Olds &, Co. 
Bank of Princeton, 111., and was connected 
with it for two years. Mr. Carey was mar- 
ried April 26, 1837, in Chicopee, Mass. , to 
Miss Mary K. Ferry, who was born Febru- 
ary 9, 1814, in Granby, Mass. Her father, 
Abner Ferry, was born November 4, 1777, 
in Granby, Mass., where he died March 
14, 1828. He was a farmer by occupa- 
tion, as was also his father, Noah Ferry, 
who was one of the first settlers in Granby. 
Her mother, Rosanna (Smith) Ferry, was 
born October 25, 1783, in Connecticut. She 
died June 7, 1867, in Bureau County. She 
was the mother of the following children: 
Aaron D., Zenus S., William M., Mary K., 
Hannah E., Amelia R. and Rebecca S. Mrs. 
Mary K. Carey is the mother of four chil- 
dren, viz.: Francis, was born August 15, 
1840 (he is now a resident of Chicago); Eliza 
F., was born October 24, 1842 (she died Sep- 
tember 1, 1844); Amelia L., was born March 
23, 1848 (she died July 9. 1869), and War- 
ren, who was born December 13, 1849 (he is 
at present a physician in LaGrange, 111.). He 
married Fannie Crawford; they have four 
children, viz.: Edward F., Amelia L., Mary 
E. and Alice. Mrs. Carey is religiously con- 
nected with the Congregational Church. 

MRS. DELILA L. CAREY, Princeton, was 
born April 2, 1818, in Onondago County, N. 
Y. Her parents were John L. and Lucina 
(Rhodes) Carey. Mrs. Carey is a bright, 
cheerful lady with great force of chai'acter. 
She has borne up bravely amid trials and 
adversity which would have crushed any 
ordinary woman. She was reared in the 
State of New York, where she resided till the 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



477 



spring of 1835, when she went to Morgan 
County, 111., where she married Amos Miner, 
who shortly afterward died. He was the son 
of Amos Miner, Sr., who was quite a genius, 
and invented many useful things. Mrs. Carey 
has one son by Amos Miner. The son's name 
is George A. Miner, who married Elizabeth 
Denis. Mrs. Carey was married a second 
time in Morgan County, 111., to Norman L. 
Ward. She came to this county with Mr. 
Ward, and here he died. Three children 
blessed this union, viz.: Mary E., wife of 
Henry Reasoner; Julia C, deceased, and Dar- 
win E. Ward, who married Mary E. Morse. 
After the death of her second husband our sub- 
ject married Lemuel P. Carey, who was born 
June 26, 1801, in Enfield, Hampshire Co., 
Mass. He followed the tanner and currier's 
trade in the East, and in the fall of 1835 came 
to this count}', where he has been a successful 
farmer. The marriage, which occurred Au- 
gust 22, 1850, was blessed with one child — 
Lemuel Carey — who died aged ten years. 
Mr. Lemuel P. Carey died March 4,*1879. 
He was a man of sterling qualities, and is 
well remembered by our old settlers. Mrs. 
Carey was formerly a member of the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church, but is now connected 
with the Presbvterian Church. 

LUTHER F. CARPENTER, Indiantown, 
was born December 3, 1819, in Bristol, R. I. 
At an early age he was taken to Rehoboth, 
Mass., by his parents. His father, Abiah 
Carpenter, was born in Rehoboth, Mass., 
where he died. He was Captain of a band 
of musicians in the war of 1812. The grand- 
father of our subject, Abiah Carpenter, Sr., 
was also a native of Massachusetts, where he 
died. The mother of our subject, Eosina 
Goff, was born in Rehoboth. Mass., where she 
yet resides. She is a daughter of Levi Goflf, 
and is the mother of nine children, viz. : Cy- 
rel, George and Luther F. Carpenter. The 
first two children are deceased. The next six 
children are the result of a second marriage, 
with Joshua Drawn, viz.: Alvin, William, 
Matilda, Mary J., Almon C. and Martha A. 
Drawn. Of the above, Alvin, William and 
Mary J. are deceased. Mr. L. F. Carpenter 
received a common school education in his 
native State. He learned the machinist's 
trade in Taunton, Mass., and worked at it 



there until the spring of 1855, when he came 
West and settled in Indiantown Township, 
Bureau Co., 111., where he bought eighty 
acres of land. At present he owns a farm of 
433 acres — the result of his industry and 
perseverance. Since coming West Mr. Car- 
penter has made farming his principal occu- 
pation, although he worked a short time 
at his trade in Aurora and Chicago. 
He was married in Taunton, Mass., to 
Betsey B. Barney, who was born in Taun- 
ton, January 1, 1826. She is a daughter of 
Oliver and Betsey (Babbit) Barney, and ia 
the mother of foui- children, viz.: Mrs. Eliz- 
abeth Dexter; George A., deceased, aged 
eighteen years; Sterophine and Mrs. Joseph- 
ine Anthony, twins, the former deceased. 
Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter are active members 
of the Congregational Church. He is a Re- 
publican, and has filled township ofiices. 

ADAM CARPER, Macon, was born in 
Bedford County, Penn., January 19, 1837. 
He is the son of John and Catherine (Smith) 
Carper, both of whom were natives of Penn- 
sylvania, but came to Bureau County in 
November, 1854, and died here. The mother 
died October 23, 1857, at the age of forty- 
four years. The father was born June 19, 
1807, and died April 16, 1875. Of their 
children, six sons and two daughters yet sur- 
vive them, and are residents of this county. 
Our subject came to this county with his par- 
ents, and has since resided in Macon Town- 
ship. His occupation has ever been that of 
farming and stock-growing. When starting 
in life for himself it was with little. In 1867 
he bought his present farm of 100 acres, and 
has since added the best of improvements. 
November 18, 1869, he was united in mar- 
riage to Mary Kegarice, who was born in 
Bedford County, Penn., March 18, 1844. 
She is the daughter of John and Margaret 
(Inscoe) Kegarice. The father was born 
December 10, 1811, and the mother June 20, 
1813. The father died in Pennsylvania, but 
the mother in Bureau County, 111. Six 
daughters and two sons yefc survive them. 
The sons, Jacob and Philip, live in Iowa. 
Of the daughters, Mrs. Barbara Spencer re- 
sides in Buda; Mrs. Mary Carper, wife of 
our subject, in Macon Township; Mrs. Sarah 
Osborn, in Iowa; Mrs. Margaret Suiters, 



478 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



in Bedford County, Penn,; Mrs. Susan Amic, 
in Blair County, Penn., and Mrs. Nancy 
Roberts, ia Nebraska. Two of the sons of 
Mr. and Mrs. Kegarice were in the war of 
the Rebellion, and received wounds, from 
which they died. Mr. and Mrs. Carper have 
four children living, viz.: Mertie, born Sep- 
tember 1, 1870; Irvia, born May 2, 1874; 
Josie, born September 27, 1876, and Jacob 
Elmore, born August 30, 1878. 

JACOB S. CARPER, Macon, was born in 
Bedford County, Penn.. April 12, 1834. He 
is the son of John and Catherine Carper. 
They came to Bureau County in 1854, and 
settled at Walnut Grove, and died there, he 
in April, 1875, she in October, 1857. They 
were born in Bedford County, Penn., and 
had resided there till coming to this county. 
They had a family of six sons and two 
daughters, who survive them. In April, 
1851, our subject came to Illinois, but lived 
in Fulton County until 1857, when he came 
to Bureau County, and bought his present 
farm, and began putting it under cultivation. 
His farm now contains 259 acres. In Octo- 
ber, 1861, he entered the service of his 
country, in Company K, Fifty-seventh Illi- 
nois Volunteer Infantry. In October, 1862, 
he received a Lieutenant's commission, which 
rank he held till receiving his discharge in 
April, 1865. More of the history of this 
company and regiment will be found in the 
chapter devoted to the county's current his- 
tory of the late war. After returning from 
the army, Mr. Carper again began farming, 
and has continued in the same occupation 
since. He was married, in Bui'eau County, 
January 2, 1866, to Miss Catherine Horton 
(see sketch of Allen Horton). She died in 
June, 1869, leaving one son — William S. 
Carper. In August, 1870, Mr. Carper was 
united in mai-riage to Miss Margaret J. Dief- 
fenderfer, a native of Pennsylvania, and a 
daughter of William and Sarah Dieffenderfer, 
also natives of Pennsylvania. The father is 
now a resident of this county, but the mother 
is deceased. Mrs. Carper had one brother, 
viz.: A. Dieffenderfer, of Osceola, 111. Mrs. 
Carper has three children living, viz. : George 
A., Sarah K. and Frank G. Mr. Carper is a 
member of the G. A. R. Post of Buda. He 
is Republican in politics. 



JOHN R. CASS, deceased, was born March 
31, 1833, in Richmond, N. H. He was a 
son of Ono and Sarah (Holbrook) Cass, na- 
tives of New Hampshire. The former was a 
farmer and died in Jackson, Mich. ; the latter 
is yet living in Princeton; her name now is 
Mrs. King. She is the mother of two boys: 
Isaac H. and John R. Cass, who were reared 
in Michigan. They came to Bureau County, 
111., about 1851, and first farmed in Lamoille 
Township. They afterward bought land in 
Berlin Township, where our subject was mar- 
ried. He afterward bought land in Lamoille 
Township, where his widow now resides. 
She has added materially to the farm, which 
now contains 318 acres of land. Mr. Cass 
died in Maiden, this county, April 7, 1864. 
He was married to Mary E. Isaac. December 
2, 1857. She is a daughter of Elias Isaac, 
the old pioneer of Berlin Township (see 
sketch of Isaac and pioneers of Bureau 
County). Mrs. Cass was born February 6, 
1839, in Berlin Township. She is the mother 
of Lincoln H. Cass, who was born November 
25, 1860, and who is at present a law student 
of Chicago. 

PETER J. CASSIDY, W'estfield, was born 
August 4, 1845, in North Gore, Canada 
West, to which place his grandparents, Peter 
and Margaret Cassidy, came at an early day. 
They were natives of Ireland and soon be- 
came successful farmers in Canada. In the 
fall of 1847 they came to Bureau County, 
111., where they bought and entered thirteen 
eighties of land, a part of which were Mexi 
can war claims. All the land was in West- 
field Township. They became quite well-to- 
do farmers, and eventually removed to Ottawa, 
LaSalle County, where both died. They 
reared a family of nine children: Philip, 
Patrick, Margaret. Peter, Ann, Mary, James. 
Catharine and Terrence. Of these Patrick 
Cassidy was born 1819, in County Cavan, 
Ireland. He came here with his parents and 
entered 240 acres of land. He died here 
July 16, 1855. He was married in Canada 
to Joanna Cochlin, born September 29, 1823, 
in County Cork, Ireland. She is yet living, 
and is the mother of five children, now living: 
Peter J., our subject; Mrs. Mary A. White, 
of Montgomery County, Iowa; Mrs. Joanna 
Manning, Catharine and Patrick. Of these 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



479 



Peter J. was educated in this county. Here 
he taught fourteen terms of school. He has 
farmed the last six years, and now has 280 
acres of land. He was married Novem- 
ber 19. 1877, in Sheffield, 111., to Mary M. 
A. Lawler, daughter of Luke and Catharine 
(O'Maley) Lawler, natives of Ireland. The 
latter's brother, Patrick O'Maley, is now a 
resideutof Montgomery County, Iowa. Mrs. 
Cassidy was an able teacher in Bureau County. 
She was the mother of C. Jennie, John L. 
and Harry V., the latter deceased. Mrs. 
Cassidy died April 27, 1883, aged twenty -five 
years. Politically Mr. Cassidy is a Democrat 
He has tilled township offices, and is now 
Assessor, having tilled the office four years. 
GEORGE CASTENDYCK. Hall, was 
born September 3, 1824, in Werdorf, Cob- 
lenz Rhein, Prussia. His parents, Frederick 
and Louise (Hofmann) Castendyck, were 
natives of Germany, where they lived until 
death. The father was a high govern- 
ment officer. They had eight children, of 
whom two, Louis and George, came to the 
United States in June, 184:9. George Cas- 
tendyck had been a soldier in the Prussian 
Army, and was preparing to enter the govern- 
ment employ. When they tirst came to this 
country they lived in Erie, Penn., till July, 
1851. They then came to Hall Township, 
Bureau County, 111., and bought 160 acres of 
wild land at S7.50 per acre, and the next 
year another 160 acres at the same price. 
They now own 426 acres of well-improved 
land. They are engaged in farming and 
stock-raising, and have an imported Norman 
and English horse. The two brothers have 
made a success of life through their in- 
dustry, and command the respect of the 
community. Louis Castendyck was never 
married, and makes his home with his 
brother George, our subject. He was mar- 
ried in this county m the spring of 1852, to 
Mary Betz, who was born May 12, 1827, in 
Engelstadt, Hessen Darmstadt, Germany. 
(See sketch of C. Betz.) She died here July, 
1863. She was the mother of the following 
children: Charles, Mrs. Louisa Hummell, 
William, Otto and Gustav. Mr. Castendyck 
was again married October 15, 1865, to Char- 
lotte Stuhl, born December 7, 1839, in Ham- 
fenfeld, Bavaria, Germany. She has three 



children: Johanna, Ferdinand and Fannie. 
Politically Mr. Castendyck is identitied with 
the Democratic party. He has tilled school 
offices, and has been Justice of the Peace 
for the last twelve years. 

WILLIAM CATHERMAN, Walnut, was 
born July 22, 1847, in Union County, Penn. 
His parents, Robert and Elizabeth (Bone_y) 
Catherman, were natives of the same State 
as their son. They were the parents of thir- 
teen children, viz.: Christine, wife of John 
Draper, of Cass County, Mich. ; Laura, de- 
ceased; Louisa, wife of Henry Wood, of 
Erie County, Ohio ; Montgomery, married to 
Alinda Glenn, resides in Erie County, Ohio; 
Eliza, wife of Andy Smith, of Winamac, 
Ind. ; Albert, of Cass County, Mich., mar- 
ried to Laura Hay; William, of Bureau 
County; Isabelle, wife of Amos Smith, of 
Cass County, Mich. ; Mary, wife of David 
Howser, of Sacramento, Cal. ; Matilda, of 
Grand Rapids, Mich. : Sarah, wife of Samuel 
Bridge, of Cass County, Mich. ; David, of 
Bureau County, married to Maggie Lindbery; 
Clara, of Cass County, Mich. Robert Cather- 
man is a carpenter by trade, and worked at 
that until he removed from Pennsylvania to 
Erie County, Ohio, in 1854, since which 
time he has been engaged in farming. In 
1865 he removed to Cass County, Mich., 
where he still resides; his wife died there 
October 16, 1875. William Catherman was 
educated in the schools of Erie County, 
Ohio, and also attended one term in Michi- 
gan. In 1866 he was in Kankakee County, 111., 
but returned to Michigan the same fall, and 
in 1868 came to Bureau County, 111., where 
he has since resided. July 3, 1869, he was 
united in marriage to Rebecca Black, a sis- 
ter of G. W. Black (see sketch). Mrs. Cath- 
erman was born February 8, 1848, in San- 
dusky County, Ohio. She is the mother of 
one daughter, Jennie E., born November 28, 
1870. After marriage Mr. Catherman began 
farming on rented land in Bureau Township. 
In 1882 he purchased his present farm of 
200 acres, in Section 36, Walnut Township, 
a farm in an excellent state of cultivation. 
He gives his attention chiefly to the raising 
and feeding of stock. Mr. Catherman has 
always been a supporter of the Republican 
party. 



480 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



OLIVER CHADDOCK, Lamoille, was 
born February 15, 1852, in Belmont County, 
Ohio. He is a son of Richard and Eliza 
(Nicholson) Chaddock, natives of Baltimore, 
Md. They came to Illinois in 186-t and set- 
tled in Lamoille Township, Bureau County, 
but at present reside in Maiden. They are 
the parents of twelve children, who all had 
families and are all living except two. Our 
subject received his education in Lamoille, 
where be now resides. He has made farm- 
ing his main business and still owns 495 
acres of land. In 1878 he clerked in a 
store in Lamoille and then bought an in. 
terest in a grocery store and conducted it in 
partnership with M. A. Holbrook. For three 
years Mr. Chaddock was actively engaged in 
the mercantile business and yet owns an inter- 
est in the Urm of Holbrook, Dunbar & Chad- 
dock, general merchants. For the last three 
years he has turned bis attention mainly to 
farming, buying and selling stock and dne 
cattle, horses and hogs. He is also engaged 
in manufacturing. Our subject was married 
December 23, 1874-, to Elizabeth Dunbar, who 
was born February 23, 1858, in Lamoille 
Township. Her parents are James and Re- 
becca Dunbar. Mrs. Elizabeth Chaddock is 
the mother of one child— De Clifford Chad- 
dock— who was born May 23, 1876. Mr. and 
Mrs. Chaddock are religiously connected with 
the Methodist Episcopal Church and are also 
members of the Good Templars. 

O. E. CHAPMAN, Walnut, was born in 
Medina County, Ohio, March 27, 1832. His 
ancestors were of the old New England stock, 
having come to this country at least before 
1760. His father, Sceva Chapman, was a 
native of Cavendish, Vt., born February 10, 
1793 ; he was a soldier in the war of 1812 ; 
his wife, AzubaMarsh, was born in Wilming- 
ton, Vt., October 7, 1802. At an early date 
they immigrated to Ohio, going down Lake 
Erie before there were any steamboats ou the 
lakes. Sceva Chapman died in Medina 
County, Ohio, in January. 1881 ; his widow 
still resides there. Of their family of six 
children, two sons and two daughters are still 
living. O. E. Chapman was reared on a farm 
and educated in the common schools of his 
native State. He was married in Medina 
County, Ohio, September 6, 1853, to Miss 



Sarah L. Beeman, who was born in the same 
county, May 6, 1833. In 1854 they came to 
Bureau County and lived in Princeton till the 
fall of 1857, Mr. Chapman being engaged in 
carpenter and joiner's work, at which he had 
also worked in Oh io. In 1 857 he settled on his 
present farm of 160 acres in northwest quarter 
of Section 29, Walnut Township, which was 
then entirely unimjjroved. He has since given 
his attention exclusively to farming. Mr. and 
Mrs. Chapman are the parents of five chil- 
dren, viz. : Willard E., born March 27, 1855, 
died January 9, 1873 ; Clarence B., born Jan- 
uary 1, 1857, an attorney at Ottawa, 111. ; 
Ozias S., born August 30, 1859, a student at 
Ottawa, HI., a teacher by profession ; Milan 
E., born July 18, 1861, engaged in teaching 
in Bureau County ; Herman L., born March 
28, 1866. Mrs. Chapman is the daughter of 
Milan and Anthy (Monger) Beeman. The 
father was born in Litchfield, Conn., Febru- 
ary 24, 1799, and his wife February 24, 1802. 
She died February 16, 1839, and he April 
15, 1879. Mr. Beeman was twice married 
and had eight children by his first wife and 
four by the second. Of the family seven are 
living. Mr. Beeman' s father, Daniel Beeman, 
was a Revolutionary soldier and the family 
was among the early New England settlers. 
In politics Mr. Chapman was an Abolitionist, 
and is non' Republican. He has served three 
terms as Supervisor of Walnut Township. 
He and his wife are Congregational in relig- 
ious belief. 

RODOLPHUS CHILDS, Dover, was born 
in Deerfield, Mass., October 23, 1815. He is 
the son of Erastus and Mercy (Hawks) 
Childs, who were born in the same village 
as their son and lived there until death. Our 
subject was one of seven children. He re 
mained on his father's farm until 1836, when 
he came to Bureau County, arriving here the 
day he was twenty-one. He came in com- 
pan} with Elijah Smith, for whom he worked 
the first year. In 1842 he began the im- 
provement of his present farm of 200 acres, 
160 of which he entered from the Govern- 
ment, forty acres at a time, as he could obtain 
the money. In September, 1843, he was 
married to Miss Nancy Smith, a daughter of 
" Dad Joe," ^see sketch of " Dad Joe " Smith, 
in General History.) She was born at Peoria, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



481 



111.. November 5, 1826. Mr. and Mrs. Childs 

are the parents of eight children, viz. : James, 
a resident of Harman, Lee Co., 111. ; Calista, 
deceased; John H., Mary, Milo, Orlinda, 
wife of Dr. Willis Pierce, of Iowa; Nellie, 
wife of Enos Cole, of Dover Township; Clara 
J., deceased. The two oldest sons, James and 
John H. , were in the army, both being with 
Sherman on the march to the sea. Mr. Childs 
is a Republican in politics; he was an Abo- 
litionist, and voted for James G. Birney. 

E. D. CHRISMAN, Milo. This gentle- 
man was born July 28, 1824, in Berkeley 
County, Va. His father. George P. Chris- 
man, was born in 1796,in Virginia, which State 
he left on account of his opposition to slavery, 
and removed to Ohio, and from there to 
Knox County, 111., where he died in 1872. 
He was a farmer by occupation, and a soldier 
in the war of 1812. He was of German de- 
scent. The mother of our subject, Dorothy 
Sanders, was born 1798 in Virginia. She 
died 183.3, in Highland County, Ohio. She 
was a daughter of Joseph Sanders, and was 
the mother of seven children, viz. : Mrs. Jane 
Richardson, Mrs. Mary Frisby, Mrs. Julia 
A. Schram, Mrs. Rachel Walford, Mrs. Ellen 
Green, James A., and Elisha D. Chrisman, 
who is mainly self educated, receiving but 
fourteen days of schooling in his life. In 
the fall of 1837 he came to Illinois with his 
parents, and the next spring settled in Knox 
County, where he farmed till April, 1852, 
when he bought eighty acres of land in Milo 
Township, Biu'eau County, where he now re- 
sides and at present owns a well improved 
farm of 240 acres, the result of his industry 
and economy. Mr. Chrisman was married 
twice. In September, 1849, he married Miss 
Mahala Cay wood, a sister of his present wife. 
She was born in 1823, and died December 
6, 1850. She was the mother of James T., 
who only lived to be nine months old. Mr. 
Chrisman was joined in matrimony a second 
time, April 4, 1852, to Elizabeth Caywood, 
who WHS bom December 6, 1829, in Mary- 
land. She is a daughter of Thomas and 
Hannah (Hufford) Caywood, and is the moth- 
er of four children, viz.: Frank, Laura C, 
Jennie O. and Ella A. Chrisman. Frank 
Chrisman married Eva Read. Three children 
were the result of this union, viz. : Nellie, 



Clarence and Bernice Chrisman. Mr. E. D. 
Chrisman and his wife are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically he 
was formerly an Abolitionist and is now iden- 
tified with the Republican party. Financial- 
ly he has made a success of life, being a self- 
made man in every respect. 

J. CHRITZMAN, Princeton, was born No- 
vember 7, 1833, in Harrisburg, Penn. He is 
the son of Henry and Margaret (Zigler) 
Chritzman. The father was born in Gettys- 
burg, Penn., and the mother was also a native 
of the same State. She was the daughter of 
Jacob and Elizabeth Zigler. The Zigler fam- 
ily was one of the early families of Pennsyl- 
vania. Of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Chritzman's 
family six are now living, viz. : Mrs. Maria 
Bigler, Mrs. Charlotte Black, Jacob, Chris- 
tian, Harry and George. The subject of this 
sketch was educated in his native city, and in 
early life worked in a commission house, af- 
ter which he served an apprenticeship of 
three years as a molder in a foundry at Lan- 
caster, Penn. He then was engaged in the 
foundry business for two years for himself at 
Berrysburg, Penn. In 1853 Mr. Chritzman 
came "West, and for one year lived in Minne- 
sota: then one year in Mt. Carroll, 111., but 
in 1855 he came to Princeton and engaged in 
the foundry business, continuing in the same 
till Novemljer, 1878, since which time he has 
been dealing in all kinds of agricultural im- 
plements, including reapers, mowers, thresh- 
ers, engines, plows, cultivators, buggies, etc., 
etc. In Princeton, January 10, 1859, he was 
united in marriage to Miss Rachel Jane 
Knox, who was born in Bureau County in 
1839. She is the daughter of William and 
Mary (Mercer) Knox, both natives of Ohio, as 
were also their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Chritz- 
man have two children now living, viz. : Lot- 
tie and Clarence. Mrs. Chritzman is a mem- 
ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He 
is a member of the Masonic order, and has 
taken all the degrees, being a member of the 
Bureau Lodge, No. 112, Princeton Chapter, 
Temple Commandery, No. 20, Orion Council 
and Scottish Rite to the thirty-second de- 
gree, and also K. of H. and Mutual Aid. 
In politics he is Democratic. 

HORATIO CHURCHILL, Buda, was born 
in Somerset County, Me., April 1, 1843. He 



483 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



is the son of Asa and Mary (Holden) Church- 
ill, both natives of the same State as their 
son. The father died in Maine, but the 
mother in Michigan. They were the parents 
of thirteen children, all of whom, except three, 
are now living. Our subject was reared on a 
farm, but had also worked in saw-mills pre- 
vious to coming to this State. He came to 
Bureau County, III., in 1867. He was mar- 
ried September 8, 1881, to Miss Mary A. Hod- 
getts. She was born in Dudley, England, 
August 13, 1861, and is the daughter of Ed- 
ward and Marj^ (Sheltou) Hodgetts, who came 
to America in 1865, and who are now resi- 
dents of Kewanee, Henry Co., 111. They 
are the parents of six sons and two daughters 
now living. Mrs. Churchill is the mother of 
one daughter — Nellie May Churchill — born 
September 12, 1883. And by a previous mar- 
riage Mr. Churchill has two sons, viz. : Dan- 
iel Lewis, born February 3, 1 876, and Oscar 
Warren, born May 20, 1877. He is a mem- 
ber of the Buda Lodge, A. F. & A. M. In 
polities he is Republican. When Mr. Church- 
ill came to Buda in 1867 he began the 
manufacture of brick in partnership with 
C. P. Mason. After one season he bought 
Mr. Mason's interest, and has continued in 
the business since with different partners at 
different times, but is now alone. In 1878 he 
began manufacturing tile also, and now has 
the capacity for manufacturing 1,000,000 
brick and 500,000 tile per season. And in 
1883 he manufactured to one-half the capac- 
ity of the machinery. As the quality of tile 
and brick manufactured is excellent, the de- 
mand steadily increases. 

SETH C. CLAPP, deceased, was a native 
of Northampton, Mass., where he was born 
in 1812; he died May 1, 1871, in Bureau 
County, 111., to which he came in 1835. 
Here he was a tiller of the soil and highly 
respected for his many good qualities of head 
and heart. Mr. Clapp was man-ied twice. 
His first wife was Asenath Hitchcock, a 
native of Massachusetts; she died November, 
1851, in Princeton, 111. His second wife 
was Mrs. Amelia R. Steel, who survives him. 
She was the widow of the Rev. Calvin Steel, 
who was born in 1812, in Vermont; he died 
February 23, 1851, in Oberlin, Ohio, where 
he was educated and where his parents for- 



merly resided. He preached the Gospel in 
the State of Michigan and in LaSalle Coun- 
ty, 111. He was a friend to the poor and 
needy and ever ready to build up the church 
and further the interest of his fellow men. 
He was the father of John M. Steele, who is 
now a resident of Dakota. He was born 
November 4, 1849, and was married to Lydia 
A. Gray. They have three children, viz.: 
Edith C, Katie D. and Crete G. Seth C. 
Clapp left no posterity, but Mr. and Mrs. 
Clapp adopted one daughter — Stella E. 
Clapp — who brightened their home for many 
years. She died February 2, 1883, aged 
twenty three years. Mrs Clapp came to 
Bureau County in 1852. For a number of 
years she has resided in Princeton, where she 
is religiously connected with the Congrega- 
tional Church. 

JOHN CLAPP, deceased. This old pio- 
neer was born October 1, 1814, in Northamp- 
ton, Mass. He came to Bureau County in 
1834, accompanied by his brother in-law, 
Caleb Cook, and settled near Princeton. In 
1837 he was married to Lacy M. Smith, a 
daughter of James Smith, another old settler 
of Bureau County. In 1838 John Clapp 
removed to Lamoille Township, where he 
bought 160 acres of land at $1.25 per acre. 
This he improved and resided on it till his 
death, which occurred November 22, 1880. 
Mr. and Mrs. Clapp were active members of 
the Congregational Church at Lamoille, of 
which he was a Deacon. Politically he was 
a Republican and took an active part in 
everything pertaining to the interest of his 
township, in which he has tilled many offices. 
Mrs. Lucy M. Clapp may be classed among 
our pioneer teachers, and many men in this 
county received their instruction from this 
wide-awake lady, who is yet living on the 
homestead. She was born April 19, 1818, 
and is the mother of seven children, viz.: 
Charles S., who was killed at the battle of 
Champion Hills; Mrs. Harriet W. Richard- 
son, deceased; Cephas F., a Congregational 
minister of Yankton, Dak.; William A., a 
farmer in Walnut, Iowa; D wight, deceased; 
Albert N. , also of Walnut, Iowa, and Mrs. 
Alice M. Fauble, who was born October 6, 
1860. She was married August 30, 1881, to 
John Fauble, who farms the homestead. He 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



483 



was born November 16, 1857, in Lee County, 
111., where his parents, John and Christine 
(Troutwein) Fauble, wei'e among the earli- 
est German settlers. 

ATHERTON CLARK, Princeton, was born 
near Dover, 111., September 22, 1839. Sep- 
tember 11, 18(31, he enlisted in Company K, 
Ninth Illinois Cavalry, and served with honor 
till the close of the war. He was in many 
severe engagements, among which were those 
of Nashville and Franklin, Tenn., and Tu- 
pelo, Miss. He was successively promoted 
from Sergeant of his company, until at the 
close of the war he was Major of his regi- 
ment. In 186S he was elected Sheriff of 
Bureau County, and after the expiration of 
his term of office he engaged in farming. 
In 1882 he was appointed Deputy Sheriff of 
this county and filled that position until 
elected City Marshal of Princeton in the 
spring of 1884. Maj. Clark is a member of 
the A. F. & A. M. fraternity and also G. A. 
R. Post. In politics he is a stanch Repub- 
lican. December 13, 1865, Maj. Clark was 
united in marriage to Miss Jerusha B. Whit- 
marsh, who was born at Cold Springs, N. Y., 
July 3, 1840, and is the daughter of Alvah 
and Naomi (Clark) Whitmarsh, the latter of 
whom is yet living at the age of eighty-three 
years. Maj, and Mrs. Clark are the parents 
of four children, viz.: Hubert A., Lora H. , 
Herma and Alice E. 

JAMES T. CLARK was born in Harrison 
County, Ohio, in 1832. In the spring of 
1834 his parents, Thomas and Eleanor (Barr) 
Clark, came to Bureaii County, and about four 
years later the father died. He left two sons 
and two daughters: Sarah M., died in June, 
1880 (she was the wife of D. Scott, of Knox 
County, 111.); John B., died in youth in 1846; 
Jane, wife of J. Y. Spangler, and James, the 
youngest of the family. After the father's 
death, the widow and her children remained 
on the home farm and tried to make a living, 
but with little success. The mother survived 
until 1876, and died at Cheyenne, W. T. 
As a poor farmer boy, James T. Clark was 
not much of a success, and, as he told his 
mother, he was not cut out for a farmer. To 
her query as to what he was cut out for, he 
replied that he did not know; but when the 
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad was 



being built through Bureau County, the 
question was answered. He began by driving 
a cart while they were on the grade east of 
the West Bureau. During the construction 
of the bridge over the main Bureau, an acci- 
dent caused a vacancy which he was c \lled 
on to fill, and he began the selecting of bridge 
timbers. He did various kinds of work till 
the road was completed and then was given 
the position of section boss, at Buda. In 
1855 he was married near that place to Miss 
Mary Fry. From Buda he went to Gales- 
burg as assistant roadmaster, and was after- 
ward promoted to roadmaster. He resigned 
that position and became Assistant Superin- 
tendent of the Union Pacific Railroad, and 
removed to Cheyenne, and was afterward 
made General Superintendent. In May, 
1882, he became General Suj^eriutendent of 
the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, 
which position he still holds. Mr. Clark has 
been connected with the railroad business in 
some capacity ever since he began working 
by the day during the construction of the 
Chicago, IBurlington & Quincy Railroad in 
Bureau County. 

SAMUEL P. CLARK, Dover. George 
Clark, father of the gentleman whose name 
heads this sketch, was born in Belmont 
County, Ohio, March, 1811. In 1835 he 
came to Berlin Township in this county, 
buying his farm of the Government. He 
was the tii'st to settle on the prairie near 
Dover, and as he was told that the wind 
would blow him away, he anchored his house 
by setting the corner posts in the ground and 
mortising the sides to them. The siding and 
shingles he split and then dressed them by 
hand. He resided on his farm for forty years, 
when he removed to Dover and retired from 
active life. For a number of years before 
leaving the farm he dealt principally in 
lands, and was one of the most successful 
men of the county. Of late years he has 
put most of his money at interest, although 
he still owns 700 acres in Bureau County. 
He was married in Belmont County, Ohio, to 
Miss Nancy Matson, a daughter of Enos 
Matson and sister of N. Matson. (See sketch. ) 
Mr. and Mrs. Clark are both living at Dover. 
They are the parents of four children: Enos, 
of St. Louis, Mo., a prominent attorney and 



484 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Judge for many years; Samuel P.; Josephus 
S., of Princeton, money loaner; Mary Ann, 
wife of Jacob AVarlield, of Princeton. Sam- 
uel P. Clark was born April 20, 1837. He 
was reared on the farm and educated at Mt. 
Morris, 111. He has given his attention 
chiefly to stock-raising in all its features, 
buying, shipping, growing, etc. For eight- 
een years he was one of the prominent breed- 
ers of short-horn cattle. In 1881 he made 
his first importation of thoroughbred (Jlydes- 
dale and English draft horses, and in 1883 
he visited Europe and made other piirchases. 
Since beginning in 1881 he has made seven 
importations and landed sixty-eight head. 
When Mr. Clark started in life his father 
gave him $10, and he has since depended on 
his own resources. He now owns 302 acres 
of land in Sections 24 and 13. January 1, 
1860, he was married in this county to Miss 
Ann Poole, a sister of W. Poole, of Dover. 
Mr. and Mrs. Clark have three children: 
Grace, Enos and Hattie. Mr. Clark is Re- 
publican in politics, but does not take any 
active part. 

ADAM CLEER, Westfield, was born July 
31, 1830, in Merkenfritz, Hessen Darmstadt, 
Germany. His parents, Henry and Anna 
Mary (Lerch) Cleer, were also natives of 
Germany, where the father died in 1850. 
Mrs. Cleer came to America with her family 
in June, 1854, and died in Peru, 1)1., the 
following September. She was the mother 
of four children, viz. : Mrs. Margaret Straw, 
deceased; Adam, our subject; Mrs. Mary 
AVeber, and Henry, who was killed on the 
plains, while on his way to California. 
Adam Cleer came to Bureau County in 1854, 
and bought 151^ acres in Hall Township, of 
George Mais. He also owns 333 acres in 
LaSalle County and ten acres of timber. 
He has always given his attention to farming, 
in which he has been very successful. He 
was married in Germany, December 25, 1853, 
to Mary C. Sittner, daughter of John and 
Catharine (Keutzer) Sittner, who came to 
this country in 1854. Mr. and Mrs. Cleer 
have six children, viz. : John, Mrs. Mary 
Schwab, Dena, Henry, Charley and Anna. 
Mr. and Mrs. Cleer are members of the Lu- 
theran Church. In politics he is a Repub- 
lican. 



.GILBERT CLEMENT, Lamoille, who is 
the subject of this biography, was born June 
17, l8l5, in Danville, Caledonia Co., Vt. 
He is one of our few early settlers who came 
here when this county was a mere wilderness. 
He was here as early as 1836. His parents, 
Merrill and Haonah (Morrill) Clement, were 
natives of New Hampshire, where the former 
died. The latter died in Hardin County, 
Ohio. She was an aunt of Thaddeus Stevens, 
the statesman and anti-slaveryman. Our 
subject is the youngest of a family of eleven 
children, of whom he and his sister, Mrs. 
Lydia Hatch, are the only survivors. Mr. 
Clement was reared in Vermont. In 1835 he, 
accompanied by his mother and oldest brother 
and family, removed to Hardin County, Ohio, 
where he resided one year, and then came to 
Bureau County, 111. He traveled by water, 
coming down the Ohio, then up the Missis- 
sippi and Illinois Rivers, landing in Prince- 
ton in December, 1836. Here he has made 
farming his principal occupation, but also 
followed the carpenter's trade ten years. He 
has resided in Lamoille Township with the 
exception of six years, which he spent in 
Livingston County. He was married here 
to Lucy A. Barton, who was born December 
4, 1821, in South Hadley, Mass. She is a 
daughter of Ezekiel and Nancy (Cadwell) 
Barton, and came to this county with her 
aunt, Mrs. Julia Church, in October, 1836. 
She is the mother of the following children: 
Mrs. Elizabeth B. Bullard, Mrs. Josephine 
Eastman, Mrs. Hannah Sturdevant, Mrs. Lu- 
cella McCombs, Mrs. Sophronia Newberry, 
Alice M. Clement. Mrs. Chastina McCulloch, 
Eliza J. (deceased), Gilbert M., Edith M. and 
Norman B. Clement, the latter deceased. 
Mrs. Clement is an active member of the 
Baptist Church. Eight of her daughters 
have been teachers; of these seven have 
taught in this county, and thus added ma- 
terially to the advancement of morality and 
intelligence in this community. Politically 
Mr. Clement is identified with the Repub- 
lican party, and is greatly in favor of pro- 
hibition. He filled different offices in Clarion 
Township, where he resided seventeen years. 
When the evening twilight of life gathered 
about him he removed to the quiet village of 
Lamoille, where he now resides. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES- 



485 



J. HARVEY CODDINGTON, Dover. 
James Coddington, father of the above- 
named gentleman, was born January 25, 
1798, in Alleghany County, Md. He was 
reared on a farm, but after starting in life 
for himself engaged in teaching and survey- 
ing. Much of his early life was spent in 
hunting, and in that way he gained an ac- 
quaintance with the mountains and passes, 
which was of great value to him when en- 
gaged in surveying for the National Turn- 
pike and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. In 
the spring of 1831 he came to Bureau Coun- 
ty, but soon after returned to Maryland, 
where he remained till 1833, when he again 
came to this county, and settled on Section 
17, Dover Township, where he lived until 
1876. He was one of the most successful 
hunters of the county. Being of rugged and 
robust frame, and an average weight of 200 
pounds, there were but few who could follow 
him in his hunting expeditions. He was 
married in this county to Catherine Fear, 
born in 1814. They were the parents of ten 
children, five of whom are still living (four 
died in childhood): Mary A., wife of D. W. 
Chase, of Dover Township; Caroline, wife of 
Calvin Shugart, died in 1873; J. Harvey, of 
Dover Township; Annor, wife of Milford 
Prazee, of Dover Township; Henry C, of 
Dover Township; Martha B., wife of Peter 
Ostram, of Lancaster County, Neb. In 1876 
Mr. Coddington returned to his native State 
for a visit, but met with an accident, from 
the effects of which he died, Juno, 1876. His 
wife, who was with him, was also injured, 
but recovered, and is still living. J. Harvey 
Coddington was born January 25, 1847, in 
this county, where he has always resided, 
being engaged in farming. He was married 
January 25, 1872, to Miss Lizzie Keel. She 
is a native of Ohio, a daughter of John W. 
and Barbara ( Bridenbaugh) Keel, now resi- 
dents of Dover, 111. Mr. and Mrs. Codding- 
ton have six children, viz.: James K., born 
September 14, 1872; John, born June 24, 
1875; Harry, born April 27, 1877; Frank, 
born April 21, 1879; Nellie, born April 19, 
1881; Willie, born May 31, 1883. Two 
years after his marriage Mr. Coddington pur- 
chased his present farm, where he has since 
resided. He owns 280 acres, 200 of which 



are in the home farm. In politics he is a 
stanch Republican. He and his wife are 
members of the United Brethren Church of 
Dover. 

HENRY C. CODDINGTON, Dover, the 
son of James Coddington (see sketch of J. 
H. ), was born in the old log-cabin on his 
present farm August 14, 1850, and has al- 
ways lived on the old homestead, which he 
now owns. He has always given his 
attention to farming, and now has 200 
acres of land. He was married December 
22, 1875, to Mary A. Pierce, born in East 
Pawpaw Grove, Lee Co., 111., in 1850. She 
is the daughter of Charles and Catherine 
(Sine) Pierce, natives of Luzerne County, 
Pa., but now residing at Pawpaw Grove, 111. 
Mr. and Mrs. Coddington have five children, 
viz.: Charles James, born March 27, 1877; 
Emma Orelia, born November 13, 1879; 
Mabel Pearl, born August 29, 1881 ; twin 
girls, born July 29, 1884. In politics Mr. 
Coddington is identified with the Republican 
party. 

N. P. COLBERG, Princeton, was born 
March 31, 1842, in the town of Cimbrits- 
hauen, County of Christianstod, and State of 
Skone, Sweden. He is the son of Olof and 
Cecelia Colberg. The father was a gardener 
by profession, and died in the old coitntry; 
the mother is yet living there. She is the 
mother of seven children, of whom N. P. is 
the youngest. Our subject was educated in 
his native country. For five years he at- 
tended the garden schools and learned the 
profession of gai'dener, and for seven years 
followed his profession in his native State, 
and then went to Germany, where for one 
year he was gardening at Schleswig-Holstein. 
He then went to Denmark, and was garden- 
er for the King, Frank VII, for one year. 
After the death of the King Mr. Colberg re 
turned to his native country, and continued 
in his profession for three years, and then 
came to America in 1868, and has since re- 
sided in Princeton. When he first came he 
had no capital whatever, and worked for 
others until he was able to engage in busi- 
ness for himself. At first he bought but two 
acres of land and began gardening. After- 
ward he sold out, and in 1875 bought his 
present garden lot of ten acres, which was 



486 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



but a swamp at that time, but he has since 
put it in a high state of cultivation, having 
had $1,400 v?orth of tile laid. He is engaged 
in growing the small fruits, vegetables and 
flowers. He has three greenhouses and 200 
hot-beds. Mr. Colberg has been very suc- 
cessful, but it has been through close atten- 
tion to business and a thorough understand- 
ing of his profegsiou. In 1883 he purchased 
an additional plat of ground containing thir- 
teen acres. He was married in Sweden in 
June, 1862, to Christina Olson. She is the 
mother of five children, viz.: Nels, Anna, 
Albert, Ellen and Ida. 

F. COLBY, Indiantown. The genealogy 
of the Colby family is as follows: Its pro- 
genitor in America, as far as known, was 
Isaac Colby, who lived in old Amesbury, 
Mass. He was a farmer by occupation, and 
the father of the following children: John, 
Elipbalet, Isaac, Nehemiah, Richard and 
Elizabeth. Of these, Eliphalet Colby was the 
great-grandfather of our subject. He mar- 
ried Polly Rodgers, who is a direct descend- 
ant of Rev. John Rodgers, a Protestant min- 
ister, who was burned at the stake February 
14, 1554, at Smitbtield, England, at the in- 
stigation of Queen Mary, the Catholic Re 
gent. Rev. John Rodgers assisted Tyndale 
in the translation of the Bible into the En- 
glish language. His gi-eat-grandson came to 
Massachusetts in 1636. His son, John Rod- 
gers, was President of Harvard College from 
1682 to 1684. Eliphalet and Polly (Rodgers) 
Colby were the parents of four children, viz. : 
Eliphalet, Nicholas, Levi and Polly Colby. 
Of the above, Nicholas Colby was born in 
1755 and died in 1836. He married Lois 
Martin, who was the mother of the following 
children, vi2. : Molly, Nicholas, Ruth, Jeru- 
sha, Oliver, Joshua, Levi and Joel. Of these 
Levi Colby was born January 30, 1800, 
in Henniker, N. H. His wife, Lydia B. 
Colby, was born July 13, 1804, in New 
Hampshire. Her great-grandfather, Joseph 
Bartlett, was captured by the Indians during 
colonial times and taken to Canada, but af- 
terward rescued. She is also a relative of 
Ashmead Bartlett, who married the Countess 
Burdett Coutts, the wealthy philanthropist. 
Levi Colby and wife have botl( passed four- 
score years, and, although the evening shad- 



ows of life are gathering about them, are 
still in the possession of their mental facul- 
ties. They make their home with their only 
son, F. Colby. The latter was educated in 
his native town. He has followed various 
occupations, principally farming. He is a 
good mechanic, and has erected all the build- 
ings on his farm, among others a line resi- 
dence. He came to Bureau County in 1868, 
and here owns 200 acres in Indiantown 
Township. He was born October 22, 1826, 
in Henniker, N. H., and was married in his 
native State September 4, 1848, to Julia A. 
Morgan, born in the above place March 10, 
1827. She is of English descent, and is the 
mother of Morris A. and Elmer A. Colby, the 
latter deceased, aged ten years and ten 
months. Morris A. Colby was born February 
7, 1850. He is farming with his father, is 
an I. O. O. F. He is married to Sarah An- 
thony, who was born September 3, 1849, in 
Morristown, N. J. They have three chil- 
dren, viz.: Anna F., Mary E. and Norah E. 
Colby. Mr. F. Colby and his whole family 
are religiously connected with the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. 

REV. JOHN COLE, Greenville, was born 
in Cumberland County, Ky., January 9, 
1812. He is the son of Samuel and Mary 
(Brown) Cole. Samuel Cole was born Jan- 
uary 23, 1778. He was married to Mary 
Brown December 6, 1798; she was born Jan- 
uary 5, 1779, and died November 11, 1851. 
They were the parents of ten children, of 
whom the following are now living: Benja- 
min, who was born June 17, 1809, and now 
resides in Kansas; John, of Bureau County; 
Nancy, born October 24, 1816, now in Texas, 
and David, born April 22, 1823, now of Clay 
County, 111. Sampson Cole, the oldest son, 
was born July 8, 1801. He came to Bureau 
County in 1831, and lived here till about 
1838, when he removed to Arkansas, then to 
Texas, and finally to Los Angelos, Cal., where 
he died in 1881." In about 1822 John Cole 
removed to Memphis, Tenn., with his par- 
ents, and a short time after this to Arkansas, 
where the father died. In 1825 the family 
settled in Union County, 111., where our sub- 
ject remained till the spring of 1830, when 
he settled in what is now Champaign Coun- 
ty, and in November 16, 1831, he came to 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



487 



this county, and has since resided here. 
During the Black Hawk war he enlisted at 
Hennepin, but most of his service was at 
Fort Wilbur, in LaSalle County. When 
first settling in this county it was in Hall 
Township, but about a year later be settled 
in Selby, where he resided till 1866, when he 
removed to Tiskilwa, and December 20, 
1882, came to the farm one-half mile south 
of New Bedford, where the family owns 432 
acres, one of the best stock-farms in the 
county. Mr. Cole's occupation has mostly 
been that of a farmer, but for some years he 
was engaged in the mercantile business in 
Tiskilwa. Mi-. Cole's early life was spent on 
the frontier, and among the Indians, and so 
he was thoroughly fitted to till the part of a 
pioneer in the settlement of this county. His 
was one of the early marriages of Bureau 
County, as he was married September 30, 
1832, to Jane Tompkins, who was born in 
Carter County, east Tenn. , September 19, 
1817. She is the daughter of William and 
Elizabeth (Owens) Tompkins. William 
Tompkins was born November 20, 1772. He 
settled in Champaign County, 111., in 1829, 
and entered land where Urbana now stands. 
In 1831 he removed to Bureau County. In 
1834, while returning to this county from 
Tennessee, he died in Champaign County. Of 
his family of thirteen children but four are 
now living, viz.: Martin, born July 3, 1809, 
now of Mineral, 111. ; Elizabeth Holbrook, 
born February 19, 1814, now resides near 
Tiskilwa; Mrs. Cole, and Elijah Tompkins, ot 
Clarke County, Iowa, born October 30, 1822. 
Mr. and Mrs. Cole are the parents of the fol- 
lowing natned children: Elizabeth, born Jan- 
uary 20, 1834, wife of G. B. Wheeler, of 
Kansas; Maria J., born December 31, 1836, 
wife of William Chenoweth, of Arispetown; 
Mary L., born April 5, 1844, wife of Robert 
Patterson, of Arispetown; Samuel, born 
June 6, 1848, and Charles W., born May 13, 
1850. The two latter are farmers in Green- 
ville town. In politics Mr. Cole was Demo- 
cratic till 1856, since which time he has been 
Republican. For about forty-seven years he 
has been a member of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, and most of the time a min- 
ister, and has probably preached more 
funerals than any one else in this county. 



and has married a number of couples, chil- 
dren of those he had married in early life. 

O. T. COLLINS, Westfield, was born Jan- 
uary 3, 1823, in Hartford, Conn. His great- 
grandfather came from Scotland. The latter' s 
son, Simeon, was born in Connecticut, where 
he was a farmer and died. He was the father 
of six children: Silas, Jonathan, Isaac, Al- 
vin, Simeon and Mrs. Prudence Deer. Of 
these Isaac Collins was a blacksmith. He 
married Sophia Treat. They were natives of 
Connecticut, where they died. They were 
the parents of five children: Sophia, Orin T., 
Emily, Lovinia and Lydia A. Of these only 
Orin T. survives. He was reared and edu- 
cated in his native State, where he was mar- 
ried, November 24, 1846, to Charlotte O. 
Pitkin, born August 4, 1821, in Hartford, 
Conn., daughter of George Pitkin, who came 
here in 1855, and died here. She was the 
mother of five children: George P., Mrs. 
Charlotte E. Rose (of Kansas), Sophia T., 
Charles P. and Laura C. Collins. Mrs. Char- 
lotte O. Collins died May 7, 1878. Mr. Col- 
lins came to Bureau County in November, 
1855. He lived two years in Lamoille Town- 
ship, and then bought 160 acres in Westfield 
Township, on Sections 25 and 26, where he 
now resides. Politically, he has been so far 
identified with the Republican party. 

CYRUS COLTON, Wyanet, was bom 
January 13, 1814, in St. Lawrence County, 
N. Y. His father, Jonathan S. Colton, was 
born July 3, 1781, in Bolton, Conn.; he died 
here December 11, 1854. For a number of 
years he lived in the State of New York. In 
the fall of 1835 he came to Bureau County. 
He served for a short time in the war of 
1812. The mother of our subject was Betsey 
(Donaldson) Colton; she was born February 
20, 1784, in Monson, Mass. She died Octo- 
ber 4, 1846, in this county. She was mar- 
ried November 15, 1803, in Butternuts, 
Otsego Co., N. Y., and is the mother of the 
following children: Asa S., Heman S. and 
Elizabeth are deceased; Chauncey D., is now 
a resident of Bureau County; Cyrus, our 
subject; Egbert E. , deceased; Lewis J., now 
a resident of Kansas, and Eli R., a resident 
of Wisconsin. Our subject, Cyrus Colton, 
received the benefit of a common school edu- 
cation in New York. Early in life he became 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



a farmer, and has followed that vocation ever 
since. In 1835 he came to this county with 
his wife and his parents, having been mar- 
ried just before starting West, August 13, 
1835, in Lewis County, N. Y., to Miss Fide- 
lia L. Pitcher, who died here September 22, 
1879. She was the mother of five children : 
Mrs. Lucretia M. Eastman, deceased; Eve- 
line L., wife of John T. Conner; Charles P., 
who enlisted in August, 1861, in the Federal 
Army, and served faithfully to protect the 
stars and stripes till the close of the war (he 
died in 1871, aged thirty years, from disease 
contracted during the war); Levinia E., wife 
of E. D. Scott, and Seth W. Colton, who 
married Miss Lizzie Roberts, who is the 
mother of one boy — Robert P. Colton. Mr. 
Cyrus Colton was married a second time Jan- 
uary 17, 1881, to Mrs. Elizabeth Roberts, 
whose maiden name was Elizabeth Zearing. 
She died February, 1882. Mr. Cyi-us Colton 
has been a successful farmer. His home is 
pleasantly located in Section 13, in Wyanet 
Township, and is made brighter by the pres- 
ence of his son and his family. The storms 
of life, though often severe, have left Mr. 
Colton a hale old man, although he has 
passed the allotted three score and ten. 

JACOB COLVER, Westfield, was born 
August 23, 1806, in Lehigh County, Penn. 
His parents, Jacob and Susan (Miller) Colver, 
were natives of the same State, where they 
died. His grand-parents came from New 
England and are of English descent. His 
mother is of German descent. Jacob Colver 
is one of a family of eleven children, who 
were all married. He is the only one who has 
made Bui'eau County his home. He came to 
Illinois via the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, 
landing in Rock Island in December, 1845. 
He remained that winter in Como, 111., and 
the next spring came to Princeton, where he 
followed his trade. In 1849 he went over- 
land to California, where he worked in the gold 
mines with moderate success, returning to 
Hennepin, 111., via Panama and New Or- 
leans. He farmed that year near Princeton 
and in the spring of 1853 removed to West- 
field Township, where he had made a claim of 
160 acres as early as 1847. He improved the 
land and added to it from time to time till at 
present he has 551 acres in Hall and West 



field Townships. Mr. Colver has been a very 
successful farmer and his success is due to 
his industry and good management. He is 
now reaping his reward and enjoying his 
competence. He is fast approaching the good 
old age of four score years, and to-day, in the 
evening of life, surrounded by happy children 
and grandchildren, he can be content with a 
retrospect of the past and calmly await the 
future. Religiously he is connected with the 
Lutheran Church, but also supports other 
churches. Politically he is identified with 
the Republican party. Mr. Colver was joined 
in marriage in Pennsylvania, in April 27, 
1830, to Mary A. Hoffman, daughter of 
Michael and Mary A. (Shirey) Hoffman, na- 
tives of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Colver was born 
October 23, 1806, in Lehigh County, Penn. 
She shared her husband's trials in early life 
and was a faithful helpmeet. She died here 
June 4, 1880. Seven children were the re- 
sult of this union, viz.: Edward; Sarah C, 
deceased; Emeline S., deceased; Mary A., 
deceased; Eliza J., Jacob H., and Ellen L. 
Of the above, Edward Colver, of Leadville, 
Col., married Hannah Webb, deceased; four 
children, viz.: Melissa, Clara, Edward, and 
Lotta. Emeline S. Colver married William 
Tilden; children, seven: Jacob, William, 
Eunice, John, AJice, Ettie and Nettie, twins. 
Mary A. Colver married Owen Beil; one 
child, Sarah E. Beil. Eliza J. Colver, now a 
resident of Livingston County, 111., mar- 
ried Ethan Jackson. Ellen L. Colver, now of 
Storm Lake, Iowa, married Charley Ed- 
wards; children three, viz.: Frank, Elbert 
and Eldon, the latter deceased. Jacob H. 
Colver married Anna Miller; children ten, 
viz.: Howard L., Mary A. G., Ralph W., 
Jacob M., Laura A., Eliza J., Mabel E., 
Phcebe, Edward Clyde, deceased, and George 
Roland. Jacob H Colver enlisted November 
24, 1861, in Company D, of the Fifty-first 
Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry and 
served nearly four years. He participated 
in the battles of New Madrid; Island No. 10, 
Corinth, Stone River, Chickamauga, Mission 
Ridge and Resaca. At the latter battle he 
was shot through the arm and transferred to 
the Veteran Reserve Corps. Since the war he 
has been a farmer in Bureau County. 

JOSHUA J. COLVER, Hall, was born No- 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



489 



vember 24, 1832, in Rittersvillo, Lehigh Co., 
Penn. His parents, Charles and Susanna (Kem- 
merer) Colver, are natives of the same county 
and are now living near Bethlehem, North- 
ampton Co., Penn. They are the parents of 
four children, viz.: Joshua J., Maria, Mrs. 
Feyetta Schortz (deceased), and Charles. 
Joshua J. Colver was reared and educated in 
his native county. He was married at Allen- 
town, the county seat, on Christmas day, 1866, 
to Miss Matilda R. Lazarus, who was born 
August 15, 1839, in Northampton County, 
Penn. Her parents, Thomas and Polly 
(Bolliett) Lazarus, were natives of Pennsyl- 
vania, where the former was thrown from a 
buggy and killed. September, 1871, at the 
age of sixty-two years. His wife is still liv- 
ing, and is the mother of nine children, viz.: 
Catharine, Elizabeth, Caroline, Matilda R., 
Jonas E,, Lovina, James, Richard and Tilgh- 
man, who died at the age of nine years. 
Mr. and Mrs. Colver have three sons, viz.: 
JohnT., born July 15, 1867, William H., born 
March 17, 1871, and Franklin B , born July 
15, 1880. Mr. Colver came to this county in 
1859, and the nest year he and his father 
bought eighty acres of land. He returned to 
Pennsylvania the same year and in 1867 came 
to Bureau County to live. His farm contains 
160 acres. In politics he is a Republican. 
Mr. and Mrs. Colver are members of the 
Lutheran Church. 

OLIVER COOK, Princeton, was born 
July 26, 1842, near Racine, Wis. He is a 
son of -John Cook, who was born April 30, 
1812; he died here in 1872. Oliver Cook's 
grandfather was Larkin Cook; he was a 
native of Maryland and died in Vermillion 
County, 111., to which he came about 1825. 
The Cook family is of Irish extraction. The 
mother of Oliver Cook was Eveline (Graves) 
Cook. She was born 1816,in Fayette County, 
Ky. , and died in 1856, in Vermillion County, 
111. She was a daughter of James and Mar- 
garet (Blackburn) Graves, who were also 
natives of Kentucky. She was the mother of 
ten children. Of these only three are now 
living, viz. : Dr. F. Cook, now a resident of 
Sterling, Neb., Mrs. Amanda A. Holbrooks, 
and Oliver, our subject, who is the oldest of 
the three living. He was educated princi- 
pally in and near Danville, 111. He came to 



to this county in 1861; here he farmed one 
year and then, in 1862, he enlisted in the 
Ninety-third Regiment of Illinois Volunteer 
Infantry, Company C. He served about 
eleven months, when he was honorably dis- 
charged on account of disability. From the 
fall of 1864 till the closeof the war he served 
in the Forty-second Regiment Illinois Vol- 
unteer Infantry, Company K, participating 
in the battles of Springfield, Franklin and 
Nashville. After the war Mr. Cook taught 
school for one term in this county, and then 
engaged in the insurance business, making 
his headquarters in Wyanet, 111. In Sep- 
tember, 1881, he came to Princeton and at 
present is engaged in the real estate business, 
dealing wholly in Western lands in Nebraska, 
and is agent for the Burlington & Mis- 
souri Railroad lands. Mr. Cook was mar- 
ried February 10, 1876, to Miss Mary E. 
Conkling, who was born February 5, 1851, 
in this county. She is the daughter of Carl 
and Ellen (Coulter) Conkling. Four children 
were the result of their marriage, viz.: 
Charles W., Laura E., Florence N. and an in- 
fant boy. Mr. and Mrs. Cook are religiously 
connected with the Presbyterian Church. 

HENRY COOLEY, Fairfield, was born 
February 19, 1830, in Pittsford, Rutland Co., 
Vt. His parents, John and Amanda (Cook) 
Cooley, died in the same State, of which they 
were natives Our subject's ancestors came 
to America in the "Mayflower." Henry 
Cooley resided in Vermont till he was twenty- 
three years old, and then immigrated to 
Whiteside County, 111., where he sold goods 
for four years. In April, 1858, he came to 
Bureau County and farmed eleven years, after 
which he came to Yorktown, where he has 
been selling goods for the last fourteen years 
for O. W. McKenzie, and also keeping the 
postoffice. Subject was married in Vermont 
to Frances E. Rowe, who died here Novem- 
ber 18, 1870, aged thirty five years. She 
was the mother of four children, viz. : Frank- 
lin H., who was born August 11, 1859 (he 
married Jennie Van Drew) ; Mary A., August 
21, 1861, wife of A. O. Hunter; John "H., 
March 14, 1867, and Frederick A. Cooley, 
December 24, 1869. Franklin H. Cooley has 
two children, viz. : Charles H. and an infant 
daughter. Mrs. Marv A. Hunter has two 



490 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUKTY. 



sons, viz. : Merl D. and Frederick Hunter. 
Mr. Cooley is one of the standbys in Fairfield 
Township, having filled the offices of Treas- 
urer and Clerk for about twenty years. Po- 
litically he is a Greenbacker. He has 480 
acres of land in Bureau County. 

CALVIN COOPER, Mineral, is a native 
of Killingly, Windham Co., Conn., born 
March 20, 1810. His parents were of English 
descent, the father being a Baptist clergy- 
man. Calvin learned the carpenter and 
joiner trade when a young man, which fur 
nished him employment for a number of 
years. August 26, 1833, he married Miss 
Harriet Kies, a native also of Windham 
County. She was born December 23, 1812. 
They resided in Connecticut until the fall of 
1854, when they came to Illinois, stopping in 
Stephenson County until the following spring, 
when they settled on a farm in Bureau 
County. At the expiration of two years they 
moved to Mineral, which has since been their 
home. They are the parents of the following 
children: Daniel C, Josephine E. (deceased 
in infancy), Mary T., Louisa F., Marie A., 
Sarah J. and Harriet Emma. All the chil- 
dren are married and settled in life. Daniel 
served as a soldier in the defense of his 
Government against rebellion; enlisting as a 
private, but afterward was promoted to a 
Lieutenancy, and is now a prosperous grain 
merchant in Shelby, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. 
Cooper are members of the Congregational 
Church, and have always exerted their influ- 
ence for the moral and religious elevation of 
mankind. Mr. Cooper is a zealous Kepub- 
lican, and warm in his advocacy of the 
cause of the people. 

HAMILTON F. COREY, Ohio, was born 
in Cayuga County, N. Y., July 17, 1811, and 
is the son of John and Lucina Corey, for- 
merly of Connecticut. Mr. Corey's grand- 
father, David Rodes, was a soldier of the 
Revolution, and died in New York at the age 
of eighty-four. Our subject's father, John 
Corey, was a soldier of the war of 1812. 
The subject of this sketch was raised on the 
farm, where he resided till the spring of 
1835, when he came to this State and settled 
with his sister (now Mrs. Lemuel Carey) in 
Morgan County, where he remained till he 
came to this county in 1845, and first settled 



in Dover Township in 1846. In 1835 Mr. 
Corey married Esther Mead, of New York, 
who was born in 1807, and came to this 
county with her husband, where she died in 
1874. Of this man-iage there is a family 
of six children, four now living: Mrs. Eliz- 
abeth L. Smith, Ohio, 111. ; Mrs. Almeda 
Hammer, King City, Mo. ; Mrs. Elsa Rainer, 
of Nebraska; and John H. Corey, who was born 
October 30, 1843. He enlisted in Company 

B, Ninety-third Illinois Infantry, August 11, 
1862, and served till July 6, 1865; engaged 
in the following battles: Wyatt, Miss., De- 
cember 4, 1862 ; Yazoo Pass, expedition from 
March 23 to April 7, 1868; Jackson, Miss., 
May 14, 1863; "Champion Hills, Miss., May 
16, 1863; charge on Vicksburg, Miss., May 
19 to July 4, 1863; Piney Creek, Ala., May 
10, 1864; Dalton, Ga.. June 28, 1864; Mc- 
Allister, Ga., July 20, 1864: Allatoona, Sep- 
tember 3 and 5, 1864; Savannah, Ga., De- 
cember 10 and 11, 1864; Salkehatchie, S. 

C, February 2, 1865; Columbia. S. C, Feb- 
ruary ]5, 1865; Lynch's Creek, February 25, 
1865; Benton ville, N. C, March 19 and 20, 
1865, and Sherman's march to the sea from 
November 15, 1864, to April 27, 1865. He 
was wounded May 14, 1863, at Jackson, Miss. 
September 12, 1865, he married Phebe 
Rainer, by whom he has one son. In 1874 
Mr. H. F. Corey married his second and 
present wife, Rachel Martin, of this county, 
by whom he has one son, Harry F. Corey, 
born September 30, 1876. Mr. Corey owns 
320 acres in Ohio and 328 acres in Dover 
Townships. He was formerly a Whig, and is 
now a Republican. Mr. Corey is one of the 
family of seven children — four sons and three 
daughters — all now living; the youngest, Mrs. 
J. Lewis, lives at Jack's Riffs, N. Y., aged 
sixty four. This family (according to Mr. 
Corey's own statement) is somewhat peculiar, 
in the fact that they had the poorest of ad- 
vantages during youth — were not brought up 
but '• came up," all beginning with nothing, 
and all are now well off, and every one the 
owner of lands. 

MARTIN CORLEY, deceased, was a 
native of the Parish Ashgraw, County Conard, 
Ireland, where his parents, Daniel and Mary 
Moulton, died. Martin Corley came to 
America when quite young, and became a 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



491 



captain of a boat on the Genesee River. He 
was married in Eochester, N. Y. , to Sarah 
Biglow, born November 26, 1815, near the 
Canada line in Berkshire Township, Vt. 
She is a daughter of Stephen and Phebe 
(Wing) Biglow, the former a native of Rhode 
Island and of Welsh extraction, and the latter 
of Connecticut and of English and Irish 
descent. Her father commanded one of the 
vessels under Gen. Wolfe at the taking of 
Quebec, and participated in the battle on the 
Plains of Abraham, receiving as reward a 
large tract of land in the Canadas from the 
British Government. Her grandfather was 
an officer and fell at the battle of Bunker 
Hill. Mr. Martin Corley lived three years 
in Rochester, N. Y., and then, in 1841, came 
to LaSalle County, 111., and in December, 
the same year, bought 120 acres of Daniel 
Roth in Westfield Township, Bureau Co., 
in Section 10, where he died July 18, 1873, 
aged sixty-seven years. He was a good far- 
mer and owned 480 acres when he died. He 
was respected by all who came in contact 
with him for his many good qualities. Mrs. 
Corley yet survives and is the mother of ten 
children, viz.: Mrs. Mary McDonald, Daniel, 
John, Stephen, Mrs. Phebe A. Bartlett (de- 
ceased), Martin, Mrs. Miriam Loehr, Frank, 
Mrs. Emma Grimes and Agnes Corley. 
Frank Corley and his mother now own the 
homestead consisting of 120 acres. 

CORNELIUS C. CORSS, Bui-eau. The 
Corss family was probably among the Puritan 
settlers of Massachusetts, at least they were 
residents of Deerfield, Mass., at the time of 
the French and Indian massacre in 1703 and 
1704, and only two of the family escaped, 
one of whom was the great- grandfather of 
C. C. Corss. The family still continued to 
reside in Massachusetts, and at Greenfield, 
Mass.. our subject was born. October 13, 
1807. His grandfather, Asher Corss, was 
among the early settlers of Greenfield, known 
as one of the " old proprietors," he having 
taken up a large tract of land in that vicinity. 
Asher Corss, Jr., our subject's father, lived 
and died on the farm which his father had 
settled. Both he and his wife, Lucy Gren- 
nell. died in May, 1814. She was born 
April 7, 1775, and he June 5, 1775. They 
were the ]>arents of three sons and six 



daughters, three of whom are living: Charles 
C. Corss, a minister of Bradford County, 
Penn. ; Cornelius C, our subject; Sarah, 
widow of Henry Newton, resides at Green- 
field, Mass. Christopher G. Corss, another 
son of Asher Corss, Jr. , came to this county 
previous to the Black Hawk war, and settled 
southeast of Princeton in Princeton Town- 
ship, and lived there until his death, June 
9, 18*17. Cornelius C. Corss was reared in 
Greenfield, Mass., and resided in that State 
till 1833, when he came to Bureau County, 
111., arriving here in October. He first laid 
claim to what is known as the Deacon Caleb 
Cook farm in Princeton Township, and re- 
sided there one year, when he sold his claim 
to Deacon Cook and then settled on his pres- 
ent farm in Bureau Township, Section 34, 
where he has lived sinc% the fall of 1834. 
He and his son now own 480 acres. Mr. 
Corss has helped raise and handle fifty-one 
crops of corn in Bureau County. He was 
the first purchaser of any article of merchan- 
dise in Princeton, when in the spring of 
1834 he bought a horse collar at a store 
opened by a Mr. Haskil. Mr. Corss was 
married in Peoria County, III., June 1, 1837, 
to Mehitable Hill. She was born in New 
Hampshire, January 25, 1817, and is the 
daughter of Isaac and Mehitable (Bancroft) 
Hill, both of whom were natives of New 
Hampshire. They removed to New York 
when Mrs. Corss was small, and in 1833 to 
Peoria County, 111., afterward to Bureau 
County in 1838, where they lived until 
death. Mr. Hill died in 1846 and his wife 
August 3, 1870. Mr. and Mrs. Corss have 
one son and two daughters, viz. : Henry, born 
June 15, 1838, lives in Bureau Township; 
Mrs. Lucy Thomas, of Princeton, born Janu- 
ary 27, 1843; Climena, born April 8, 1850. 
In politics Mr. Corss is Republican, and has 
held various township offices. He was the 
first Supervisor of Bureau Township. He is 
a member of the Congregational Church of 
Princeton. 

JAMES R. COTTLE, Princeton, was bom 
February 26, 1835, in Singapore, East India. 
His father, Richard Cottle, is a native of 
England, and yet resides in Bristol. In 
early life he was a carriage trimmer, but is 
now Government Inspector of the Great- 



492 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



western Railroad. James R. Cottle, Sr., the 
father of Richard Cottle, was a gentleman of 
leisure; he was formerly a Government Col- 
lector. The mother of our subject was Eliza 
(Betterridge) Cottle, a native of Thatchan, 
I3erkshire, England. She died in Bristol. 
She was the mother of nine children, of 
whom six are now living, but none in the 
United States except our subject. At the age 
of six his father brought him from Singapore 
to London, where he received his primary 
education. When he was twelve years of age 
he went to Bristol, where he studied engi- 
neering till he was sixteen, and then visited 
Ireland, and while there he and his young 
friend, Joseph H. Watts, resolved to come to 
the United States, which they did without the 
knowledge of their parents, landing in New 
York in 1852. There he remained three months 
and then was induced to come to Chicago, 
where he worked for the Michigan Central 
Railroad Company a short time aad then ob- 
tained a position as mailing clerk in the 
Chicago Journal office. In 1854 he com- 
menced to work for the Central Military 
Tract Railroad, now known as the Chicago, 
Burlington & Quincy Railroad. He worked 
for the company until the road was completed 
to Monmouth, after which he worked as en- 
gineer for Robins & Lawson, millers of 
Princeton. In 1864 he enlisted in the One 
Hundred and Forty-sixth Regiment Illinois 
Volunteer Infantry, Company F, serving till 
the close of the war, acting as Company 
Clerk, being always on detached service. 
After the war he operated a mill in Arling- 
ton, Bureau County, one and one-half years 
and then started a bakery in Princeton in 
partnership with two other men. One of tliem 
retired after two years; the other one con- 
tinued till 1881, when his interest was bought 
out by Mr. Cottle, who has continued the 
business alone ever since. He started on 
a small scale, but by dint of persever- 
ance and strict attention to business he at- 
tained his present prosperity. He owns the 
only wholesale confectionery and cracker 
business in the county, and does a tine whole- 
sale and retail business. He was married in 
Princeton, 111., to Miss Harriet H. Harris, a 
native of England. She is the mother of 
two children, viz. : Ijida and Jennie. In poli- 



ties Mr. Cottle is identified with the Republi- 
can party. 

N. COTTRELL, Dover, was born Decem- 
ber 8, 1829, in Hampshire County, Mass. 
His father was Rufus Cottrell, a native of 
Hampshire County, Mass. He was a farmer 
by occupation, and died in 1868, aged sev- 
enty-four years, in Maiden, 111. His grand- 
father, Nicholas Cottrell, was a native of 
Massachusetts, where he died; he was a 
blacksmith by occupation, and a soldier in 
the Revolutionary war, where he served with 
distinction. The mother of our subject was 
Sarah (Odell) Cottrell, a native of Dutchess 
County, N. Y. ; she died in Maiden. 111., in 
1872, aged seventy-sis years. She was the 
mother of eight children who reached matur- 
ity, viz.: Mrs. Eliza Lyman, James H., John 
v., Mrs. Mary Granger, Frank K, Nicholas, 
George W. and Giles H. Our subject, 
Nicholas Cottrell, was educated in his native 
State, where he followed farming. He came 
to this county in 1855, and settled in Dover 
Township, Section 35. He has a fine farm 
of 190 acres. Mr. Cottrell was married, 
June 3, 1853, in Worthington, Mass., to Miss 
Marj' Cole, who was born May 7, 1831, in 
Worthington, Mass. Her pai'ents were Elijah 
and Freedom (Cowen) Cole. Mrs. Cottrell 
is the mother of three children, viz. : Junia 
A., wife of G. J. M. Porter, Cora M. and 
Herbert J. Mr. and Mrs. Cottrell are active 
members of the Presbyterian Church. In 
political matters Mr. Cottrell is connected 
with the Republican party, and takes an 
active interest in all matters relating to the 
affairs of the county in which he resides, and 
of which he is one of the most wide-awake 
citizens. 

B. C. COUCH, ESQ., Tiskilwa, was born 
September 19, 1822, in Boscawen, Men-imack 
Co., N. H. He is a grandson of Benjamin 
Couch, Sr., a native of New Hampshire, and 
a soldier in the Revolutionary war, participat- 
ing in the battle of Bunker Hill, where he 
had a bullet shot through his ear. He mar- 
ried a Miss Heath, who was the mother of 
five children. Of these Benjamin Couch, 
Jr., was the father of our subject. He was 
a farmer by occupation, and was a native of 
New Hampshire, where he died. The mother 
of our subject, Mrs. Sallie (Morse) Couch, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



493 



was born in Portsmouth, N. H. She died 
January 24, 1866, aged seventy five years. 
She was the mother of eight children, viz. : 
Prescott, James S., Amos A., Plummer, 
Rachel, Benjamin 0. {out subject), Harriman 
and Caleb K. Of these Prescott, James S., 
Plummer and Caleb K. are deceased. Squire 
Couch vpas educated in his native State. In 
1843 he removed to Tazewell County, 111., 
and in the winter of 1845 to Henry County. 
In 1851 he came to this county, and first 
settled in Wyanet Township, where he fol- 
lowed the carpenter business till 1853, when 
he removed to Tiskilwa, where he was a grain 
and lumber merchant for fifteen years. Since 
then he has followed various occupations, 
and tilled the ofiSce of Township Clerk and 
Justice of the Peace for many years with tact 
and ability. Mr. Couch was married in 
Rhode Island to Martha J. Caleb, who died 
in Tiskilwa. She was the mother of nine 
children, viz.: Dion, Cornelia A., Laura and 
Lucy (twins), Sarah J., Charles S., Ilus, Buel 
and Bias (twins), the latter deceased. Sub- 
ject's second wife, Lydia M. Peck, died here 
leaving two children, viz. : Minnie I. and 
Hattie B. At present Mr. Couch is married 
to Emilie Thompson, a daughter of Daniel 
D. Thompson, of Bath. Steuben Co., N. Y. 
Politically, Squire Couch comes from the old 
Underground Abolition stock. At present he 
is not identified with any party. 

JAMES McCREEDY, Westfield, a na- 
tive of Delaware, came to Bureau County, 
111., in the spring of 1858, and settled in 
Westfield Township, where he now resides. 
His wife, whose maiden name was Eva M. 
McDowell, is the mother of six children, who 
are now living. Squire McCreedy is an in- 
dependent Democrat, voting only for the best 
man. He enjoys the respect of all who know 
him, and is one of Westfield Township's 
wealthiest farmers. 

WILLIAM CRISMAN, Macon, was born 
in Bedford County, Penn., June 25, 1825. He 
is the son of William and Margaret (Wise- 
garver) Crisman. They were both natives of 
Pennsylvania, and of German descent. They 
died in Bedford County. They had eleven 
children who reached maturity, and of that 
number six sons and two daughters yet sur- 
vive. Our subject was reared on a farm, but 



at the age of sixteen began learning his trade 
of millwright, which trade he followed in his 
native State till coming to Bureau County, 
111., where he landed April 7, 1855. For 
four years he did carpenter work at Buda, 
but in the fall of 1859 he purchased his 
present farm and began its improvement by 
building a home on it, to which he removed 
March 15, 1860. When Mr. Crisman came 
to his farm he had but little capital with 
which to make improvements or stock his 
farm, but with his industry as the best pos- 
sible capital he began, and success has 
crowned his efforts. His farm now contains 
370 acres of well-improved land. Mr. Cris- 
man has made a specialty of hog-raising, and 
through his diligence has placed himself in 
the front rank as a producer. April 19, 
1848, he was married in Bedford County, 
Penn., to Miss Elizabeth Bowser. She was 
born in Bedford County, March 3, 1828. 
She is the daughter of John and Margaret 
Bowser, both natives of the same county as 
their daughter. In 1855 they removed to 
Illinois, where Mr. Bowser died, but his 
widow yet lives in Buda. Mrs. Crisman is 
the eldest of a family of seven children who 
reached maturity. To Mr. and Mrs. Crisman 
eight children have been born, viz.: Calvin, 
William A., Margaret V., Mattie L. and 
Arthur V. (twins), Carrie A., Eunice E., and 
Beckie (deceased). In politics Mr. Crisman 
is identified with the Republican party. He 
and wife are members of the Baptist Church 
of Buda. 

GEORGE GROSSMAN, Lamoille. Among 
our citizens of foreign birth, who have 
identified themselves with Bureau Coun- 
ty, we must mention the subject of this 
sketch, who was born November 7, 1826, in 
Somersetshire, England, town of Bishford. 
His parents, George and Sarah (Rhude) 
Crossman, died in England, where he was a 
mechanic. Their children were: Henry, who 
died on board a man-of-war olf the coast of 
Africa; George, our subject; John C. , a resi- 
dent of this county; Jane, deceased, and 
Mrs. Mary A. Jeffries. Mr. Crossman came 
to America in 1852. He was eight weeks on 
the ocean. He lived two years in Onondaga 
County, N. Y. , and then in October, 1854, 
came to Lamoille Township, in Bureau Coun- 



494 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



ty, 111. Here he rented land till 1858, when 
he bought forty-four acres of land, to which he 
added from time to time. In 1871 he sold 
his farm and removed to Lamoille, where he 
now resides, and intends to spend the re- 
mainder of his life in ease and quiet. He 
was married October 21, 1852, in Syracuse, 
N. Y., to Joanna Chapman, a daughter of 
William and Joanna Chapman. Mrs. Cross- 
man, a cheerful, industrious lady, is also a 
native of Somersetshire, England, where she 
was born December 14, 1833. Mr. Crossman 
has been a successful farmer, and is a self- 
made man in every respect. Politically, he 
is identified with the Republican party. 

J. C. CROSSMAN, Lamoille, was born 
January 29, 1830, in Draycott, Somerset- 
shire, England. (See preceding sketch.) Mr. 
Crossman came to the United States about 
1850. He worked two years in Onondaga 
County, N. Y., where he was also married. 
In March, 1852, he came to Lamoille, 111., 
and after working one year, rented land and 
farmed. In 1855 he bought 160 acres of 
land, which he soon sold, and after renting 
another year bought 160 acres of William 
Hart, which he sold, and in 1857 went to 
New York State, and from there to England, 
where he visited his relatives, returning to 
Lamoille the following year. Here he first 
rented the place which he afterward bought, 
and now owns 617 acres of land, on which 
he makes stock-raising a specialty. Our sub- 
ject was married July 24, 1851, to Elizabeth 
Weeks, who was born December 23, 1828, in 
England. Her parents, William and Ann 
(Dix) Weeks, were also natives of England. 
Mrs. Crossman is the mother of the following 
children who reached maturity: Mrs. Mary 
A. Hopps (deceased), Mrs. Sarah Williams, 
Eliza Crossman, Mrs. Fannie Dunbar, John 
F. , Ollie, Alice and Nellie Crossman. When 
Mr. Crossman came to this county he was 
poor in purse, but rich in will-power and in- 
dustry, hence his prosperity. He is a strong 
Republican, and takes an active part in po- 
litical matters, and also a deep interest in 
agricultural matters, and is President of the 
Agricultural Society of Bureau County. 

WILLIAM CUMMINGS, Buda. Thorn- 
ton Cummines was a native of Virginia. 
When a young man he immigrated to Ken- 



tucky, and was there married to Miss Sylvia 
Williams, a native of Kentucky. In 1816, 
soon after marriage, Mr. Cummings removed 
to Gallatin (-ounty. 111., where he resided till 
1834, at which time he came to Bureau 
County, 111. When he reached Hennepin, he 
left his family there, and in company with a 
Frenchman as guide he traveled over the 
western part of Bureau County seeking a 
suitable location, and as he had been reared 
in a timbered country French Grove suited 
him best on account of its containing heavy 
timber. But when he announced his inten- 
tion of settling here, his guide informed him 
that his own claim embraced the grove, but 
that he would divide, and accordingly staked 
oil' one-half, and Mr. Cummings selected the 
west half and there settled, and his was the 
first settlement in what is now Concord 
Township. When the land came into the 
market he entered 240 acres of the Grove 
and adjoining prairie land. He died in 
1872, and his widow January 1, 1883. They 
were the parents of ten children, seven of 
whom lived to reach maturity. The follow- 
ing are now living: Fitchyou, Sylvia (widow 
of Alexander Shafer) and William are in 
this county, and Harvey Cummings is now a 
resident of Minnesota, William Cummings 
was born in Gallatin County, 111., in 1829, 
He came to this county with his parents in 
1834, and attended the first school taught in 
the western part of Bureau County. This 
school was taught in a log- cabin on the east 
of French Grove. Mr. Cummings has made 
this township his home since first coming to 
it. In 1853 he was married to Miss A. J. 
Hodge, who was born in the State of New 
York, and is the daughter of Jacob Hodge. 
Mr. and Mrs. Cummings are the parents of 
five sons, viz.: Orlando W., Marvin S. and 
Melvin S. (twins), Hampton B. and Harvey 
D. (twins.) Immediately after marriage 
Mr. Cummings settled on his present farm, 
and in August, 1870, engaged in the breed- 
ing of short-horn cattle, and has been one 
of the most successful breeders of thorough- 
bred cattle in the county, and now keeps his 
farm of nearly 500 acres fully stocked with 
the choicest cattle. June 8, 1881, and June 
26, 1884, he had a public sale of short-horn 
cattle, each herd containing about fifty head. 



BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



495 



More of his connection with this industry will 
be found in the chapter on blooded stock. 

FITCHYOU CUMMINGS, Concord, was 
born in Gallatin County, 111., May 8, 1818, 
and is the son of Thornton Cummings, de- 
ceased. (For a more complete outline of the 
life and settlement of Thornton Cummings 
in Bureau County see sketch of William 
Cummings.) Fitchyou Cummings came to 
Bureau County with his parents in 1834, and 
since that time has resided in Concord Town- 
ship. His opportunities for an education 
were the most limited. Instead of schools, 
when coming to French Grove, there was 
excellent opportunity for the hunter to find 
game. As Mr. Cummings was of an inde- 
pendent nature, he wished to make for him- 
self a farm, and as money was at that time 
almost impossible to obtain, he had to work 
whenever he could to make money to pay for 
his land, since he had laid a claim on 160 
acres, and yet resides on one eighty of that 
first claim. Their market was Hennepin, or 
soon afterward Lacon, where a man named 
Fisher bought hogs, and paid for the same in 
Boston money, which he guaranteed would 
pay taxes. Slowly but surely Mr. Cummings 
worked his way to independence, and has 
added to his first entered land till he now 
owns about 400 acres. In 1850 he was mar- 
ried to Miss Esther Garrett, who was born in 
Ohio, and is the daughter of Horace Gariett, 
who came to this county in about 1840. Mr. 
and Mrs. Cummings are the parents of four 
children, viz. : Sidney, Melissa J.. Delia and 
Roxie. In politics Mr. Cummings has ever 
been a firm Democrat. 

J. T. CURRIER, Neponset. Among our 
self-made men in Bureau County, who owe 
their success in life to their energy and per- 
severance, we place him whose name heads 
this sketch. He was born July 9, 1823, in 
Peacham, Caledonia County, Vt His father, 
Asa Currier, was born April 21, 1790, in the 
same place. He died March 16, 1868, in 
Osceola, Stark Co. , 111. He came to Stark 
County on Sunday, August 26, 1838, having 
come through with teams from Vermont, 
where he had been a farmer, which occupa- 
tion he followed here. The grandfather of 
J. T. Currier was David Currier, who was 
also a farmer, and whose father, Caleb Cur- 



rier, was of foreign descent. The mother of 
our subject was Sally (Willey) Currier, a na- 
tive of New Hampshire, where she was born 
June 20, 1790. She died May 1, 1873, in 
Neponset. She was a daughter of Paul 
Willey, and was the mother of nine children, 
viz. : David, John, Elizabeth P., Augusta, 
Asa, Jonathan T. (our subject), Sally and 
Nancy (who both died in infancy) and Mary 
M. Mr. Currier had but few school advan- 
tages in early life, very unlike the young 
men of to-day, but he inherited that strong 
will-power and determination to which he 
owes his success in life. In 1838, at the age 
of fifteen, he came West with his parents, and 
for many years farmed successfully in Stark 
County. In 1869 he came to Neponset, 
where he now resides in a spacious residence, 
and where he intends to enjoy the fruit 
of many years of toil. Financially Mr. 
Currier's life has been very successful. He 
started in life without a dollar, and now is 
considered one of the wealthiest men in the 
township, owning over 1,200 acres of choice 
land in Bureau and Stark Counties besides 
other property. He was married May 2, 
1855, in Princeton, 111., to Martha J. Hoblit, 
who was born December 27, 1835, in Clinton 
County, Ohio. She is a daughter of Amos 
Hoblit, and is the mother of six children, 
viz. : Ida D. , born August 22, 1856 (she is 
the wife of C. M. Branson, and is the mother 
of three children, viz.: Louis S., Bernice and 
an infant girl); Albert D., was born July 29, 
1861 (he is at present a student at the 
Northwestern University); Willie W., is de- 
ceased; Grace E., was born February 6, 1869; 
Laura M., is deceased; Bertha, was born 
March 18, 1876. Mrs. Currier is a member 
of the Baptist Church. Mr. Currier has 
never held nor sought a public office, and in 
political afi"air8 has generally been identified 
with the Republican party. 

T. P. CURRIER. The subject of this 
biography was born July 6, 1830, in Corn- 
ville, Somerset County, Me. His father. 
Patten Currier, was born in May, 1801, in 
the same place, and is yet living there. He 
was a farmer by occupation. The grand- 
father of our subject was Ephraim Currier, a 
native of Amesbury, Mass. He died in 
Cornville, Me. The mother of our subject, 



496 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Mary Steward, was born in Skowhegan, Me.; 
she died when our subject was nine years old. 
She was the mother of four children, viz.: 
Maria, Thomas P. (our subject), John M. 
and William H. Of the above only our sub- 
ject, Thomas P. Currier, is yet living. He 
was educated in the common schools of Som- 
erset County, Me. He was reared on the farm 
and followed farming in Maine till April, 
1853, when he immigrated to Stillwater, 
Minn., where he worked in the pineries two 
years. In the summer of 1854 he visited 
Bureau County, and returned to it in the 
spring of 1855. He lived two years in Macon 
Township, and then bought eighty acres of 
land in Neponset Township, Section 13, 
where he now resides and owns 160 acres of 
fine land. Our subject was married June 21, 
1860, in Skowhegan, Me., to Hannah French, 
born December 12, 1835, in Skowhegan, 
Me., daughter of Hobey and Hannah (Fox) 
French, natives of Maine. Mrs. Currier is 
the mother of three children, viz.: Perlev 
W., born March 16, 1861, he married Etta 
Dahl; Scott T., born October 16, 1866, and 
Charley M., born November 25, 1867. Mr. 
Currier is identified with the Republican 
party, and is a self-made man in every re- 
spect. 

J. M. CURTIS, Concord, is a native of 
Schaghticoke, Rensselaer Co., N. Y., where he 
was born August 2, 1822. His parents, Daniel 
and Mehitable (Masters) Curtis, were also 
natives of New York. The former died 
there; he was a farmer by occupation and 
also a soldier in the war of 1812. The latter 
died in Davenport, Iowa, aged nearly 
eighty -seven years. She was the mother 
of nine childi'en, viz.: Erastus, Abraham, 
James M., Mark B. (deceased), Harman H., 
Phineas, Robert C, Maria (deceased) and 
Mrs. Cynthia C. Burch. Our subject was 
educated principally in the common schools 
of his native town. In early life he worked 
on the farm, and also taught school in the 
winter. In 1848 he immigrated to Adams 
County, 111., where he taught school. The 
following year, in 1849, he entered some land 
in Section 18, in Concord Township, Bureau 
Co., 111., to which he moved in 1851. He 
was a very successful farmer, and at pres- 
ent owns 893 acres of land in Concord Town- 



ship and 1,000 acres of swamp land in 
Gold, Manlius and Fairfield Townships. 
Mr. Curtis was married December 15, 1850, 
to Helen M. Stevenson, born February 7, 
1831, in Carroll County, Md. She died No- 
vember 7, 1871. She is a daughter of Basil 
D. and Henrietta (Wells) Stevenson, and is 
the mother of six children, viz. : Clifton, 
Harmon E., Mrs. Jessie M. Pervier, Charles 
E., Helen M. (deceased) and Carrie B. Mr. 
Curtis was married a second time January 9, 
1878, to Maria C. Rice, a native of New 
York. She is the mother of Robert R. Cur- 
tis. Mr. Curtis is religiously connected 
with the Unitarian Church. He has taken 
an active part in the affairs of his township, 
supporting the Republican party, and tilling 
the offices of Assessor and Supervisor, the 
latter for seven years. 

THOMAS DALE, Fairfield, was born 
October 11, 1821, in East Kent, England. 
He is a son of John and Elizabeth Dale, 
natives of the above place, where they died. 
They were the parents of eighteen children, 
of whom half reached maturity; of these 
only one sister and our subject ever lived 
in Bureau County. Thomas Dale came to 
the United States in March, 1850. He 
landed in New York, and for some time 
roamed in Arkansas and other Southern 
States. In January, 1852, became to Bureau 
County, 111., where he bought eighty acres 
of land, which he sold, and after renting 
three years bought ISO acres, where he now 
resides, and at present owns 420 acres. Mr. 
Dale was married here October 25, 1855, to 
Eliza Spargel, a native of Cornwall, England, 
and a daughter of Stephen and Elizabeth 
(Richards) Spargel. She is the mother of 
eleven children, viz. : Elizabeth, Thomas H., 
John R., William C, King J., Emeline, 
James H., Eliza J., Carrie L., Mary C. and 
Priscilla S. Dale. Of these Elizabeth mar- 
ried James Nicholas, and Thomas H. maiTied 
Laura Chapman. Politically Mr. Dale is 
identified with the Democratic party. 

LYMAN L. DANA, Neponset. The geneal- 
ogy of the Dana family in America as far as is 
known is as follows: The name indicates that 
the family descended from either the Ger- 
mans, Danes or Northmen, probably the last. 
The progenitor of the family is Jacob Dana, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



497 



whose son, Samuel Dana, was born September 
7, 1094. He lived at Cambridge, Mass., till 
171S, when he moved to Pomfret. Conn., 
where he died August 22, 1770. He was mar- 
ried three times, and was the father of thir- 
teen children. One of these, Elijah Dana, was 
the grandfather of our subject; be was born 
September 4, 1740, and died April 23, 1815. 
He married Mary Chandler, who was born 
July 7, 1763. She died November 30, 1784. 
Elijah Dana then married Elizabeth Chand- 
ler. Elijah Dana was the father of nine 
children. Of these David Dana, the father 
of our subject, was bora Sepitember 18, 1777. 
in Connecticut. He was a blacksmith and 
farmer by occupation, and died aged seventy- 
three years. He married Rachel Varnum, 
who was born January 1, 1785. She was the 
mother of nine children, and of these Lyman 
L. was born September 25, 1821, in Peacham, 
Vt., and is the subject proper of this biogra- 
phy. He went to school in his native State, 
and lived with his father till 1843, when he 
went to Plainslield, Vt., where he worked at 
the blacksmith's trade for fourteen years, 
when his health failed and he came West in 
1857. He bought eighty acres of land in 
Neponset Township, Bureau Co., III., where 
he at present resides, having farmed success- 
fully and now owns 385 acres in this coun- 
ty and forty acres in Wisconsin. He was the 
first to buy the soldiers' claims in this town- 
ship. Mr. Dana was married March 28, 1854, 
in Marshfield, Vt., to Rosina Cola, who was 
born July 27. 1832, in Marshfield, Vt. She 
is a daughter of Hiram and Susan M. (Kid- 
der) Cole, both natives of Vermont, where 
they farmed and yet reside in the town of 
Marshfield. Of their three children. Nelson 
and Samuel are yet living in Vermont. The 
oldest, Mrs. Rosina Dana, is the mother of 
ten children, viz. : Mrs. Helen Miller, A.ddie, 
Willie v., Leonard, Susie, David, Laura, 
Lotta, Harry and Louis L. Mrs. Dana is a 
member of the Free Baptist Chvirch. He is 
identified with the Republican party and is a 
self-made man in every respect. 

GEORGE G. DANA, Neponset, was born 
October 13,1825, in Caledonia County, Vt. His 
parents. David and Rachel (Varnum) Dana, 
were natives of New England. (See preced- 
ing sketch, in which is given the genealogy of 



the Dana family in the United States.) Our 
subject was reared in Vermont, where he 
farmed. In 1851 he immigrated to Califor- 
nia, via the Nicaraugua route, .ifter three 
years of gold mining he returned home by 
the same route. In the spring of 1855 he 
removed to Neponset Township, Bureau 
Co., 111. He first settled on Section 35, 
where he bought 100 acres of land, which he 
subsequently sold, and bought 160 acres in 
Section 33, where he now resides. Mr. Dana 
was married twice. His first wife, Mary 
Blanchard, was a native of Vermont. She 
died here and left two children, viz. : Francis 
Dana, now a resident of Iowa, and Mrs. 
Jennie Lemons. Mr. Dana was married a 
second time September 26, 1860, to Helen 
Dorr, bom March 16, 1825, in Columbia 
County, N. Y. She is a daughter of Mat- 
thew and Ann B. (Mudge) Dorr, natives of 
New York State, where the latter was born 
January 28, 1793. She died November 3, 
1872, in Neponset Township. Matthew Dorr 
was born May 21, 1786, in Columbia County, 
N. Y. , where he was a farmer and woolen 
manufacturer. In 1847 he came West, and 
for many years lived on Dorr's Hill, two and 
a half miles southeast of Providence, in 
Bureau County, 111. His last years were 
spent in Neponset, where he died February 
5, 1869. Matthew Dorr was a warm friend 
and supporter of Owen Lovejoy. Many a 
fugitive slave will remember gratefully the 
assistance and advice received from him and 
his children, in connection with the under- 
ground railroad. (See General History.) Mr. 
Dorr and wife were religiously connected 
with the Congregational Church. He was 
Justice of the Peace for many years, and 
held the postoflfice about twelve years. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Dana three children were born, 
viz.: Mary, born April 7, 1862; Austin, born 
March 25, 1864, and Owen, born April 1, 
1867. Politically Mr. Dana is connected 
with the Republican party. 

J. H. DANA, Tiskilwa, who is the subject 
of this biography, was born August 12, 1815, 
in Rhode Island. His parents, Nathaniel 
and Mary (Brown) Dana, were also natives 
of Rhode Island. Mr. Dana was educated 
in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and has 
been a reader all bis life. In earlv life he 



39 



498 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



was engaged in factory work. In 1841 he 
came Weat and settled in Indiantown Town- 
ship, Bureau Co., 111., where he lived 
two years, and then removed to Milo Town- 
ship, where he farmed successfully till 1876, 
when he came to Tiskilwa, where he has re- 
sided ever since. He was married in Novem- 
ber, 18-1:3, to Henriette B. Haskill, who was 
born March 31, 1822, in Newton, Mass. They 
have one adopted daughter, Jane Thompson. 
The parents of Mrs. Dana were Caleb and 
Huldah (Brown) Haskill, natives of Rhode 
Island. They came here in March, 1837, 
and^died here. Their parents reached nearly 
one hundred years. Their^son, James G., is 
the oldest living resident of Tiskilwa. Po- 
litically oiu' subject is identified with the 
Republican party. 

WILLIAM DAVENPORT, Clarion. This 
gentleman, who has circumnavigated the 
globe and has visited almost all the monarch- 
ies of Europe, was born September 2, 1822, 
in Harperstield, Delaware Co., N. Y. This 
branch of the Davenport family is of Eng- 
lish extraction and is traced back to the fif- 
teenth century. History also tells us of a 
Capt. Davenport who served with distinction 
in the Revolutionary war. The parents of 
our subject, Erastus and Lucy (Dayton) Da- 
venport, were also natives of New York State 
and reared eleven children. William Daven- 
port was reared in his native State, where he 
learned the blacksmith's trade, which he fol- 
lowed about two years in the plow factory of 
Grand Detour, 111. In 1845 he came to 
Bureau County, 111., where he bought a few 
acres south of Perkins' Grove, and for several 
years worked at his trade. He was married 
in Chicago, May 16, 1847, to Margaret Phil- 
lips, who was born April 12, 1827, in County 
Cavarn, Ireland. She died here January 20, 
1884. After Mr. Davenport was married he 
followed his trade at the old stand in Clarion 
Township till about 1854, when he entered 
320 acres of land from the Government, 
which he improved. He was a successful 
farmer and a self-made man in every respect. 
From 1871 to 1879 he lived in Mendota 
when not traveling. He is a man that has 
read and traveled a great deal the last part 
of his life. During the Centennial year he 
and his wife visited Europe. Since then be 



has traveled around the world. Starting from 
California, he traveled to Japan, China, In- 
dia, Egypt, Palestine, Turkey, Italy, Switz- 
erland, France, etc., visiting many for the 
second time, storing his mind with useful in- 
formation concerning foreign countries. Mr. 
and Mrs. Davenport were members of the 
Presbyterian Church, as is also their family, 
consisting of: Mrs. Henrietta M. Nettleton, 
of Spring Ranch, Clay Co., Neb.; Mrs. Sarah 
E. Price, of Nunda, Livingston Co., N. Y. ; 
William Ira is a prosperous farmer in this 
county; Amelia C, deceased; Joseph P. and 
Alice V. Davenport. Joseph P. was educated 
at Cornell College, Iowa, and Valparaiso, 
Ind. 

AMI L. DAVIS, Princeton. Among the 
prominent contractors and builders in this 
part of Illinois is Mr. A. L. Davis, who was 
born in Warren County, Penn., May 27, 
1826. In 1854 he came to Princeton, 111., 
where he has been engaged in the lumber and 
planingmill business, and also contracting 
and building. During the season of 1884 
he operated mostly at Kewanee, 111., where he 
gave employment to thirty or forty men. In 
his chosen business he is eminently successful 
because of his thorough ability and close ap- 
plication. Mr. Davis is one of a family of eight 
children, viz.: Ferdinand S., born October, 
1815, married to Betsy P. Marsh, and now 
resides in Princeton; James L., born Febru- 
ary, 1818, married to Mary J. Dean, and 
lives in Princeton; Drusilla E., born Decem- 
ber 1819, is the wife of Rev. W. E. Rey- 
nolds, of Chicago; John N. , born November, 
1821 (he was married to Rosetta A. Benson; 
in 1864 he came to Princeton, where for 
some time he was engaged in the grocery 
business, and for seven years was constable; 
he died May 15, 1878); Jerome L, born May, 
1824, and resides in Warren, Penn. ; Ami L., 
the subject of this sketch; Duane T., of 
Pana, 111., born January, 1828, married to 
Frances Dudley; and Willis E., born April, 
1831, married to Delilah Wise, and now lives 
in San Bernardino, Cal. October 1, 1857, 
Mr. A. L. Davis was united in marriage to 
Miss Elizabeth J. Headlee, who was born in 
Ohio, June 27, 1837, and came to Bureau 
County, 111., in the fall of 1842. She is the 
mother of the following named children: 



BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



499 



Lucien E. Davis, who lives in Florida; Lil- 
lian I., of Princeton; Jessie M. , wife of 
Joseph A. Dii Plaine, married January 11, 
1882; Annie M., Maggie M.. and Sarah F., 
of Princeton. Mrs. Elizabeth J. Davis is the 
oldest of a family of ten children, viz. : Eliz- 
abeth J. ; Sarah L., deceased; John Clark 
Headlee, of Lucas, Iowa, married to Eliza- 
beth Parish; Mary A. and Francis J., 
deceased; Cynthia E., of Amboy, 111.; 
Rebecca E., also of Amboy, and wife of 
Marion Wight; John L., married to Patience 
Holmes, and resides in Missouri; Stephen 
M. and Alice L. deceased. 

CHARLES A. DAVIS, Sheffield, was born 
in Boston, Mass., January 8, 1827, and is 
the son of Danforth and Lydia (Mellish) 
Davis. Both families had resided for gene- 
rations in Massachusetts, and our subject's 
grandfather Davis, was a Colonel in the 
army during the Revolutionary war, while 
his grandfather Mellish was a lifer in the 
same army. In 1836 Mr. C. A. Davis re- 
moved with his parents to Mantua, Portage 
Co., Ohio. He was educated in the Twins- 
burg Literary Institute, where he was under 
the instruction of Samuel Bissell. For two 
winters, 1846-47 and 1847-48, Mr. Davis 
taught a district school in the town of Solon, 
and at the same time had a class in vocal 
music in an adjoining district, which was 
President's Garfield's old home, and he was 
one of the pupils in the music class. After 
teaching at Solon the two following winters, 
Mr. Davis taught school in Mantua, Portage 
Co., Ohio. April 14, 1850, he was married 
at Warrensville, Ohio, to Miss Chloe R. Up- 
son. She was born in Twinsburg, Ohio, 
October 21, 1830, and was the daughter of 
Asa and Chloe (Carter) Upson. Mrs. Davis 
was the mother of the following named chil- 
dren: Clarence A, born at Shalersville, Ohio, 
September 13, 1851, and now resides at Chi- 
cago, 111, and is in the employ of C. H. 
Fargo & Co., wholesale dealers in boots and 
shoes; Frank Danforth Davis, born in Green- 
ville Township, Bureau Co., 111., August 11, 
1854, died at New Bedford, December 8, 
1862; Charles S.,. born in Manlius 
Township, Bureau County, July 16, 1856, 
and died November 15, 1857; Carrie A., 
born at Sheffield, 111., September 15, 1867, 



and now resides in Chicago attending school. 
Mrs. C. A. Davis died at Sheffield, March 25, 
1875. After marriage in 1850 Mr. Davis 
remained on a farm for some months, but in 
the spring of 1851 began clerking for A. V. 
Horr at Shalersville. Ohio, and continued 
till the spring of 1853, when he was in the 
book business in the Western Reserve for one 
season. He then taught school during the 
winter of 1853-54 at Warrensville, "Ohio, 
and in the spring of 1854 came to Bureau 
County, 111., and was engaged in teaching 
and farming until 1858, when he began in 
the mercantile business at New Bedford. In 
the spring of 1863 Mr. Davis removed to 
Sheffield, and in the fall of 1868 engaged in 
j the boot and shoe business, which he has 
j conducted since. In 1869 he was ap- 
' pointed Postmaster at Sheffield, and since 
I that time has held that office. Mr. Davis is 
an active Republican in politics, and is also 
a stanch temperance man. 

MARSELL DAVIS, Indiantown, who is 
the subject of the following biography, was 
born September 20, 1858, in Steuben Coun- 
ty, N. Y. His parents, Samuel D. and Eliza 
j B. (Powers) Davis, were natives of New York 
State. The former was a son of John Davis, 
of English descent, who married a Miss Van- 
derveer, and the latter was a daughter of 
j John and Lavina (Stone) Powers. Samuel 
D. Davis came to Bureau County in July, 
j 1866, and settled in Macon Township. At 
present he makes his home in Indiantown 
Township, where he owns a farm, on which 
his son, Marsell Davis, resides. He was a 
painter and miller by occupation in early 
life, and followed it till he came to Illinois. 
He is the father of the following children: 
Vanderveer, John J. and George N. Davis, 
who are prosperous farmers in Nebraska, 
Marsell Davis, our subject, and Mrs. Fannie 
H. Newcomb. Samuel D. Davis and wife, 
when not traveling, make Bureau County 
their home. Our subject, Marsell Davis, was 
educated in this county, where he is a wide- 
awake farmer. He was married December 
23, 1880, in Dearborn County, Ind., to Miss 
Honnie G. Smith, who was born November 
7, 1855, in the above place. She is a daugh- 
ter of David and Martha (Grubs) Smith. 
This union was blessed by one son, but who 



500 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUXTY. 



only brightened their home a short time, dy- 
ing in infancy. Mrs. Davis is a member of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. Political- 
ly Mr. Davis is identified with the Repub- 
lican party. 

CHAUNCEY L. DAYTON, Lamoille. This 
pioneer of Bureau County was born January 

18, 1810. in Delaware County, N. Y. His 
parents, Charles and Polly (Smith) Dayton, 
were natives respectively of Watertown, 
Litchfield County, Conn., and of Haddam, 
Conn. They moved to Delaware County, N. 
Y., when that country was new, and passed 
the remainder of their lives on a farm. They 
were the parents of twelve children, only 
two of whom now survive, the subject of 
this sketch and a daughter, now Mrs. Polly 
A. Shailor. The father died Jauuary 5, 
1823. aged forty-six, and the mother August 

19, 1850, aged sixty-four. C. L. Dayton 
was reared to the life of a farmer in his 
native county, meantime obtaining a good 
education. In 1837 he decided to seek a 
home and fortune in the West and started 
from his native county with a "pack on his 
back" containing his worldly goods; thus he 
walked about 1,100 miles, and January 1, 
1838, arrived in Bureau County, 111. Here 
he entered land where he now resides in 
Clarion Township, and commenced improv- 
ing the same. Two years after his arrival 
he returned to his native county where he was 
married to Lydia Brainard, born in the same 
county, and a daughter of Obadiah and 
Lydia (Fuller) Brainard. Soon after his 
marriage, in company with his wife, he 
returned to Bureau County, their means of 
conveyance being a team of horses and 
wagon, which he drove the entire distance. 
Since his first entry of land, Mr. Dayton has 
been a continuous resident of the county, 
and taken no small part in its advancement, 
materially and socially. Politically he is a 
Republican, and has served his township in 
all of its local offices, and is now acting as 
Township Commissioner, Justice of the 
Peace and Supervisor. To the 300 acres of 
land tirsi entered by him, he has since added, 
so that the home farm now consists of 600 
acres finely improved; also owns another farm 
in Bureau County of 120 acres; 160 acres in 
Lee County, 111., and several hundred acres 



in Iowa and the West. Coming to this then 
new country with comparatively nothing ex- 
cept his hands and brains with which to work 
out a fortune and a home, he has succeeded 
equal to his desire, and ascribes it to a firm 
determination at the start, to make industry, 
perseverance and business integrity, his 
watchword. There are few men that have 
marked out a path in life in which to follow 
that have succeeded better in their aims 
Much of his success he also attributes to his 
true and faithful companion and wife, who 
still lives] to enjoy the fruits of their well 
earned competence, and with him to continue 
down through the vista of years a mutual 
support, one to the other, until time shall 
have reaped, and reunited them forever. Mr. 
and Mrs. Dayton have had born to them ten 
children, as follows: James L., now of Mar- 
shall County, Iowa; Mrs. Emily C. Richard- 
son, of Springfield, 111. ; Mrs. Lucy Ansteth 
of this county; Orren L., of Linn County, 
Mo.; Mrs. Sarah M. Fleming, of Pottawait- 
tomie County, Iowa; Porter C. and Frank E. 
of this county, and Ira A., Ida E. and 
Clarisa E. (deceased). As that of a pioneer 
and an honored and substantial citizen, Mr. 
Dayton's portrait is given elsewhere. 

WILLIAM DECKER, Indiantown, was 
born July 21, 1818, in Seneca County, N. 
Y. His father, Jeremiah Decker, was born 
in Vermont. He was a farmer, also a soldier 
in the war of 1812, and died in New York, 
aged eighty-four years. Our subject's grand- 
father, John Decker, was a native of Hlial- 
land. The mother of our subject was Nancy 
Bishop, a native of New York, where she 
died. She was the mother of the following 
children (the first six are children by her 
first husband, whose name was Southwell), 
viz. : Asa and Edward Southwell, Mrs. Laura 
Graves, Mrs. Betsey Kritchet, Mrs. Lucinda 
McKee and Mrs. Olive Lockwood (nee South- 
well). The other chikU-en are: Jeremiah 
Decker (deceased), William (our subject), 
George Trueman, Eliza and Sarah A. Deck- 
er, the last two deceased. Our subject was 
educated in his native State, where he farmed 
till 1852, when he removed to Fairfax Court- 
house, Va., and remained there till the 
breaking-out of the war, when he removed to 
Fayette County, 111., where he lived four 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



501 



years, and then came to this county and 
bought eighty acres of land. At present he 
owns 160 acres. He has been a successful 
farmer. He was married in New York, Marcli 
15, 1843, to Margaret Magee, born December 
4, 1823, in Argyle, N. Y. She is a daughter 
of John and Polly (McNiel) Magee, natives 
of New York, the former of Irish and the lat- 
ter of Scotch descent. Mrs. Decker is the 
mother of six children, viz. : William Clar- 
ence, Charles, George H. (deceased, aged 
twenty years), John A., James E., and Mrs. 
Ella A. Maynard. Religiously Mr. and Mrs. 
Decker are active members of the Congrega- 
tional Church and Sunday-school. 

THOMAS W. DELANEY, Hall, was born 
September 4, 1858, in Hall Township, Bu- 
reau County, 111., on the old homestead. His 
father, Michael Delaney, was born in Sep- 
tember, 1818, in County Dublin. Ireland. He 
came to Bureau County in 1837 and bought a 
farm of eighty acres in Section 16, Hall 
Township, which he afterward increased to 
200 acres. He lived for some time in ^V'is- 
consin, where he had two sisters — Mrs. Allen 
Gahan and Mrs. MaryBoland. His brothers, 
James, William and Thomas, died in this 
county. Michael Delaney died September, 
1880, at the age of sixty- two years. He was 
a good citizen and highly respected by all. 
He had filled various school and township 
ofiSces. He married Mrs. Ann O'Brian {nee 
Cleary), born in County Galway, Ireland, 
August, 1829. She came to Peru, 111., May 
25, 1849, and is still living. She is the 
mother of three children: Michael, son of 
her first husband, Michael O'Brian. who died 
of cholera in Peru; Thomas W. and Margaret 
Delaney. Thomas Delaney is a Democrat in 
political views, as was also his father. 

J. H. DELANO, Princeton, was born in 
Pittsfield, Mass., June 21, 1827. His father, 
J. R. Delano, was also a native of Pittsdeld. 
where he spent his life. His wife, Lucy 
(May) Delano, was a native of Wetherstield, 
Conn., and of Puritan descent. She survived 
her husband several years, and in later life 
resided in Princeton, where she died in 1880. 
She was the mother of three childr^n, viz. : 
J. H, of Princeton; Silas, who went to Cali- 
fornia in 1852 and has never returned, being 
now a resident of San Francisco; Lucy M., 



wife of Charles N. Burr, of Princeton. Mr. 
J. H. Delano was married in December, 
1850, to Miss Martha M. Bell, a daughter of 
John Bell, of Pittsfield. Mrs. Delano died 
July 3, 1871, leaving one son — Clarence H. , 
born May 26, 1852. Mr. Delano was united 
in marriage June 11, 1874, to Miss Sarah 
Fowler, a native of Stark County, 111. Her 
father, Elias Fowler, was born in Greenfield, 
Mass., in 1797 or 1798. His wife, Mary 
Risdou, was born in about 1807 in Vermont. 
After marriage they resided in Highgate,Vt., 
but eventually came to Stark County, 111., 
where they resided until death in 1857. Mrs. 
Delano is the mother of one daughter — Kate 
A., born July 21, 1877. Politically Mr. 
Delano is a life- long Democrat. His boy- 
hood days were spent in his native town. In 
1852 he wont to California, and in that 
romantic land took his first practical lessons 
in the world's great struggle of work, trade 
and commerce. He remained in California 
three years, and then returned to his na- 
tive State. After a short stay at his old 
home he again turned his face westward and 
came to Princeton, 111., where he at once en- 
tered the busy marts of trade, and for a few 
months was a clerk. In the spring of 1856 
he purchased a stock of groceries and com- 
menced business for himself, and this was 
the foundation for the business which he has 
successfully conducted without interruption 
from that day to this. The beginning was 
moderate and unpretentious, but with a name 
for public spirit, liberality and integrity as 
the leading characteristics, during all these 
years the business has grown and widened 
until it may be truly said that no man in the 
county has builded his house or fame better or 
more wisely. He has conducted his long 
business life upon the fundamental idea, the 
strictest justice to all; and the people who 
know him best will ever be the first to accord 
him the fullest success in the line of his 
laudable ambition. 

G. DEUTEKMAN, Selby, was born Janu- 
ary 1, 1842, in Borgholtz, Westphalia, Ger- 
many. His parents, Henry and Maria (Doh- 
man) Deuterman, were also natives of Ger- 
many, where the father died. Our subject 
leai-ned the miller's trade in the old country 
and followed it until became to America. In 



502 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



1867 he landed at New York and was engaged 
in milling at Atlanta, 111., and also in Mis- 
souri. In 1879 he came to Peru, 111., and 
ran the Peru City Mills about thirteen months, 
when he bought Hook's vineyard, near De 
Pue. in partnership with Jacob Link, to 
whom he sold out after a year and a half. 
Mr. Deuterman was married February 22, 
1882, to Mrs. Catharine Hassler, widow of 
Dr. Jacob Hassler. They reside on a farm 
of 200 acres. Politically, he is a Democrat. 
BENJAMIN FENNO DEWEY, Sheffield, 
was born in Washington County, Vt., Novem- 
ber 25, 1845. His parents, Harry H. and 
Mary L. (Comings) Dewey, were also born in 
Washington County, Vt. They removed to 
Sheffield in 1863, where they now reside. 
They have four sons and one daughter now 
living, viz.: Lucia L., of Sheffield; Henry H. 
and John C, of Centerville, Iowa; Benjamin 
F. (above), and William W., of Mineral, 111., 
■who are descendants (ninth generation) of 
Thomas Dewey, who emigrated from En- 
gland, and settled in Dorchester, Mass, about 
1633, The subject of this sketch was reared 
on a farm and educated in the common 
schools. Since coming West with his parents 
in 1863 he has resided continuously in this 
county, excepting the years 1869 and 1870, 
when he was in Kansas, being one of the 
pioneers of the now thriving city of Wichita, 
in that State. For about three years he was 
in the employ of Porter & Boyden, at Shef- 
field. In the fall of 1875 Mr. Porter (the 
senior member of the tirm) died, and the 1st 
of January following Mr. Dewey succeeded 
to the business as junior member of the firm 
of Boyden & Dewey. This tirm does a gen- 
eral mercantile and banking business, carry- 
ing an average stock of $15,000 to $18,000, 
with annual sales aggregating $75,000. Mr. 
Dewey was married December 3, 1874, to 
Miss Eva Coyle, who was born in Conneaut, 
Ohio, November 17, 1855, being the only 
child of Joseph E. and Sarah A. Coyle, now 
of Washington Territory. Mr. Dewey is a 
stanch Republican, and both he and his wife 
are members of the Congregational Church. 
They have had two children: Grace, born 
September 4, 1877, who died in infancy, and 
Lucia, born April 7, 1881. 

HON. MARTIN R. DEWEY, Ohio, was 



born October 17, 1833, at Chaumont, Jefferson 
Co., N. Y., and is the son of Enoch and Mary 
Dewey. The father was formerly from 
Massachusetts, and died in New York in 
December, 1872. The mother was born in 
New York, and died in Jefferson County, N. 
Y., February 3, 1869. The subject of this 
sketch was raised and resided on a farm in 
New York till 1856, during which time he 
taught in the public schools of his native 
State for a period of three years. In April, 
1856, Mr. Dewey came to this county, ancl 
settled upon the farm which he now owns, 
being the southwest quarter of Section 10 of 
Ohio Township. January 12,1860, Mr. Dewey 
married Augusta Pomeroy, daughter of 
Hiram S. and Esther Pomeroy. (See sketch 
of L. T. Pomeroy.) Mrs. Dewey was born 
in Jefferson County, N. Y., February 5, 1839, 
and died at her home, near Ohio Village, 
March 10, 1883. During the hrst eight 
years of Mr. Dewey's residence in this coun- 
ty, he was engaged as teacher of the school 
in his own school district for five winter 
terms. Mr. and Mrs. Dewey are the parents 
of six children, live of whom are now living, 
viz.: Gertrude, born October 29, I860; Seth, 
July 30, 1862; Mark P., November 26, 1868; 
Wirt S., March 16, 1875; Roy M., April 30, 
1879; Ralph died in 1864, aged three 
months. The surviving members of the 
family are now residing temporarily with 
the father at Watertown, D. T. In the 
past Mr. Dewey espoused the doctrines of 
the Democratic party, and in 1872 was elect- 
ed on the minority principle as a Representa- 
tive to the State Legislature from this coun- 
ty. Mr. Dewey owns 160 acres in Ohio 
Township under a fine state of cultivation, 
and upon which is one of the finest and 
largest barns in the county. He also owns 
320 acres in Dakota, with a fine residence 
property in Watertown, D. T., which he 
erected during the present year at a cost of 
$4,000. He also owns several valuable busi- 
ness and residence lots in the same town. 

W. W. DEWEY, Mineral, was born July 
14, 1851, in Lunenburg, Vt. He is a 
son of Henry H. Dewey. Our subject 
was educated principally in Grinnell, Iowa. 
His early life was spent on a farm. 
Eventually he located in Sheffield, 111., 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 



508 



where he clerked Beven years, commencing 
in 1873, for the Sheffield Mining & Trans- 
portation Companj. From 1880 till 1882 
he clerked for Mahony & Williams, grain 
merchants of Sheffield. He then formed a 
partnership with A. W. Boyden, of Sheffield, 
which exists to the present day. The lirm is 
known as W. W. Dewey & Co. In 1882 they 
bought the grain business of S. D. Abbott, 
of Mineral, and the following year bought 
out W. W. Cradell's general store. Mr. 
Dewey is a wide-awake business man, and 
does a thriving business, keeping on hand a 
full supply of choice goods. He was joined 
in marriage November 22, 1876, in Sheffield, 
to Miss Mary Williams, a daughter of Benja- 
min r. and Margaret (Palmer) Williams. 
She was born February 6, 1855, in Indiana, 
and is the mother of two children, viz.: 
Maggie B. , born November 2, 1880, and 
Charles B., born April 5, 1883. Mr. Dewey 
takes an active part in the affairs of the vil- 
lage and school. He is now School Treas- 
urer, and politically is connected with the 
Republican party. 

JAMES M. DEXTER, Tiskilwa. This 
gentleman is one of the few siu-vivora of the 
old "Rhode Island Colony" which settled 
Providence in Indiantovra Township. He 
was born February 11, 1805, in Cumber- 
land, R. I. His father, Timothy Dexter, 
was also a native of the above place, where 
he died. The mother of our subject, Sally 
(Messenger) Dexter, was a native of Wren- 
tham, Mass. She died in Cumberland, R. 
I. She was the mother of four children, 
viz.: James M., Benjamin, Esek and Sally 
A. The progenitor of the Dexter family in 
America was Gregory Dexter, a native of 
England, said to have been the first printer 
who landed in Boston. Our subject was ed- 
ucated in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. 
In early life he met with an accident and had 
his leg broken, after which he leai-ned the 
shoe-maker trade, but being abused by his 
master he resented the insult and left for 
home. He worked near there in a machine 
shop some time and then went to Dover, N. 
H., where he also worked in the machine 
shops and was married, after which he re- 
turned to his native home, where he managed 
the old homestead till the spring of 1837. 



He then joined the ' ' Rhode Island Colony, " 
and with them came to Bureau County, where 
he settled on a farm of eighty acres in Indi- 
antown Township, but added to this in course 
of time. Mr. Dexter was married in 1829 
to Phebe Sanborn, who was born in New 
Hampshire. She is the mother of nine chil- 
dren. Of these five are yet living, viz. : James 
C. Benjamin G., Thomas S., George E. and 
Mrs. Ann Brainard. Mrs. Dexter is a mem- 
ber of the Episcopal Chiirch. Mr. Dexter is 
identified with the Republican party. He 
has tilled the office of Assessor and was one 
of the delegates that nominated Owen Love- 
joy for Congress. 

HENRY DODGE, Arlington, was born Au- 
gust 11, 1823, in North Brookfield, Mass. 
At the age of sixteen he learned the tinner's 
trade in his native State, which he fol- 
lowed till 1855, when he came to Chicago. 
The next year he came to Kewanee, 111., 
where he followed his trade till 1868, when 
he opened a hardware business in Arlington, 
which he conducted alone till it burned down. 
In 1874 he opened another hardware store, 
which he conducted till 1882, when it again 
burned down with quite a loss to his partner, 
J. M. Wilson, one of Arlington's best citi- 
zens. Mr. Dodge was married twice. His 
first wife, Elvira M. Pratt, died in Massachu- 
setts. She was the mother of Edward H. 
Dodge, a resident of Worcester, Mass. He 
was married a second time in Kewanee, 111., 
to Jane Chambers, a native of Ohio. She is 
the mother of Emma P. Dodge. The geneal- 
ogy of the Dodge family is as follows: Three 
brothers emigrated from Cheshire County, 
England, and landed at Salem, Mass., in 
June, 1629. One of their descendants, Josiah 
Dodge, was the great- great- grandfather of 
our subject. He was a pious, peace-loving 
Puritan minister, and led his flock to Brook- 
field, Mass., where he died. He left a war- 
like posterity, as there have been soldiers in 
every generation of his descendants. His son 
Joshua was a noted Indian fiohter, and head- 
ed several expeditions into Canada. He was 
also a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and 
when too old to endure the 'hardships of war 
was relieved by his son, Nathaniel Dodge, who 
reared a large family. Of the latter, Pliny 
Dodge was a soldier in the war of 1812. He 



504 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



married Cynthia Converse, a daughter of 
Charles and Parmelia (Stevens) Converse, 
whose parents were natives of England. The 
latter' B brother, Lieut. Stevens, was a noted 
man in "Shay's Rebellion." Pliny and 
Cynthia Dodge died in Warren, Mass. They 
were aged respectively seventy- eight and 
eighty-four years. They had eleven children, 
viz.: Luke C, Henry, Edwin L., Charles 
(deceased), Warren F., John L., Parmelia C. 
(deceased), Thomas W., George F., Eliza- 
beth A. and Theodore (deceased). Of these 
Edwin L., Charles, Warren F. and Theodore 
Dodge were in the army in our late war, and 
George F. Dodge served in the navy. Polit- 
ically, Ml". Dodge is a Kepublicau. He is an 
A. F. & A. M. — Bethany Commander v K. T., 
No. 28, Mendota, 111. 

JOHN DORN, Hall, was born April 19, 
1821, in Reuth, Bavaria, Germany, a son of 
George and Barbara (Kuechlen) Dorn. John 
Dorn came to America in 1847, and lived in 
New Oi'lean, La., for four years. In 1851 
he came to Bureau County and worked in 
Westfield and Hall Townships until he was 
able to buy a team, and then farmed on 
rented land. In 1857 he bought eighty acres 
of land, which he has since improved. He 
was married in 184:9 in St. Louis, Mo., to 
Carrie Snyder, a native of Bavaria. She died 
April 1, 1874, at the age of fifty-two years. 
She was the mother of nine children, three of 
whom are living, viz. : Mrs. Mary Klein, of 
Nebraska, John and Nicholas. Mr. Dorn is 
a member of the Lutheran Church. He votes 
with the Democratic party. 

E. M. DOUGLASS, Princeton, was born 
in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., September 5, 
1823. He is the son of John H. and Sarepta 
(Bond) Douglass. The father was born in 
Hampton, Washington Co., N. Y., December 
10, 1794, and was married in Clinton County, 
N. Y. , in 1818. His main occupation during 
life was that of farming. He died in Prince- 
ton, 111., March 23, 1883. His father, 
Thomas Douglass, was a native of Dutchess 
County, N. Y. , but near the close of the 
eighteenth century settled in Clinton County, 
N. Y., and resided there till his death, which 
occurred about 1854. Sarepta Bond was born 
in Bristol, Vt., in 1796, and died in Logan 
County, 111., in December, 1858. She was 



the daughter of Seth Bond, a native of Ver- 
mont. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary 
war, and was at the battle of Fort Benning- 
ton, under command of Gen. Stark. He died 
in Ontario County, N. Y., in 1844, at an 
advanced age. The four grandparents of 
Mr. E. M. Douglass lived in the same neigh- 
borhood for many years, and are all buried 
in the same country graveyard. Their aver- 
age age was eighty-four years. The subject 
of this sketch is one of a family of seven 
children — four sons and three daughters. Of 
the family four now survive, viz.: E. M., 
Mrs. Caroline Furgeson (of Hudson, 111.), 
Thomas H. (of Macon County, Mo.), and 
Mrs. Saretta Dominy (of Franklin County, 
Ohio). Mr. E. M. Douglass' early life was 
spent at home on the farm and in attending 
the common schools to a limited extent, but 
he had the desire to investigate and learn 
for himself; so he has continued his reading 
and study through life, till he has gained a 
large store of practical knowledge. In 1834 
he removed to Franklin County, Ohio, with 
his parents. He remained with them till 
October, 1841, when he removed to Logan 
County, 111., landing there without any cap- 
ital, and still almost a boy; but his prompt- 
ness in all business matters soon made him 
many fi-iends, so for some years he was en- 
gaged in farming, school teaching, etc.. but 
from 1854 till 1856 he was Treasurer of 
Logan County. From Logan County he re- 
moved to Williamsville, Sangamon County, 
where he engaged in the mercantile business 
till coming to Princeton in 1866. He then 
purchased his farm of 208 acres near Prince- 
ton, and has since given most of his attention 
to farming, but is serving his second term as 
Assessor of Princeton Township, having been 
elected on the Republican ticket. September 
25, 1856. he was married in Erie County, 
N. Y. , to Mariette Ranney. She was born in 
that immediate neighborhood in 1834. She 
died in March, 1859, leaving one son, Frank- 
lin, who followed her about a year later. 
June 3, 1860, he was united in marriage, in 
Niagara County, to Miss Hannah Fisk, a 
native of that county, born January, 1834. 
She is the daughter of Levi and Susannah 
(Bixby) Fisk. He was born in Madison 
County, N. Y., but in early life removed to 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



505 



Niagara County. He now resides in Genesee 
County, N. Y. His wife was born in the 
British Provinces of America. She died in 
Genesee County in about 1874. Mrs. Doug- 
lass is the mother of four children, viz.: 
Emma, wife of Charles A.. Seurr; John O., 
who is a book keeper in Rochester, N. Y. ; 
Charles G., and Wilbur L. Mr. and Mrs. 
Douglass are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. 

THE DRAKE FAMILY. William Y. 
Drake (deceased) was a native of New Jersey. 
In early life he learned the blacksmith's trade, 
and followed that occupation for some years 
in his native State. In 1S08 he removed with 
his family to Ohio, where he engaged in 
farming, but through a defective title he lost 
his farm in Ohio, and in November, 1835, 
came to Bureau County, III., coming across 
the country with ox teams. He settled on a 
farm in Dover Township, and for some years 
engaged in blacksmithing. He died April 
29, 1852, at the age of eighty-one years. He 
was marrieil January, 1792, in his native 
State to Miss Jane Cary, also a native of 
that State. She died December 24, 1849, at 
the age of seventy-five years. They reared 
a family of nine children to maturity, viz. : 
Mrs. Charlotte Langworthy, who lived to 
reach her eighty-second year, and died in 
Bureau County. Her husband, Cyrus Lang- 
worthy, was the first Sheriff of this county. 
David Drake died in 1849, in Bureau County. 
Lewis Drake and Mrs. Sarah Patterson both 
died in Ohio. Mrs. Ann Murphy now resides 
in Princeton and is in her eightieth year. 
She is the widow of Robert Murphy, who 
came to the county in 1836. Morgan Drake 
died here in 1842. Mrs. Catherine Gregg, 
wife of Asa Gregg, resides in Iowa. Mrs. 
Rachel L. Stocker resides in LaSalle, 111. 
Mrs. Mary J. Clark died in this county. 
William Cary Drake was born in Knox 
County, Ohio, November 26. 1821. He is 
the youngest of the family, and remained at 
home till a short time before his father's 
death. He has made this county his home 
most of his life, and farming has received his 
attention. His education was such* as could 
be obtained in the schools of that day. He 
had remained at home all his life till 1852, 
when hib father advised him to take a trip to 



California, which he did, and for eighteen 
months was engaged in mining; but soon af- 
ter reaching California he learned of his fa- 
ther's death, so did not remain as long as he 
intended. After retui-ning to Illiuois he 
remained some time at LaSalle, and was 
there married, March, 5, 1854, to Mrs. Hannah 
Watson, the widow of Michael Watson, who 
had come with his wife to Bureau County in 
1834, but in 1849 he had gone to California 
and died there. His father, Amariah Watson, 
settled at Tiskilwa in 1833. Mrs. Drake 
died October 20, 1873. September 9, 1874, 
Mr. Drake was united in marriage to Mrs. 
Adelia Langworthy, widow of Dr. A. Lang- 
worthy. Mrs. Drake was born March 28, 
1819. She is the daughter of Oliver and 
Elizabeth (Jeremiah) Perkins, natives of Ver- 
mont, but who had lived at Saratoga Springs, 
N. Y. , for a number of years before coming 
to this county in 1836. Mr. Perkins died 
November 10, 1839, but his widow survived 
him till December 16, 1864. They were the 
parents of the following named children: Sid- 
ney Perkins, of Red Cloud, Neb.; Mrs. Adelia 
Drake, Mrs. Alice Fellows, deceased; Mrs. 
Nancy Sisler, deceased; Mrs. Caroline Thorp, 
of Kansas, widow of Eli Thorp, and Mrs. 
Susan Courser, deceased. By her first hus- 
band Mrs. Drake is the mother of seven chil- 
dren, viz. : Oliver (deceased), was born July 
3, 1839; Lewis, born February 4, 1841, 
was killed at the charge on Vicksburg, May 
22, 1863; Charles, born February 27, 1843, 
is a resident of Princeton; Mrs. Adelia 
McDowell, born March 16, 1846, died Sep- 
tember 24, 1883; Clara (deceased), born 
February 16, 1848; Edward, born June 13, 
1854, is now living in Chicago; and Ag- 
nes Langworthy, born April 9, 1858. In 
1837 Mrs. Drake opened the first school in 
Tiskilwa, and with the prospect of excellent 
success; she taught the school but three 
weeks, when she gave it up, and the follow- 
ing week, May IS, 1837, was married to Dr. 
Langwcirthy. Dr. A. Langworthy was born 
November 29, 1788, in Vermont. He studied 
medicine, and in 1816 came to Alton, 111., 
where he began the practice of his profession. 
He remained at Alton till 1825, and during 
his residence there had been Postmaster, and 
held various offices. In 1825 he removed to 



506 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Ft. Clark,or as it is now, Peoria, and contin- 
ued in the practice of medicine. For one 
year previous to the Black Hawk war he was 
in the lead mining regions, but returned to 
Peoria on account of Indian troubles. Dur- 
ing the Black Hawk war he was Surgeon in 
the army. In 1834 he moved to Tiskilwa, 
Bureau County. In 1818 he was married 
in Alton to Ada Mecham, who died July 20, 
1836. She was the mother of the following 
children: Gyrene G., born June 7, 1820, who 
is the wife of Constant Searl, of Iowa; Char- 
lotte E., Laura A., Augustus J., Nancy A., 
Washington L., Martha L. and Edward W., 
deceased; and Frances A., born January 20, 
1834. She is now living in Missouri and is 
the wife of Robert Bell. In the latter years 
of his life Dr. Langworthy practiced medi- 
cine but little, as his health and age would 
not permit the exposure to which he would 
be subjected; however, in 1844 and 1845 he 
was almost compelled to practice on account 
of so much sickness. He was often called in 
as consulting physician after his retirement 
from practice. He died on his farm between 
Tiskilwa and Hennepin, March 20, 1866. 

J. A. DRAPER, Clarion, was born April 
22, 1822. in Shaftsbury, Bennington Co., Vt., 
where his father, George R. Draper, was also 
born, March 17, 1796; he died there Febru- 
ary 1, 1882. He was a farmer and teacher 
by occupation, and married Theny Ashton, 
who was born March 10, 1776, in White 
Creek, Washington Co., N. Y. She died Sep- 
tember 29, 1847, in Shaftsbury, Vt. She 
was the mother of the following children: 
James A. Draper, our subject; Mrs. Elizabeth 
Culver, deceased; George B. and Frances A. 
Draper, deceased. Mrs. Theny (Ashton) 
Draper was a daughter of Thomas Ashton, 
an old Revolutionary soldier, who married a 
Miss Persey, whose father was a protid Span- 
iard. She reared a family of eight children. 
Nathan Draper, the grandfather of our sub- 
ject, was the first white child born in Shafts- 
bury, Vt. , where his parents were pioneers. 
The old Draper family is of English extrac- 
tion, and were known as " Salt Water " 
Quakers. Our subject was reared in his na- 
tive State. At the age of nineteen he went 
to sea as a fisherman, and after two years 
went aboard a merchantman, on which he was 



Steward two and one half years, and after 
that farmed in Vermont. In April, 1856, he 
came to this county, and bought a farm in 
Clarion Township, where he yet resides, and 
leads an exemplary life. Politically he is 
identified with the Republican party. Mr. 
Draper was married in Chicago October 6, 
1857, to Mrs. Betsey Mattison, the widow of 
John A. Mattison, deceased, who was the 
father of Mrs. Jennie A. Hosley, deceased; 
Herbert J. Mattison, of Rooks County, Kan. ; 
Warner E. and Emma E. ; the last two died 
in infancy. Mrs. Betsey Draper was born 
October 1, 1822, in Shaftsbury, Vt. Her 
father, Elijah Mattison, was born Octo- 
ber 18, 1798, in Shaftsbury, Vt. ; he died 
October 21, 1828; he was of Danish extrac- 
tion and a son of Henry Mattison, Esq. iNIrs. 
Draper's mother, Orpha Buel, was of Welsh 
descent. She was born June 22, 1800, and 
died February 21, 1835. She was the 
mother of five children, viz. : Anson J. (de- 
ceased), Betsey, Clarissa, Edwin and Elijah 
Mattison, who died in infancy. 

JAMES M. DRAPER, Greenville, was 
born in Bennington, Vt., December 5, 1817. 
He is the grandson of James Draper, a native 
of Norway, but who came to America at an 
early date in its history, and one of his sons, 
Nathan Draper, was the first white child born 
in Vermont. James Draper lived to be one 
hundred and four years old. His son, John, 
onf subject's father, married Electa Elwell, 
a daughter of Jabish Elwell, a Revolutionary 
soldier. She was one of a family of ten sons 
and seven daughters, all of whom lived to 
have families of their own, and when James 
M. Draper's grandmother, Elwell, died, she 
was ninety -nine years, nine months and nine 
days old, and had 150 grandchildren, and 
300 great-grandchildren. While her hus- 
band, Jabish Elwell, was in the Revolution- 
ary Army, not one of the children had a shoe 
to wear. James M. Draper is one of a fam- 
ily of six children. He lived in his native 
State till coming to Illinois, in 1842. For 
two years he lived in Whiteside County, and 
in 1844 came to his present farm in Green- 
ville Township. He came to this county 
without any property, but bought forty acres 
of land, and for four years all that he had to 
wear on his back was a cotton shirt and a 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



507 



cotton roundabout, costing 25 cents per yard, 
which he cut and made himself. He was of 
a robust and rugged constitution, and so he 
set himself at work to make a competency, 
and now he is reaping his reward. He now 
owns 576| acres in one body in this township, 
and has retired from active life. He was 
married, July 1, 1837, in Vermont, to Cathe- 
rine Upham, who was born in Bennington, 
Vt., July 19, 1820. She is the mother of 
sis children, viz. : Mary E., wife of Benja- 
min Odell, of Sacramento, Cal. ; James H., 
married to Mary J. Hugboon ; Franklin R, 
married to Mary Fairfax; Dennis D., mar- 
ried to Viola Wilson; Henrietta, wife of 
Jasper Staufi'er, and Minnie May, at home. 
All except the eldest reside in this county. 
In politics Mr. Draper is Republican. He is 
a member of the Protestant Methodist Church. 
When tirst settling in this county he experi- 
enced the hard times of the pioneer. His 
tea was made from the Redroot leaves, his 
coflfee, burnt corn, and for sweetening, molas- 
ses made from watermelons served the pur- 
pose. But as he now looks back over a well 
spent life he can say: 

" But whilst I am a stranger away from my home, 
I'll toil in the vineyard and pray. 
I'll carry the cross, while I think of the crown, 
And I'll watch for the break of the day." 

WILLIAM DREMANN, Bureau, was born 
in Melle, Hanover, Germany, December 30, 
1839. His father, Fred Dremann, lived and 
died in Hanover, and his mother died when 
our subject was one year old. William Dre- 
mann was reared on a farm and educated in 
the schools of his native town. In 1856 he 
came to America, making the passage in a 
sailing vessel, which was ten weeks and four 
days reaching New Orleans. He then came 
up the Mississippi River to St. Louis, and 
from there to Bureau County, where he has 
since resided. In 1863 he began farming, 
and now owns the Abram Stratton farm, 
which was settled in 1829. His farm con- 
tains 383 acres in Btu-eau Township. When 
he came to this country he was in debt for his 
passage money, but through his industry and 
perseverance has gained a competency. He 
was married, in Princeton, to Mary Welhoe- 
ner, who was born in Goeltenbeck, Prussia, 



April 21, 1842. When about ten years of 
age she came to America with her parents, 
F. W. and Elizabeth Welhoener, and in 1856 
to Princeton. Her mother still survives, and 
lives with our sttbject. Mr. and Mrs. Dre- 
mann are the parents of nine children, viz. : 
Fred W., born August 14, 1862; Henry L., 
born August 14, 1864; August W., born Sep- 
tember 19, .1866; Frank G-., born December 
30, 1868; Emma, born August 19, 1871; Her- 
man H., born April 26, 1874; Louis, born 
June 10, 1877: John, born September 10, 
1879; Kate M., born February 18, 1881. 
Mr. Dremann and family are members of the 
Evangelical Lutheran Church. In politics 
he is identified with the Democratic party. 

DENIS DRISCOLL, Lamoille, was born 
May 27, 1835. in Ireland; is a son of Michael 
and Helena (Fitzgerald) Driscoll, natives of 
Baltimore, County Cork, Ireland. They left 
the Emerald Isle about the year 1836, to 
make a home in the new world. They landed 
in Boston, Mass., and made that city their 
home for a period of twelve years. In 1848, 
on the 8th day of October, they came to La- 
moille Township in Bureau County, 111., and 
the following spring settled on a place which 
their brother-in-law had entered the year be- 
fore. The Driscoll family, when they came 
here, consisted of Mr. and Mrs. Driscoll, and 
four boys: Michael, Denis, James and Daniel 
Driscoll. Of these Michael died in Louis- 
iana, and James in Sterling, Hi. Michael 
Driscoll, Sr., was born 1793; he died here in 
August, 1849. Mrs. Helena Driscoll was born 
in 1800, and when her husband died, 
managed the home farm, and added to it 
from time to time. Although she has been 
one of the hardest working women in this 
part of the country, she is yet able to get 
about and read and sew without spec- 
tacles. Her two sons, Denis, born May 
27, 1835, in the old country, and Daniel, 
born May 20, 1842, in Boston, are living 
with her at home. Denis Driscoll went to 
Boston in August, 1863, in search of one of 
his brothers; from there he went to New 
York, and then to San Francisco, Cal., via 
Panama. In California he mined, returning 
the same way in December, 1864. Since 
then he has farmed successfully, especially 
of later years. They now own a farm of 



508 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



240 acres. Politically, both boys are identi- 
fied with the Democratic party. 

AARON DUNBAR, Dover, was born iu 
Cumberland County, near Newville, Penn., 
November 25, 1842. He is the son of John 
and Maria (Oiler) Dunbar. The Dunbar 
family is of German origin, and for several 
generations resided in Pennsylvania. The 
mother of our subject died when he was six 
years of age. In the spring of 1857 his 
father removed to this county, and settled in 
Dover Township, where he died in the spring 
of 1862. They were the parents of two 
children — our subject, and Mrs. J. H. Brig- 
ham, of this township. Mr. Dunbar is the 
only son, and is the foui'th generation in 
which there has been but one sou. He re- 
ceived his education in the district schools of 
Pennsylvania, and also attended two and a 
half years at the academy at Dover, but left 
school to enter the army. He enlisted Au- 
gust 11, 1862, as a private in Company B, 
Ninety third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
Col. Putnam, and was promoted to the rank 
of Sergeant, serving for two years in that 
capacity, until his discbarge, July 9, 1865. 
During the charge on Vicksburg, May 22, 
1863, he received a flesh wound which disa- 
bled him for a few weeks, but participated in 
every battle in which his regiment was en- 
gaged. While on the march from Raleigh 
to Richmond he received a sunstroke, which 
injured his health. After his return from 
the war he attended the academy one year, 
afterward working on the farm iu the sum- 
mer and teaching school in the winter for Ave 
years. His occupation has been chiefly that 
of farming. He now owns 180 acres, besides 
one-half interest in 130 acres, and also has 
charge of another farm of 180 acres. Mr. 
Dunbar was married May 28, 1868, to Miss 
Emily Thompson. She was born May 15, 
1843, the only daughter of Dwight Thomp- 
son, who came from Massachusetts iu 1844, 
and settled in this county, where he still re- 
sides. His wife, Maria (Buss) Thompson, 
died in 1869. Mr. and IMrs. Dunbar have 
three daughters: Mary E., born March 4, 
1869; Carrie M., September 16, 1871; Pearl 
A. , February 28, 1877. Mr. Dunbar is a 
Republican in polities, and for several years 
has been Township Assessor. He and his 



family are members of the Congregational 
Church of Dover, of which he has been Dea- 
con for a number of years. 

JAMES DUNBAR, Sr., deceased, was 
born October 4, 1814, in Huntingdon County, 
Penn., where he was a wood-chopper and 
charcoal-maker by occupation. He came to 
this county in 1849 and settled in Lamoille 
Township, where he bought some Mexican 
war claims in Section 3, consisting of about 
240 acres. His family came in 1851 ; it 
consisted of his wife and three children. 
James Dunbar, Sr., was a hard-working man, 
wide-awake and self reliant. He kept on 
buying land, till at the time of his death he 
owned 1,600 acres of land. He devoted 
much of his time to raising stock, principally 
cattle. Politically he was a radical Repub- 
lican. He died September 24, 1879. His 
memory is cherished by all who knew him 
and he is spoken of only in terms of the 
highest regard. He was married in the East, 
March 7, 1839, to Rebecca Markley, who was 
born December 25, 1821. She is yet living, 
and is the mother of the following children: 
George W., who died in Memphis, Tenn., 
while on his way home from the army; 
Nancy, deceased ; Mrs. Amanda Brown; 
James, Jr. ; Mrs. Elizabeth Shaddock, and 
Albert C, who died in Santa Fe, N. M., 
where he had gone for his health. Of the 
above children James Dunbar, Jr., was born 
here January 25, 1855. He was reared on 
the homestead and has inherited many of his 
father's manly qualities. In 1872 he went 
to Los Angeles, Cal., where he- worked for 
the Express Company of Wells, Fargo & Co. 
In 1877 he returned to Bureau County and 
in 1879 again went to California, but 
returned before the death of his father, after 
which he took charge of the farm. He has 
turned his attention more to the raising of 
horses and on his farm of about 1,000 acres 
keeps on an average about 120 head of 
horses, besides colts, also raising cattle and 
hogs. He has about twenty head of full 
blooded Clydesdales, and among them are 
" Imperial Crown" and "Capt. Clyde." He 
has also an imported Norman and several 
thoroughbred running horses. To-day Mr. 
Dunbar is recognized as one of our most 
wide awake horsemen in Bureau County. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



5oy 



Politically Mr. Dunbar is a Republican. 
He was married here to Miss Fannie E. 
Grossman, a native of New York State and a 
daughter of John C. Grossman. This union 
was blessed with one ohii'd, an infant son. 

WILLIAM P. DUNN. Tiskilwa, was born 
October '21, 1828, in Brown Gounty, Ohio. 
His parents, Ferrell and Lydia (Flemming) 
Dunn, were natives of Virginia. The former 
was born May 4, 1796, and died October 29, 
1869, in Tiskilwa. He was a farmer by oc- 
cupation, and first came to Danville, 111., 
about 1832. He then fought in the Black 
Hawk war and came thi'ough Bureau County. 
After a residence of nearly four years he re- 
moved to Putnam County, and the following 
year settled in Tiskilwa. His wife was born 
August 25, 1800; she died November 3, 
1880. Her parents, William and Nancy 
Flemming, were natives of Scotland. Mrs. 
Lydia Dunn was the mother of live chil- 
dren, viz.: Mrs. Elizabeth Fritchey, Flem- 
ming and Ellis are deceased, William F. and 
Lewis D., now a physician in Moline, 111. 
William F. Dunn, the subject of this biogra- 
phy, received a common school education in 
Tiskilwa. Ho was a tiller of the soil till the 
fall of 1862, when he obeyed the call of his 
country and enlisted in Company E, of the 
Ninety-third Regiment of Illinois Volunteer 
Infantry, From a private he was promoted 
First Sergeant. In November, 1862, he went 
with his company into active service, and 
from that time till October 5. 1864, was con- 
stantly in the field. He participated in the 
battles of Jackson, Champion Hill, siege of 
Vicksburg, Mission Ridge and Allatoona, at 
which latter battle he was wounded and lost 
his left leg in the service of his country. 
After he became convalescent he returned 
home, only to find that his wife and child had 
been laid to rest by kind friends. Such is 
the fate of soldiers. How can we repay or 
compensate them for their suffering! Mr. 
Dunn was married May 29, 1855, to Hai-riett 
W. Baker, who was born August 24. 1833. 
She died February 27, 1863. She was the 
mother of four children, viz. : Mrs. Julia A. 
Swain, a native of Denver, Col.; Mrs. Hattie 
B. Betz, a resident of Nebraska; David E., 
deceased, and Mattie L. Our subject was 
married a second time, June 28, 1883, to 



Julia E. Houghton, a native of Michigan and 
a member of the Congregational Church. 
She was formerly an active and efficient 
teacher in the Tiskilwa schools. Since the 
war Mr. Dunn has been in the postoffice at 
Tiskilwa, serving four years as Deputy, and 
in 1868 received his appointment as Post- 
master under Grant, tilling the office with 
tact and ability. 

HENRY DUNTEMAN, Selby, was born 
in Hanover, Germany, March 18, 1829. He 
is the son of Henry Dunteman, who com- 
manded a British regiment in the war of 
1812, and was also under Wellington at the 
battle of Waterloo. After returning from 
service ho was a pensioner of the British 
Government until his death; he was also 
Mayor of his village. Our subject attended 
school until he was fourteen years old, and 
was then apj^renticed to the carpenter's trade, 
it being a principle of his father that each 
of his sons should learn a trade, as it might 
sometime be necessary for them to labor for 
their bread. Our subject served but two 
years, and then came to America in 1846. 
He had a brother George, in Ganajoharie, N. 
Y., and stayed there one year, working at the 
cooper's trade. In 1847 he came to Chicago, 
afterwards to Wilmington, Will Co., 111., 
and then to Morris, Grimdy County, where 
he remained until the fall of 1849, when he 
came to Bm-eau County, and has since made 
this his home. Until March, 1850, he worked 
at the cooper's trade in Princeton, afterward 
hired out to Benjamin Newall for two years. 
In 1853 he began farming for himself, buy- 
ing an eighty at $8 per acre, in Section 15. 
He has since added to his farm till it now 
contains 385 acres. He was married June 29, 
1851, to Almeda Long, born in Green County, 
Ohio, November 15, 1829. She is a daugh- 
ter of Henry H. Long, deceased (see sketch 
of Mrs. E. Dunteman). Mr. and Mrs. Dun- 
teman have three children; John H. , born 
October 21, 1852, married to Elizabeth Far- 
ney; Benjamin N.. born May 29, 1857, mar- 
ried to Melissa Hosier; Charity, born Janu- 
ary 11, 1855. All live in Selby Township. 
In politics Mr. Dunteman is a stanch Repub- 
lican, and is Chairman of the Township Cen- 
tral Committee, and has been a member for 
many years. He is serving his fourth term 



310 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



as Justice of the Peace. Mr. Dunteman was 
reared in the Lutheran Church; his wife is 
a member of the Methodist Protestant Church. 
He is a member of Bureau Lodpje, No. 112, 
A. F. & A. M. of Princeton. 

ERNEST DUNTEMAN, Selby, was born 
in Hanover, Germany, May 21, 1831. He is 
son of Henry Dunteman deceased (see 
sketch of Henry Dunteman). Our subject 
was educated in the schools of his native 
land, and served in the German Army, and 
lost his right hand while in the service. 
September 2, 1855, he landed ia New York 
City, and the 17th of the same month came to 
Bureau County, 111., and has since resided 
in Selby Township, where he has made farm- 
ing his occupation. June 22, 1876 he was 
married to Mrs. Amanda Hall, widow of 
Ransom Hall. Her father, Henry J. Long, 
was born in Rockingham County, Va.,in 1800. 
When about ten yeai's of age he removed 
to Green County, Ohio, and was there mar- 
ried to Mary Walden, who was born in the 
same county as her husband, in 1801. By 
trade Mr. Long was a cabinet-maker and 
joiner, but most of his life he was engaged 
in farming. In 184:2 he removed to Bureau 
County, 111., and settled in Selby Township, 
where he died in 1880. His wife had died 
June 4, 1877. They were the parents of 
nine children, seven of whom yet survive, 
four in Selby Township and three in Iowa. 
Mr. Dunteman is a member of the Lutheran 
Church, and in politics is Democratic. Mrs. 
Dunteman has managed the property left her 
by her father and first husband, so success- 
fully that she now owns in Selby Township 
over 600 acres of land. 

J. R. EARNEST, Princeton, was born 
July 8, 1842, in Bedford, Penn. He is the 
son of Frederick and Elizabeth (Sill) Earnest, 
both of whom were born in Pennsylvania. 
They came to Bureau County, 111., in 1854. 
By occupation the father was a mechanic; 
he died in this county. Mr. J. R. Earnest's 
life has mostly been spent in the school- 
room, either as a scholar or an instructor. 
He first attended the Northwestern College 
at Plainiield, 111., after which he taught 
iive terms of school in Bureau County; he 
then t,ook a complete business course in the 
Bryant & Stratton Business College, of 



Chicago. After graduating at the business 
college he kept books for B. R. Moss in the 
City Mills, of Princeton. He then again 
engaged in teaching, and continued till 1870, 
when he removed to Oskaloosa, Kan., at 
which place he was Principal of the city 
schools for two years, and then was elected 
CountjT Superintendent of Public Instruction. 
Mr. Earnest served one term in this office, 
after which he removed to Springdale, Kan., 
and was again engaged in teaching for two 
years. He then returned to Princeton, 111., 
and for two years was Principal of the 
schools of DePue ; he then engaged in farm- 
ing, which occupation he followed till 1883, 
when he was appointed agent for the Ameri- 
can Express Company at Princeton, which 
position he now fills. He was married in 
Princeton, 111., to Miss Annie E. Charlton, 
who was born in Philadelphia, Penn., 
November 27, 1846. She is the daughter of 
Henry and Sarah (Clee) Charlton, both na- 
tives of England. To Mr. and Mrs. Earnest 
one child — Alpha F. — was born June 16, 
1874. Both Mr. and Mrs. Eai-nest are mem- 
bers of Lhe Congregational Church. He is a 
member of the I. O. O. F., and in politics is 
Republican. 

O. M. EASTMAN, Lamoille, another of 
our old settlers, came here in October, 1836, 
from Granby, Mass., where he was born July 
18, 1814. He is a son of Joseph and Persis 
(Read) Eastman, natives of Massachusetts, 
he of Granby, Hampshire County, and she of 
Warren, Worcester County. Both died in 
Seneca County, N. Y. They were the parents 
of the following children: Waldo R., Ogden 
M., Lyman F., Dr. Joseph Eastman, Charles 
E., Reuben, Mrs. Eliza Goodrich and Mrs. 
Persis A. Aldrich. In early life Mr. East- 
man was a mechanic, following his occupa- 
tion after he came to this county. He first 
settled in Leepertown, but the following 
year, in 1837, he came to Lamoille Township, 
and since 1862 has resided mainly in La- 
moille. He spent two years very pleasantly 
visiting friends in Massachusetts. In South 
Hadley, Mass., he was married before he came 
West, July 11, 1836, to Miss Lucretia A. 
Church, who was born December 6, 1814, in 
the above place. She is a daughter of Cenas 
Church, and is the mother of four children 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



511 



now living, viz. : Norris B., of Dakota; Mrs. 
Lucy E. Nugent, of Taylor County, Iowa; 
Mrs. Persis A. Hawley, and Mrs. Rachel A. 
Phillips. Mr. aud Mrs. Eastman are active 
members of the Congregational Church. 
Politically he is a Republican. He is a 
Master Mason of the A. F. & A. M. frater- 
nity, and is ever willing to encourage all 
things pertaining to the good of the com- 
munity in which he resides. 

MRS. LOVEY EATON, Princeton, was 
born June 12, 1814, in Eaton, Strafford Co., 
N. H. Her maiden name was Lovey Bick- 
ford; her parents were Enoch and Nancy 
(Eastman) Bickford, natives of New Hamp- 
shire, where they died. They had seven chil- 
dren; of these only our subject is now living. 
She was married, March 12, 1837, to John L. 
Eaton. He was born July 27, 1792, and 
died September 5, 1870, in this county, to 
which he came in 1845. To' Mr. and Mrs. 
Eaton five children were born, viz.: Andrew 
J. Eaton, born December 6, 1838; Mrs. 
Sarah E. Warren was born July 27, 1840. 
Her husband, D. K. Warren, is a native of 
Steuben County, N. Y. He is now a resident 
of Astoria, Oregon, and quite wealthy. They 
have four children, viz. : Ltdu, Minnie, 
George T. and Freddie L. Truman W. 
Eaton was born February 2, 1843, and died 
September 5, 1883, in Oregon. He was a 
very bright young man, and formerly in a 
Government office in New Orleans. Lewis 
M. Eaton was born December 20, 1845. He is 
now a resident of Astoria, Oreg. The young- 
est child — Lucy Eaton — died at the age of 
three years. Mrs. Eaton is yet living on the 
old homestead, and is a well read and ener- 
getic lady, although she has passed the 
allotted " three score and ten." 

RICHARD EDWARDS, LL. D., Prince- 
ton, was born December 23, 1822, in Lledrod 
Parish, Cardiganshire, Wales. His father, 
Richard Edwards, son of Hugh Edwards, 
was born in Wales in 1799. He immigrated 
to Ohio in 1833, where he followed the occu- 
pation of a stone-mason. In 1849 he moved 
to Oshkosh, Wis., and engaged in farming. 
He died in that State in 1851 . His wife, 
Ann Jones, was born in Wales in 1802, and 
died in Wisconsin in 1876. She was the 
daughter of David and Margaret Jones, 



natives of Wales, and was the mother of 
nine children, viz.: Richard, David, Eliza- 
beth, Isaac, Margaret, Mary, John, William 
and Hugh; of whom four are now living. 
Richard Edwards spent his early life on a 
farm in Wales. In that country he learned 
to read the English and Welsh languages, 
the latter in the Sunday-schools. At the 
age of ten years he came to Ohio with his 
parents. He began teaching school in Oc- 
tober, 1844, but after one term of teaching 
he entered the State Normal School at 
Bridgewater, Mass. In 1847 he became a 
student and teacher in the Rensselaer Poly- 
technic School, of Troy, N. Y., where he re- 
mained one year. In May, 1848, he retui-ned 
to Bridgewater, Mass.. and was engaged in 
the Normal School as instructor in As- 
tronomy, Physics, Geography and Map- 
drawing. After live years' successful labor 
in the Normal School he became Prin- 
cipal of the Boys' High School in Salem, 
Mass., where he remained one year. He 
was then appointed visitor of the State 
Board of Education, and afterward Prin- 
cipal of the State Normal School in Salem, 
Massachusetts. In 1857 he was chosen Prin- 
cipal of the city Normal School of St. Louis, 
Mo., where his fame as an instructor had 
preceded him. He filled this position until 
1861, when he was elected Principal of the 
High School"of that city. By this time Mr. 
Edwards was well known through the West 
as an eflBcient instructor, and trustees of the 
State Normal University near Bloomington 
were anxious to secure his services as Presi- 
dent of that institution. Accordingly, in 
the spring of 1862, he was elected to the 
chair of Mathematics, and in June of the 
same year became President of the Univer- 
sity, and occupied that position till January, 
1876. During that time the number of stu- 
dents increased from 285, then on the cata- 
logue, to 780. After his resignation had 
been accepted Dr. Edwards was chosen pas- 
tor of the Congregational Church of Prince- 
ton, having been ordained in 1873 in Normal, 
HI. He received the degree of A. M. from 
Harvard College, and the degree of LL. D. 
from Shurtleflf College, Alton, 111. Dr. 
Edwards resigned his position as pastor of 
the Congregational Church in the summer of 



512 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



1884 and accepted the financial agency for 
Knox College. He was married July 5, 
1849, in Pembroke, Mass., to Miss Betsey J. 
Samson, born February 27, 1825. in the 
above named place. Her father, Thomas H. 
Samson, a moulder and farmer by occupa- 
tion, was born in Massachusetts in 1798, and 
died in 1882. His wife, Eleanor Josselyn, 
was born in 1799 in Massachusetts, where 
she yet resides. Dr. and Mrs. Ed\Yards 
have reared nine children, viz. : Annie, wife 
of N. C. Dougherty, Superintendent of 
Schools, Peoria, 111.; Richard A., Assistant 
Cashier of the First National Bank, of Peru, 
Ind.; Ellen S., a teacher in Colorado College, 
Colorado Springs, Col.; Mary C, wife of D. 
C. Tyler, M. D., of Clifton, Kan.; Rev. 
Nicholas T. , pastor of the Congregational 
Church, of Wyanet, 111.; George H, a com 
mercial traveler of Chicago, 111.; Walter A., 
teacher of Latin and (Jreek in the Peoria 
High School; Owen M. and Florence M. — 
twins — are students in the Princeton High 
School. Although Dr. Edwards' life has 
been a busy one, yet he has found time to 
leave us a few works, the result of careful 
study and research. In 1866 was published 
his "Analytical Series of Readers'' compris- 
ing seven books; and shortly afterward his 
'•Student's Readers" in four books. In 
1862 his inaugural address, entitled "Herit- 
age of Culture," was published in pamphlet 
form, as was also "Universal Education;" 
in 1865, "Life and Character of Abraham 
Lincoln;" in 1872, "Decennial Address." 
The Memoirs of Nicholas Tillinghast ap- 
peared in 1856 in Hartford, Conn. ; they 
were first published in ihe American Journal 
of Education. 

GEORGE ELDRIDGE, Walnut, was born 
in Loraine County, Ohio, May 1, 1840. He 
is the son of Richard and Elizabeth (Sharon) 
Eldridge; the father was a native of New 
York and the mother of Pennsylvania, but 
hor family was among the early settlers of 
Ohio. In 1850 Richard Eldridge removed to 
Lee County, 111., with his family, but 
returned to Ohio a few years later and died 
there. His wife survived him many years 
and died in Michigan. George Eldridge 
was reared in Ohio, and came to Illinois with 
his parents, afterward returning to Ohio. In 



1854 he again came to Illinois, and settled in 
Bureau County, first in Ohio Township and 
in 1868 in Walnut Township, on his present 
farm. It was then raw prairie and all the 
lowland was covered with sloughs of water. 
His farm is now all in an excellent state of 
cultivation, with good improvements; it con- 
tains 280 acres in Sections 23 and 24. He 
has accumulated all of his property in this 
county, as he came here with 50 cents, and 
for his first month and a half's work received 
$15. Mr. Eldridge was married in Ohio 
Township, Bureau Co., 111., January 26, 1861, 
to Emily Hensel, who was born in Tuscara 
was County, Ohio, August 2, 1839. Her 
parents, John and Rachel (Barton) Hensel, 
were both natives of Somerset County, Penn., 
and died in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. Mrs. 
Eldridge came to Bureau County in 1857. 
She is the mother of five children, viz. : Ed- 
gar R., born June 6, 1868; Walter S., born 
January 12, 1865; Ernest A., born November 
24, 1866: Albert R., born January 19, 1870; 
Ralph R., born September 23, 1876. In pol- 
itics Mr. Eldridge is Republican. 

J. S. ELDRIDGE, Neponset, was born 
June 21, 1833, in Canaan, jfe. His parents, 
Winthrop and Doi-eas (Adams) Eldridge, were 
natives of Maine, where the former was born 
March, 1801, and yet resides. The latter 
was born in 1806, and died there in 1854. She 
was the mother of eight children, of whom 
five are now living, viz. : Joseph G., our sub- 
ject; Mrs. Irene L. Marriot, a resident of La- 
moille; Roselthe, Mrs. Phoebe Tibbelts, and 
subject was educated in 
He settled in Sheffield, 
November 9, 1855, and 
year for Adam & Hale. 
The same year he bought 160 acres of land 
where he now resides, but did not improve it 
till 1858, nor settle on it till 1860. Between 
the years 1858 and 1860 he was in the lum- 
ber business, in Wisconsin. Mr. Eldridge 
was joined in marriage, in Princeton, to Mary 
Bowen, born October 19, 1841, in Yorkshire, 
England. Her parents were George and 
Sarah (Moocroft) Bowen. She is the mother 
of six children, viz. : George, Jennie, Rosel- 
the, Harriet, Josephine, Mary and Trew. Mr. 
Eldridge is a member of the A. F. & A. M. 
fraternity, Kewanee Chapter, K. T. Polit- 



James H. Our 
Skowhegan, Me. 
Bureau Co., 111., 
there worked one 



BIOGEAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



513 



ically he has so far been identified with the 
Republican party. 

GEN. I. H. ELLIOTT, Princeton, was 
born in Bureau County, 111., January 25, 
1837. He graduated from the University of 
Michigan in the class of 1861, and served 
through the war of the Rebellion in the 
Union Army. 

JOHN ELLIOTT, deceased, was born in 
Hamilton County, Ohio, June 6, 1806. In 
1834 he came West and settled in Dover 
Township, Bureau County. Two years later 
he returned to Clermont County, Ohio, and 
was married to Mary Hughes, with whom he 
returned to his prairie home in the "W^est. In 
1851 he moved to Princeton, where he resided 
until his death, August 8, 1881. His widow 
and four children sm'vive him: Gen. I. H. 
Elliott, Mrs. George W. Stone, and Mrs. A. 
J. Washburn are residents of Princeton, and 
Charles P. Elliott resides in Creston, Iowa. 
John Elliott was a thoughtful, quiet man of 
great force of character, clear-headed, strong- 
hearted, noble in every impulse. For forty 
years he was an active member of the Chris- 
tian Church of Princeton, and among his 
many Christian virtues benevolence took a 
prominent place. 

HON. SIMON ELLIOTT, Princeton, was 
born in Hamilton County, Ohio, February 
10, 1827. He is the son of Simon and 
Maria (Robinson) Elliott, both of Irish de- 
scent. The father was born in 1788, and 
died in 1854 in Ohio. The mother was born 
in 1799, and died in this county May, 1881, 
but her remains were taken to Ohio for burial. 
Thej' were the parents of six children, viz. : 
John, who resides on the old homestead in 
Ohio; Samuel and Simon residents of this 
county; Arthur, deceased; J. F., a resident of 
Manson, Iowa, and Mrs. Margaret Hoover, 
who lives near Lacon, 111. The occupation 
of the surviving members of the family is 
that of farming. Simon Elliott, Sr., served 
in the war of 1812, and received a land- 
warrant from the Government. At the time 
of his widow's death in 1881, she was a 
pensioner of the Government. John Elliott, 
the grandfather of our subject, came to Amer- 
ica at an early date in a vessel called " Lazy 
Mary." Some time after this the father, two 
sisters and three brothers of John Elliott 



started for this country in the "Faithful 
Steward," which vessel was wrecked off the 
American coast, and of this family only two 
of the young men were rescued, their 
wealth of gold and goods also being lost. 
Mr. Elliott's early life was spent on the farm, 
and in attending the district schools; in 
later years he had the advantages of Cler- 
mont Academy, Ohio. In 1848 he and 
another young man came to this cc)unty, 
driving across the country in a buggy, Mr. 
Elliott furnishing the buggy, and his friend 
the horse. In 1856, April 21, he was mar- 
ried in Woodford County, 111., to Miss Sarah 
A. McCoy, who was born in Brown County, 
Ohio, and is the daughter of William Mc- 
Coy, deceased. This union has been blessed 
with the following-named children: Edwin 
F., now in the railroad business in Kansas; 
Kate, Lillie and Minnie; also Alfred S. and 
Nora, deceased. Mr. Elliott's fai-m, which lies 
seven miles from Princeton, contains 200 
acres. The first quarter section that he 
bought cost him but 75 cents per acre, as he 
had bought a land-warrant. During the 
first year of his farming in this county he 
gave most of his attention to the raising of 
grain, but in later years he has given nearly 
his entire attention to the growing of hogs, 
and to dealing in stock. Mr. Elliott has 
ever been active in developing the agriculture 
of the county, and in advancing the farmer's 
interests. In November, 1878, was elected 
as the representative of the National Green- 
back party to the Thirty-first General Assem- 
bly of Illinois, and served through his term 
of office with credit. He is now Chairman 
of the Central Committee of his party for 
the Seventh Congre-ssional District. 

ABBOTT ELLIS, Dover, was born in 
Albemarle County, Va., June 22, 1812. He 
resided in his native county till September 
29, 1830, when he removed to Springfield, 
111., remaining in Sangamon County until 
July, 1833, when he again removed to Bureau 
County, where he has since resided. The 
first winter he lived in a cabin on Section 27 
in Dover Township. In 1838 ho built on his 
present farm and occupied it in 1839. He is 
the son of Dabney and Frances (Watson) El- 
lis, who came to Illinois in 1830, and to Bu- 
reau County in April, 1834. They lived in 



514 



HISTORr OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Dover TowQship until their deaths. He died 
in August, 18^0, she May 20, 1881, at the 
age of ninety-one years. They were the par- 
ents of seven children, of whom two sons and 
three daughters yet survive. Miletus died 
in Sangamon County, III.; Demarcus is liv- 
ing in Lawrence, Kaufman Co., Texas; Ab- 
bott, living in this township; Ezbon died in 
Humboldt, Kan. ; Pyrena, wife of Henry 
Clapp, of Grundy County; Frances, wife of 
M. Studyvin, of Dover Township; Martha 
Ann, wife of William Harford, Dover. Abbott 
Ellis, the subject of our sketch, had only the 
most limited chances for gaining an educa- 
tion, but obtained much practical knowledge 
at home. When he came to the county he 
had nothing, and all that he now has he ac- 
quired here. He entered 160 acres of land 
by pre-emption a short time before the land 
sale, and now owns 330 acres. In politics 
Mr. Ellis is Republican. For fifteen years 
he was Road Commissioner in this township, 
and has held other offices. He was married 
in this county, September 19, 1839, to Matil- 
da E. Durham. She was born in Kentucky, 
a daughter of John and Morning (Burris) 
Durham, and came to this county in 1836 
from Sangamon County, 111. Mrs. Ellis died 
June 21, 1869. She was the mother of three 
children: Miletus, who died in Castle Rock, 
Col., leaving a wife and four children; Lucy, 
wife uf Perry Waldren, of Berlin Township; 
John, who lives at home and has a wife and 
two children. 

JAMES H. ELLIS, Princeton, was born 
in Clinton County. Ohio, November 25, 1845. 
He is the son of Joseph and Sarah (Stillings) 
Ellis. The father was born in Ohio in 1808; 
his occupation has been during life that of a 
farmer, in which business he has been suc- 
cessful. He is now a hale old gentleman of 
seventy-six years. He has always been an 
active worker in educational matters, and es- 
pecially in giving his family all the advanta- 
ges of schools. His wife was born in Win- 
chester, Va., in 1809, and died in 1871. She 
was the mother of eleven children, eight of 
whom reached maturity, viz.: Calvin, now in 
the hotel business in Ohio; William and 
George, stock growers in York County, Neb.; 
John, a Presbyterian minister of Los Ange- 
les, Cal. ; Mary, wife of Calvin Vanniman. 



an extensive farmer in Ohio; Allen A., who 
died in 1878, after completing nine years of 
study for the ministry in the Methodist Pro- 
testant Church; James H., the subject of this 
sketch; and Melissa, who died in 1874. 
James H. Ellis was mostly reared in Greene 
County, Ohio, on a farm: however, at the age 
of fifteen years he began attending the public 
schools of Xenia, Ohio, where he remained 
for two years, after which he spent eighteen 
months in the schools of Springfield. In 
1864 he enlisted in Company B, One Hun- 
dred and Forty- ninth Ohio Volunteer Infan- 
try, and served till the close of the war, when 
he was honorably discharged. During most 
of his service he was in West Virginia fol- 
lowing Gen. Early in his retreat, and 
was in the battles of Monocacy Junction, 
July 9, 1864, and also at Winchester. Dur- 
ing the latter part of his service he was taken 
sick with the typhoid fever, and was sent 
home to die, but he finally recovered, but not 
till the war was about over. He then attend- 
ed school again, going to the Dayton schools 
for one and a half years, and then to com- 
plete his education he went to Xenia, to the 
school of Prof. Storv, where he remained till 
June, 1868. The school year of 1868-69 he 
taugbt in a graded school at Cedarville, Ohio, 
and then came to Bureau County, 111. For 
one year he taught at Limerick, then the Mai- 
den schools for one year, and then three 
years the Nepoaset schools. In 1876 Mr. 
Ellis entered into partnership with Mr. Jacob 
Miller in the real estate and insurance 
business. This partnership continued for one 
year when Mr. Ellis opened an office for him- 
self, and has continued in the real estate 
and insurance business since, however during 
the winter he is employed in teaching, and is 
now engaged in the schools at New Bedfoi-d, 
this county. Most of the lands he has for 
sale are in southern Minnesota and north- 
west Iowa, and belong to the Chicago, Mil- 
waukee & St. Paul, and the Sioux City & 
St. Paul Railroads. During his life Mr. El- 
lis has been a close student, and has made 
his study very comprehensive in extent. For 
two years, 1870 and 1871, he read medicine 
during his spare time with Dr. Kaull; and 
since he has been in the land business 
he has given his leisure hours to the reading 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



515 



of law, which profession will finally receive 
his entire attention. In politics he is inde- 
pendent. He and wife are members of the 
Methodist Protestant Church. October 26, 
1871, he was married in this county to Miss 
Sarah E. Linaberry. daughter of William 
and Sarah (Weise) Linaberry, both natives 
of New Jersey, but now residents of Bureau 
County, III. They are the parents of the fol- 
lowing-named children: Adam, a farmer in 
this county; William, a physician near Du- 
buque, Iowa; Mrs. Ellis; and Mrs. Piencoskey, 
widow of Robert Piencoskey. Mr. and Mrs. 
Ellis have one daughter — Eva May — born 
April '2, 1874. 

JUDGE JESSE EMERSON, Buda, was 
born in Newburyport, Mass., March 20, 182-1. 
He is the son of Jesse and Mary (Stevens) 
Emerson. The father was born in Hollis, 
N. H., and the mother in Canterbury, of the 
same State. In 1836 they came to Bureau 
County, 111., and settled at French Grove, or 
what is now Buda. In the fall of 1838 he 
died at Tiskilwa, having removed there, after 
first settling at French Grove. At the time 
of his death Mr. Emerson was but fifty-three 
years of age. His widow survived him till 
about the year 1875, and at her death was 
seventy- five years of age. She was the mother 
of ten children, seven of whom yet survive, 
viz. : Abby, now a resident of Galesburg, 111. , 
and wife of Augustus Lyford; Mary S., a 
resident of Sheffield, this county, and is the 
wife of Alfred Lyford; Jesse, whose name 
heads this sketch; Roxana, wife of George 
H. Ward, of Peoria, 111. ; Josephine, a resi- 
dent of Buda, and widow of W. Hamner; 
William E. Emerson, of Buda, and George 
S., of Havaoia, Mason Co., 111. During the 
residence of Jesse Emerson, deceased, in this 
county, his occupation was mostly that of 
farming, but before coming West he had been 
a cattle-buyer and drover. When coming to 
this county, it was in company with his two 
brothers in-law, Moses and Thomas J. Stev- 
ens, and others. Judge Jesse Emerson was 
educated in the district schools of this coun- 
ty, and then in private schools of Princeton. 
His early life was spent on the farm, and he 
has always been interested to some extent in 
agricultural pursuits, but since 1858 he has 
given most of his attention to the practice of 



law. During life Judge Emerson has been 
a close student, and an observer of things 
and men. In early life he had begun read- 
ing law at his leisure. While teaching 
school, or in the mercantile business, he 
always found some time to devote to the law, 
and when, in 1858, he applied for admission 
to the bar, he passed his examination readily. 
November 1, 1850, after having clerked in a 
store for some years, he opened a stock of 
goods on his old homestead, and continued 
to sell goods there till 1860, when he closed 
out his stock, and has since given almost his 
undivided attention to the practice of law, 
and with success. In the fall of 1873 he 
was elected Judge of Bureau County, and 
filled that office for four years, when he again 
returned to his practice. He was married in 
this county in November, 1851, to Miss Sarah 
M. Cushing. She is the daughter of Caleb 
Gushing, and was born in Massachusetts, 
near Providence, R. I. Caleb Cushing came 
to Illinois in 1835 on a prospecting tour, but 
returned to his native State and organized a 
colony, and in 1836 was sent out by the 
colony to locate lands and lay out a town. 
This trip he came into Bureau County, and 
located in Indiantown, where he laid out the 
village of Providence. In the fall of 1836 
he retm-ned again to Massachusetts, and 
brought his family to the new county the 
following year. Mrs. Emerson is the mother 
of three children, viz.: George, who died at 
the age of about one year; Charles W. and 
Minnie F. In politics Judge Emerson is a 
stanch Democrat. 

W. S. EVANS, Princeton, was born March 
8, 1816, in Nottingham, N. H. His father 
was Samuel Evans, a native of Strafibrd 
County, N. H. ; he was a blacksmith by oc- 
cupation, and died in Nottingham. His 
grandfather, Samuel Evans, Sr. ,wa8 a native 
of England. The mother of our subject was 
Hannah (Woodman) Evans. She was a na- 
tive of New Hampshire, and died in Notting- 
ham. She was the mother of six children: 
Alva A., William H., Wintield S. (our sub- 
ject), Samuel P., Sophronia (wife of G. W. 
Norton), and Eleazer R. Mr. W. S. Evans 
was educated in Epping, N. H. He lived on 
a farm till he was twenty-one years old, and 
then worked two years with his brother, Alva 



516 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



A., at the currier's trade in Salem, Mass., 
after which he went to Boston, where he 
worked in a bank some time, then engaged in 
the mercantile business, and after that teamed 
for the Bay State Iron Mills, carting ore, run- 
ning from eight to ten teams. In 1850 he 
sold out and came to Bureau County, 111., 
where he bought a farm in Berlin Township, 
and for many years was one of our most 
successful and enterprising farmers. Sep- 
tember 1, 1876, he removed to Princeton, 
where he at present resides, enjoying a pe- 
riod of rest after a well-spent life. He was 
married in Boston to Sarah J. Langley, a 
daughter of Jonathan Laugley. She was a 
native of Nottingham, N. H. She died April 
29, 1880. Only one child blessed this union 
— George P. Evans — who was born February 
6, 1845; he has been a farmer and merchant 
by occupation, but at present resides with 
his father in Princeton. His wife, Belle M. 
Mohler, is a native of Bureau County, 111. 
Her parents were Samuel and Caroline (Zear- 
ing) Mohler. She is the mother of three 
children: Carrie J., Samuel S. and Harry A. 
Mr. George P. Evans is a Knight of Pythias. 
Our subject, Mr. W. S. Evans, is politically 
identified with the Republican party, and be- 
fore its existence was a stanch Whig. 

CASPER FABER, Clarion, was born De- 
cember 19, 1828, in Baickheim, Bavaria, Ger- 
many. He is a son of Johann and Apolonica 
(Fisher) Faber, natives of Germany, where 
they died. They were the parents of eight 
children, of whom the following came to 
the United States: Mrs. Barbara Bopp 
(of Albany, N. Y.), Peter and Casper Faber. 
The latter came to Mendota in July, 1856. 
He worked out two years; then rented one 
year, and then bought forty acres of land. 
He has been a hard worker; hates hypocrisy in 
every form, and has been a successful farmer. 
He has now 380 acres, of which 150 acres were 
entered by Capt. L. Scammon. Our subject 
was married here November 16, 1865, to Kun- 
igunda Winder, who was born June 22, 1844, 
in Hainweiher, Bavaria, Germany. She is a 
daughter of Johann and Barbara (Weit) Win- 
der, who died in Germany. Politically Mr. 
Faber is a Republican. He and his wife are 
members of the Lutheran Church, and are 



the parents of the following children: Mar- 
garetha S., George A., Lisabetta C, and 
Catharina E. Faber. 

FRED FABER, Clarion, is a native of 
Bureau County, where he was born in Febru- 
ary, 1853. He is a son of John and Christine 
E. (Reedenbaugh) Faber. They came here 
over thirty years ago and are the parents of 
six children, viz. : Mrs. Maggie Wendel; 
Fred, our subject; William, of Lee County, 
111.; Sarah, wife of Rev. John Zellhoefer; 
Mary (deceased), and J. G. Faber of Adair 
County, Iowa. John Faber died March 19, 
1877, aged lifty-nine years; Mrs. Christine 
E. Faber is yet living with her youngest son. 
Fred Faber was married here March 15, 1883, 
to Mary Gruber, who was born here October 
30, 1863. Her father was Nicholaus Gruber. 
She is the mother of Ezra G. Faber, who was 
born January 30, 1884. Mr. Faber has a 
farm of 163 acres, which is kept in a high 
state of cultivation. 

PATRICK O. FARRELL, deceased, was 
a native of County Longford, Ireland. He 
came to America when a young man and 
railroaded several years in the South. Event- 
ually he came North and was a contractor on 
the Michigan & Illinois Canal for many 
years. After the completion of the canal he 
bought 240 acres of land in Hall Township, 
Bureau County, but soon after became a con- 
tractor on the Illinois Central Railroad, and 
after that, settled on his farm, which he 
improved and on which he died, July 6, 1882, 
aged eighty years. He was married twice; his 
first wife, Catharine Kennedy, deceased, a 
niece of Capt. M. Kennedy, was the mother 
of the following children: James, of Boone 
County, Iowa ; Mrs. Elizabeth O' Riley, of 
Westfield Township; Anna (deceased), and 
John Farrell. His second wife, Mrs. Bridget 
Cavanaugh (nee Dempsy), a native of County 
Wicklow, Ireland, died in St. Louis, Mo., 
April 1, 1875, aged fifty-six years, She was 
the mother of six children, viz. : Michael and 
John Cavanaugh (the latter deceased) by 
her first husband, and Maggie, Frances, 
Joseph and Bridget Farrell. Joseph Farrell 
is farming the homestead, and is identified 
with the Democratic party, as was also his 
father. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



517 



ELISHA FASSETT,* Canon City, Colo- 
rado. This old pioneer of Bureau Couuty 
was born October 20, 1792, in Fitzwilliam, 
N. H. He is yet living in Colorado, and only 
as late as last summer gladdened the hearts 
of his relatives and many friends by visiting 
Bureau County, where a warm welcome 
awaits him at all times. He has now passed 
his four score and ten, and although time has 
dealt gently with him and bids fair to let 
him become a centenarian, yet many of his 
Bureau County pioneer friends, when they 
pressed his hand in sad farewell, felt that the 
shadows of life were gathering around him, 
and that it might be the last time they looked 
into his kindly eyes. The following is a brief 
sketch of his life: He was a cooper and far- 
mer in his native State, where he was married 
to Lovina Angier, a daughter of Abel Angler, 
and a native of the above place. She died in 
Lamoille August 1,1837; she was the mother 
of Mrs. Nancy Frank, Mrs. Kosilla Phelps and 
Elisha W. Fassett. Our subject, accom- 
panied by his family, Abel Angier and sons, 
Reuben and Philip Angier, Cyrus Stone and 
Louis Monroe, who were sons-in-law of Abel 
Angier, all came to Putnam, now Bureau 
County, III., in June, 1835. They settled in 
the northeast part of the county, where Abel 
Angler's two sons-in-law, Jonathan Holbrook 
and Moses Bowen resided, who had come 
there in July, 1834, and settled in the vicin- 
ity of what is now Lamoille. Elisha Fassett 
bought a claim of Leonard Roth, for $350, 
Roth keeping half the claim. Mr. and Mrs. 
Fassett found none of the comforts of an 
Eastern home in the new country and bravely 
endured the privations of pioneer life. They 
would go thirty miles to Green's Mill on the 
Illinois River, and at one time, iu 1835, were 
compelled to camp out in a cold night on the 
prairie near Lo.9t Grove Mr. Fassett farmed 
in Bureau County till 1849, when he went to 
California, where he mined and merchan- 
dised. Before going to California he was 
married a second time to Mrs. Mary J. Cole 
(nee Jenkins), now deceased. In 1851 ho re- 
turned to Bureau County, where he resided 
many years and eventually went to Canon 
City, Colo., where his two daughters reside, 

♦Since the writing of the above, he died in Canon Citv, 
Colo., November 17, lti84. 



and which is now his home. There he has 
been very successful in various occupations 
connected with mining, and is a shrewd busi- 
ness man in spite of his years. 

E. W. FASSETT, Lamoille, was born 
June 23, 1823, in Keen, Cheshire Co., N. H. 
He came to this county with his father, Elisha 
Fassett (see preceding sketch), and although 
his educational advantages were few, he has 
yet been enabled through his excellent nat- 
ural ability, to place himself at the head of 
the business men of Lamoille without special 
effort About 1844 he clerked one year for 
the firm of Fox & Bryant, and after that 
clerked one year for Jonathan Holbrook and 
then took charge of the " Union Store," which 
he conducted one year, and then bought 
the store and has been engaged in business 
for himself ever since, and is now the oldest 
living merchant in Lamoille. At present, he, 
in partnership with I. H. Norris and J. R. 
Woods, is conducting a large general store, 
and also buys and sells exchange on all im- 
jjortant cities. He has 260 acres of land 
here, and about 1,200 acres in Nebraska. 
Mr. Fassett was married December 7, 1842, 
to Pamelia W. Morton, who was born May 
21, 1823, in Hatfield, Mass. Her parents, 
Cotton and Nancy (Herrick) Morton, came 
here in 1838. She is the mother of sis chil- 
dren, viz. : Mrs. Hattie L. P. Woods, Charles 
W., Frank M., and Elisha P. Fassett are yet 
living, and Fannie C. and Florence deceased. 
Mr. Fassett and his excellent wife are mem- 
bers of the Baptist Church. Dm-ing the war 
he was one of the three men elected to till the 
quota of Bureau County; and has satisfac- 
torily filled the office of Supervisor of La- 
moille Township. 

FAY FAMILY, Bureau. Samuel L. Fay 
was born in Newton, Middlesex Co., Mass., 
August 1, 1813. His parents, Putnam and 
Elizabeth (Wilson) Fay were both natives of 
Massachusetts, and in 1814 removed to Con- 
way, Franklin Co., where they lived until 
their deaths. They were the parents of five 
boys and two girls, of whom only two are 
living — George W., of Wisconsin, and Sam- 
uel L. September 29. 1834, S. L. Fay left 
Massachusetts and reached Bureau County 
October 26, 1834. The following winter he 
laid claim to his present farm, and in 1835 



518 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



entered 160 acres, and has resided on his farm 
ever since, with the exception of one year 
which he spent at Hennepin in 1836-37. His 
farm contains 280 acres, but he and his sons 
own 440 acres in Bureau Township. When 
he came to this county Mr. Fay had about 
1113, which he loaned at 12 per cent inter- 
est until he required it at the land sale. He 
was married in this county January 28, 1S38, 
to Mary Mercer, who was born in Greene 
County, Penn., February 8, 1807. She is the 
dauc;hter of Edward and Mary (Ellis) Mer- 
cer, who came to the county in 1836, and both 
died here. Of their family of eight children 
Mrs. Fay is the only one living. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Fay live children have been born, viz. : 
Edward Mercer, boru December 12, 1838, is 
married to Ella Stearns, and lives on the old 
homestead; Elizabeth A., born October 30, 
1840, wife of William Fike, of Bureau Town- 
ship; Darius Fisher, born October 5, 1842, 
married to Sylvia C. Smith; George W., born 
July 16, 1845, is married to Mary E. Hackett, 
and lives in Bureau Township; William A., 
born August 17, 1847, enlisted in Company I, 
Twelfth Regiment, and died in the hospital 
at Marietta, Ga., August 28, 1864. In poli- 
tics Ml'. Fay is identified with the American 
party, but was an Abolitionist during the ex- 
istence of that party, and was its first nomi- 
nee in this district to the State Legislature. 
He and his wife are members of the Wesley- 
an Methodist Church. Fisher Fay, son of 

5. L. Fay, was married to Sylvia C. Smith 
September 25, 1866. She was born in Prince- 
ton, 111., September 23, 1844, and is the 
daughter of Elijah and Sylvia (Childs) Smith; 
both were natives of Conway, Mass., where 
he was born November 7, 1806, and she May 

6, 1806. They were married March 31, 1831, 
and the same year came to Princeton, 111., 
where he died March 2, 1882, and his wife 
December 17, 1874. Their children were 
boru in Princeton and are as follows: I. B. 
Smith, born August 27, 1834, lives in New 
Jersey; L. F. Smith, born July 27, 1837, of 
Kansas; Susan M. , born May 11, 1840, wife 
of Frank Young, of Sandwich, 111. ; Sylvia 
C, born September 23, 1844; Sarah J., born 
March 24, 1847, wife of Johnson Foster, of 
Saline County, Neb. The children of D. F. 
and Sylvia C. Fay are: Jennie Lnella, born 



September 19, 1867; Clara Eliza, born De- 
cember 23, 1870; Sylvia C, born February 
14, 1875, died November 11, 1875. In poli- 
tics Mr. Fay has always been Republican and 
has held Township offices. February, 1865, 
he enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and 
Fifty-firBt Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and 
served till February, 1866. His regiment 
was organized at Camp Butler, Springfield, 
then went to Daltou, Ga., but most of the 
time was at Columbus, Ga. , on garrison and 
reconstruction duty. 

B. C. FEAR, Princeton, was born May 
25, 1828, in Alleghany County, Md. He is 
the son of William and Hulda (Codding- 
ton) Fear, both natives of Maryland. The 
mother died when her son B. C. was small; 
the father, however, lived until 1881. He 
was proprietor of a hotel, also kept a stage 
station, farmed, etc. The subject of this 
sketch was reared among the mountains of 
his native State, away from churches and 
schools; and during his early life he drove 
stage, kept bar, etc. Ten days before he was 
twenty-one years of age he began in the mer- 
cantile business, opening a stock of goods in 
a log-cabin 12x16 feet in a place called Cove, 
Md. In Cove he remained for eight or ten 
years, and then went to Harnedsville, Somer- 
set Co., Penn., where he was in business 
till 1867, when he came to Princeton, 111., 
and in partnership with T. J. Cooper bought 
the store of Mulvain Brothers. This store 
was in the Stoner Block, and five days later 
the building burned, but they saved part of 
the goods, which they put into the present 
store room, and so continued business. After 
about seven months' partnership Mr. Cooper 
retired and Mr. Fear has since continued the 
business, the firm now being B. C. Fear & 
Co. They carry a very complete stock of 
drv goods, carpets, etc., valued at from $10,- 
000 to $12,000. For over thirty years Mr. 
Fear has been an active member in the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church, having joined the 
church while at the Cove. He is also a 
strong temperance man, and in politics he is 
identified with the Republican party. He 
was married in Maryland, October 9, 1851, 
by Rev. B. Ison, to Miss Catherine Frantz, 
who died seven months later. He was mar- 
ried again in Preston County, Va., June 19, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



519 



1855, by Asby Stevens, to Miss Frances J. 
Forman. Six children have been the result 
of this union, four of vfhom yet survive, viz. : 
Cora, wife of C. G. Gushing; George R., 
Emma C. and Charles B. 

H. H. FERRIS, Princeton, was born De- 
cember 24, 1832, in Ferrisburg, Vt. He was 
educated in Vergennes, Vt., and afterward 
lived on a farm. In 1854 he came to Prince- 
ton, where he farmed and speculated, and 
eventually opened a real estate oflSce. In 
1862 he and his brother Benjamin S. opened 
a private bank. In 1865 they organized the 
First National Bank, in which Benjamin S. 
was President and our subject Vice-President. 
The latter sold his interest in 1875. In 
1872 he assisted in organizing the Farmers' 
National Bank, of which he was elected Presi- 
dent. In 1875, after he had sold his inter- 
est in both banks, he went to Russell County, 
Kan., where he was in the stock business 
two years and then returned to Princeton, 
where he became identified with the Citizens' 
National Bank, of which he is at present 
Vice-President. Mr. H. H. Ferris was mar- 
ried February 4, 1864, in Waterville, Me., 
to Miss Mary S. Dunbar, born September 23, 
1841. in Maine. She is a daughter of Otis 
H. Dunbar, born May 24, 1807, in Massa- 
chusetts and yet living in Princeton. Mrs. 
Ferris is the mother of live children, viz. : 
Edward S., born December 18, 1864, at pres- 
ent Assistant Cashier in a bank in Shenan- 
doah, Iowa; Camilla B., born March 7, 1867; 
Charles O., August 12, 1870; Albert H., Au- 
gust 24, 1873, and Mary C, October 31, 
1878. Mrs. Ferris is a member of the 
Congregational Church. Mr. Ferris is a Re- 
publican in politics. He was a soldier in 
our late war, serving in the Twelfth Regi- 
ment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Company 
H, which was the first raised in Bureau 
County. 

W. W. FERRIS, Princeton, was born Au- 
gust 10, 1842, in Ferrisburg, Addison Co.. 
Vt. His grandfather was Benjamin Ferris. 
Sr. ; he was born in 1765 in Stamford, Conn., 
and was a soldier in the war of 1812; he 
died of camp-fever, contracted at the battle 
of Plattsburg, N. Y. , aged forty-nine years. 
He was married about 1793 to Patience 
Barnes, who was born in May, 1760. She 



was the mother of the following children: 
Richard, Peter W., Phebe, Martha and Ben- 
jamin. The latter was born November 26, 
1801 in Ferrisburg, Vt. ; he died October 11, 
1881, in Princeton, 111., to which place he 
came in 1873. He was a farmer by occupa- 
tion, and was married November 16, 1823, to 
Mary Sherman, who was born March 9, 1803, 
in Monkton, Vt. She died May 9, 1881, 
in Princeton. She was the mother of ten 
children, viz. : Emily R., Cornelia, Phimelia, 
Benjamin S., Harrison H, Martha S., George, 
Laura, Watson W. and Charles E. Of these, 
only Harrison H., at present Vice-President 
of the Citizens' National Bank of Princeton, 
and Watson W., our subject, are now living. 
The latter was educated in Vermont and at 
the Commercial College of Syracuse, N. Y., 
of which place he is a graduate. January 2, 
1863, he came to Princeton, 111., and here he 
has been engaged in the banking business 
ever since. At first he clerked in the private 
bank of B. S. Ferris & Co., but in 1865 he 
became a member of the Ferris Bros.' Bank, 
which was another private bank. In Janu- 
ary, 1871, he was elected Cashier of the 
First National Bank, remaining in that posi- 
tion till August 1, 1875, when he resigned 
his place. The following October he was 
elected Cashier of the Farmers' National 
Bank, which position he yet occupies. Mr. 
Ferris was married here November 30, 1869, 
to Miss Frances Barrie, who was born March 
7, 1849, in Henderson, N. Y. Her father was 
Charles Barrie, a native of New York City, 
and of Scotch descent. Her mother was 
Clarinda Cook, a native of Henderson, N. Y. 
Five children were the result of this union, 
viz.: Mary A., born June 20, 1871; Helen 
M. , deceased; Willard B., born October 3, 
1876; Jean M., born August 20, 1879, and 
Florence A, born April 23, 1882. In polit- 
ical matters Mr. Ferris is connected with the 
Republican party. 

HARRY C. FIELD, Princeton, was born 
September 27, 1819, in Egremont Township, 
Berkshire Co., Mass. He is a son of John 
V. W. Field, a native of New York State, 
where he was born August 9, 1776. He died 
June 4, 1848, in Blanford, Mass. The mother 
of our subject was Orra (Hart) Field; she 
was born November 3, 1775, in Connecticut; 



520 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



she died February 3, 1846, in Egremont, 
Mass. She was the mother of the following 
children, viz. : Loretta, Mary, Mile, Gil- 
bert, Harry C, Joel H. and Sally C. Of the 
above, only Harry C, and Joel H. are now 
living, the latter in Sheffield, Mass. Our 
subject. Harry C. Field was educated in 
Massachusetts, and has made farming his 
occupation. In 1846 he came to this county, 
settling on Section 3 in Princeton Township, 
where he yet resides. He was married here 
to Louisa B. Harris, who died February 14, 
1851. She was the mother of Alice L. Field. 
Mr. Field was married a second time October 
6, 1851, to Miss Elizabeth P. Reasoner, who 
was born March 11, 1826. She is a daughter 
of Ebert and Eunice P. (Earner) Reasoner. 
Mrs. Field is the mother of four children, 
viz.: Sarah E., Florence A., Charles W. and 
Orra P. The oldest, Sarah E., was born 
December 30, 1853; she is the wife of Sam- 
uel R. Wilson. They have three children, 
viz. : Alice M., Eugene and Le Roy. Flor- 
ence A. was born September 24, 1856; she 
married J. P. Bartley; they have had one 
child, named Fred N. Charles W. was born 
November 19, 1858, and Orra P. was born 
July 24, 1860. Mr. and Mrs. Field are 
active members of the Presbyterian Church, 
and ever ready to further every good cause. 
JOHN FIELD, Berlin, was born in Jeffer- 
son County, Va., near Harper's Ferry, May 
22, 1818. His father, Isaiah Field, was of 
Irish descent and a native of Pennsylvania. 
He was married in Hagerstown, Md. to 
Esther Stonebraker, who was of German 
descent, and was born and reared near 
Hagerstown. While living in Virginia he 
was engaged in fui-nishing gun-stocks for the 
Government gun works at Harper's Ferry. 
"When their son John was eight years old 
they removed to Harrison County, Ohio, 
where they resided until their deaths. They 
were the parents of ten children, six of whom 
are now living. Our subject was reared on 
the farm, and educated in the common sub- 
scription schools of his day. He resided in 
Ohio till 1849, when he came to Bureau 
County, though he had been in the county as 
early as 1841, while traveling through the 
West selling machinery. In 1852 he pur 
chased his present homestead, and has since 



been engaged in farming. He owns 490 
acres of land in Berlin Township. He owes 
his success in life to his own industry, as he 
started with nothing. Mr. Field was mar- 
ried in Peoria County, 111., March 3, 1858, 
to Catherine Schnebley, who was born near 
Peoria. Her father, Henry Schnebley, was 
a native of Washington County, Md., and 
his wife, Elizabeth Wunderlich, of Franklin 
County, Penn. They came from Maryland 
to Peoria in 1836, where he died, but his 
wife still survives. Mr. and Mrs. Field have 
foui" children living, viz. : Charles, Hetty, 
Clement V. and J. Clinton, and two dead, 
Henry and Anna. In politics Mr. Field has 
always been an active Democrat. He is a 
member of Eureka Lodge, No. 270. A. F. & 
A. M., of Arlington. 

CHARLES FIFIELD, Concord. The sub- 
ject of this paragraph was born in Andover, 
N. H., July 12, 1857. He is the son of 
Silas C. and Lucy A. (Jackman) Fifield. 
Silas Fifield was born in Andover, N. H., 
January 7, 1S21. His father, Peter Fifield, 
was a native of Salisbury, N. H., and had 
there married in 1804, but soon afterward 
settled at Andover, where some of his 
descendants still reside. Silas Fifield was 
married in his native State to Lucy A. Jack- 
man, who was born in Enfield, N. H., in 
August, 1826; both yet survive and are the 
parents of three sons, viz. : Silas, Charles and 
Irvin. The eldest and youngest are engaged 
in farming in their native State. Charles 
Fifield remained on the farm till about the 
age of seventeen years, when he began fitting 
himself for college; he then continued his 
studies till he graduated from Dartmouth 
College in the class of 1882, after which 
he began the study of medicine, and in 1883 
began attending lectures at the Dartmouth 
Medical College, continuing in the same till 
coming to this county, April 1, 1884, on 
account of the death of his relatives, and his 
becoming heir to the property they left. 
Peter Fifield, the uncle of Charles, was born 
in Andover, N. H, and was there married to 
Miss Mercy Norton, and they were among the 
early settlers in Bureau County, settling in 
Concord Township, May, 1838. Mr. Fifield 
died here in July, 1880, and his widow in May, 
1883. They left one son— Albert J.— who 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



521 



died unmarried in March, 1SS4, at the age 
of thirty-nine years, and through the will, 
Mr. Charles Fiiield became the possessor of 
two farms containing 2S0 acres of land. 

MRS. LURANA FIFIELD, Concord. 
Samuel Fitield, deceased, was born at An- 
dover, N. H. , September 24. 1816. He was 
one of the early settlers of the western part 
of this county. August 2, 1843, he was 
united in marriage in this county to Miss 
Lurana Stevens, who was bom in New Hamp- 
shire, June 20, 1824, and is the daughter of 
Thomas J. Stevens, deceased. Immediately 
after marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Fitield settled 
on the farm where she yet resides, and he 
died there March 23, 1869, leaving a family 
of eight children, all of whom reside in 
Bureau County. They are: Thomas J., Lu- 
cien, John, Lucy J., George, Mary E., Ches- 
ter and Frank. Lucy is the wife of David 
Law, and Mary is the wife of Charles Chi- 
chester. Thomas J. Stevens was born in 
New Hampshire, and came to Illinois in 1836 
and settled a farm in Section 34, Concord 
Township, where he lived till his death in 
June, 1880. Mr. Stevens was twice married. 
His first wife, Eliza (Smith) Stevens, was a 
native of the same State as her husband ; jhe 
died in this county. He was afterward 
united in marriage to Mrs. Eliza Grant Simp- 
son, who survives him and lives at Princeton, 
III. By his first wife Mr. Stevens was the 
father of nine children, sis of whom were 
born before coming to Illinois. Of the fam- 
ily only the following now survive: Mrs. 
Liu-ana Fitield, Mrs. Mary Dow, wife of 
Trustam Dow, of Davenport, Iowa; Mrs. 
Emeline Wilkinson, wife of Lyman Wilkin- 
son, of Geneseo, 111. ; Joseph Stevens, of 
Annawan, 111., and Francis Stevens, of 
Sheffield, 111. 

DAVID C. FISHER, Macon, was born in 
Huntingdon County, Penn. , Jul)' 16, 1815. 
He is the son of Ludwick and Elizabeth 
(Crawfoi'd) Fisher. The father was born in 
Maryland, but his father, Christian Fisher, 
was a native of Germany, and had come to 
the United States during the Revolutionary 
war. Our subject's mother was of English 
descent, and was married in Pennsylvania, 
and it was in that State they lived and died, 
most of the time residing in Bedford County, 



but died in Fulton. They were the parents 
of eleven children, five of whom yet survive, 
and probably the sixth, from whom nothing 
has been learned for several years. David 
C. Fisher was reared on a farm and has 
made farming his occupation during life. 
In 1857 he came to Bureau County and in 
1862 to his present farm. September 20, 
1838, he was married in Bedford County, 
Penn., to Charity Horton. She was born in 
Bedford County, July 29, 1817, and was the 
daughter of Thomas I., and Sarah Horton. 
Mrs. Fisher died March 31, 1875. She was 
the mother of ten children, viz : Susan, Ben- 
jamin (deceased), Sarah, Henry (deceased), 
Mary, Elizabeth, Miles (deceased), Andrew, 
Margaret (deceased), and Wilson. Susan is 
the wife of Noah D. Hoskins. and resides at 
Plattville, Col.; Sarah is the wife of Albert 
Watts, of Bureau County; Mary, wife of 
Frederick Carper, resides in Macon Township; 
Elizabeth, of Buda is the wife of John W. 
Carper; Andrew lives in Macon Township, 
and Wilson in Clay County, Kan. Mr. 
Fisher is Republican in politics. 

E. D. FISHER, Princeton, was born Jan- 
uary 4, 1854, in Bureau County, 111. His 
father, Amos Fisher, was born August 19, 
1820, in Belmont County, Ohio. He died 
September 27, 1884, in Princeton. His 
parents were Darius and Anna (Mercer) 
Fisher. The former, who was a native of 
Massachusetts, died in Ohio. The latter, 
who was born in Pennsylvania, came to Bu- 
reau County in the sj^ring of 1841, as did 
also her seven children, viz.: Edward M., 
Aaron, Amos, James M., Ellis, Mrs. Mary 
Wilcox and Darius Fisher. Of the above, 
only Aaron, of Ogalalla, Neb., and James 
M., of Princeton, are yet living. Amos 
Fisher visited Bureau County in the fall of 
1835. He returned to Ohio the next spring, 
where he was married to Ann Parish, who 
died in Princeton. She was the mother of 
Mrs. Adello E. Eaton, of Chicago. Amos 
Fisher came to this county a second time a 
few months before his family. He settled on 
West Bureau, where he farmed, and for some 
time was in partnership with his brothers, 
James M. and Ellis Fisher. Amos Fisher 
has been quite a public man, holding many 
township offices from the lowest to the highest. 



522 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



He has also been Deputy Sheriff. He was 
married a second time to Olive C Green, 
who survives him. Her parents, Oliver and 
Rebecca (Wilcox) Green, came here in 1S40. 
Mrs. Olive C. Green is a native of Oswego 
County, N. Y. She is the mother of five 
children, viz.: Ann E., Frances E., Edward 
D. , Sarah V. M., andEstella, deceased. Amos 
Fisher was in the gi-ain business in Wyanet, 
with .Judge Knox for some time, and was after- 
ward in business in Princeton. He was a mem- 
ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church and A. 
F. & A. M. fraternity. His son, Edward D. 
Fisher, may be counted among our rising 
young men, who will owe their success in the 
world to their business qualities. He was edu- 
cated in Bureau County. He worked one 
season at the carpenter's trade, and tlien read 
law with Kendall & Lovejoy nearly three 
years, and then worked as book-keeper and 
weigher for the firm of A. & J. M Fisher, 
grain merchants in Princeton, 111. In 1882 
the firm changed to Fisher & Biles, and our 
subject continued to work for them until 
October, 1883, when he became a partner in 
the firm of Fisher & James, grain merchants. 
MICHAEL FLAHERTY, Hall, was born 
in Hall Township, Bureau Co., 111., Septem- 
ber 29, 1847. His parents, Michael and 
Julia (Cahill) Flaherty, were natives of 
County Kerry, Ireland, and came to this 
country about 1846, settling in Hall Town- 
ship, near where our subject now resides, and 
where they died. They were the parents of 
eight children, viz. : Mrs. Mary Cahill, Mrs. 
Bridget Lyons, Mrs. Ellen Hurley, Michael, 
John and Patrick (twins), Daniel and James, 
of Chicago. Michael Flaherty was reared in 
this county, and is engaged in farming. He 
owns 160 acres of land. He was married in 
this county April 25, 1870, to Mary Fitzger- 
ald, daughter of Gerald and Catharine (Gran- 
field) Fitzgerald, natives of County Kerry, 
Ireland, both deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Fla- 
herty have five children, viz. : James E., Mary 
L., Frank P. Julia J. and Catharine. Mr. 
and Mrs. Flaherty are members of the Cath- 
olic Church. Politically he is independent, 
but was formerly a Democrat. 

PATRICK FLAHERTY, Hall, was born 
in Hall Township, Bureau Co. , 111., February 
23, 1848, a son of Michael and Julia (Cahill) 



Flaherty. (See sketch of Michael Flaherty.) 
Our subject was married in this county Feb- 
ruary 12, 1876, to Margaret Coughlan, born 
July 4, 1854, in Westfield Township, a daugh- 
ter of James and Nora (McDonald) Coughlan. 
Mr. and Mrs. Flaherty have five children, viz.: 
Julia H. , Marj- E., Michael, James G. and 
Theresia M. Mr. and Mrs. Flaherty are mem- 
bers of the Catholic Church. Politically he 
is identified with the Democratic party. 

WILLIAM A. FLETCHER, Concord, was 
born in Fauquier County, Va. , August 10, 
1829. His parents, Townsend and Susan 
(Ready) Fletcher, were both natives of Vir- 
ginia. She is now living in this county, aged 
eighty-seven years, but he died in 1866. 
They were the parents of nine children, of 
whom three sons and two daughters are now 
living, all in this county except the oldest 
son, who is in Nebraska. In 1831 they 
moved from Virginia to Ohio, and in the 
spring of 1844 to Bureau County, 111., and 
settled near Princeton. William Fletcher 
was reared in this county, and received a 
common school education. His principal 
occupation has been that of farming, though 
before marriage he was engaged in clerking 
and also in carpentering. In 1867 he settled 
on his present farm, which he bought of his 
father in 1865. He now owns 250 acres of 
land. Although he started with nothing he 
has been successful through steady work and 
no speculating. August 4, 1853, he was mar- 
ried in this county to Lovina Holbrook, who 
was born here February 21, 1835. Her par- 
ents, Alexander and Elizabeth (Tompkins) 
Holbrook, were natives of Tennessee, but 
were early settlers in this county. Mr. and 
Mrs. Fletcher are the parents of ten children, 
viz.: Elizabeth Ann, born June 12, 1854; Ida 
Lois, September 8, 1856, died December 9, 
1859; W. Allen, April 27, 1859; Susan C, 
May 22, 1862; Mary A., March 9, 1865; Al- 
bert H., June 6, 1867; Gracie G., April 11, 
1869; Jessie M., October 7, 1871; Don, Sep- 
tember 1, 1873; James A, March 6, 1876. 
In politics Mr. Fletcher has been a Repub- 
lican since the party was organized. He and 
his wife are members of the Baptist Church 
of Tiskilwa. 

M. C. FLOWERS, Lamoille, was born 
June 21, 1880, in Richmond, Berkshire Co., 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



523 



Mass. He is a son of James and Nancy (Crit- 
tenden) Flowerw, both natives of Massachu- 
setts, where the latter died. The former died 
in New York. Mrs. Nancy Flowers was a 
daughter of Levi and Clarina Crittenden, 
and was the mother of three children, viz. : 
Alvin, Levi and Marshall C, our subject, 
who came to Bureau County in 1844. He 
lived in Princeton Township till 1861, when 
he rented a farm in Berlin Township. In 
the fall of the following year he removed to 
Lamoille Township, where he bought 160 
acres of land on Section 28, which he im- 
proved, and on which he now resides. He 
has been married twice. His first wife, 
Martha J. Winship, died here in June, 1877. 
She was the mother of two children, viz. : 
Francis E. and BUrs. Emma E. Gruenbyke, 
who is the mother of two children — Francis 
and Calvin A. Gruenbyke. Mr. Flowers was 
married a second time to Caroline A. Win- 
ship, a daughter of Franklin Winship, the 
pioneer and County Surveyor. Mrs. Flowers 
is a member of the Congregational Chui'ch. 
Politically Mr. Flowers is identified with the 
Kepublican party. 

CAPT. RUFUS FORD, Buda, was born 
September 1, 1812, iu Kennebec County, Me., 
to John and Ruth (Oldham) Ford. Capt. 
Ford remained on the farm in his native 
county until he was about twenty-one years 
of age, when he went to Massachusetts, and 
for about five years was engaged in cotton 
manufactiu-ing. In the fall of 1838, on ac- 
count of ill health, he left the factories, and 
came W^est, and having received a good com- 
mon school education in boyhood, he now 
engaged in teaching school for some time. 
From 1839 till 1842 he remained in Ohio 
and Kentucky, but in the latter part of 1842 
he went on the river, and from that date till 
1869 he was connected with the traffic of the 
Mississippi River and its branches. For a 
short time he was clerk on a boat, but soon 
became Captain. From first starting till 
1849, he was in the Cincinnati and New 
Orleans, and Cincinnati and Memphis trade. 
Then for eleven years he was engaged in the 
St. Louis & Keokuk Mail Packet Line; but 
iu 1860 he became Superintendent of the 
Missouri River Packet Line, which was in 
connection with the Hannibal & St. Joseph 



Railroad. Capt. Ford had his headquarters 
at St. Joseph, where he remained till the 
latter part of 1868, when the railroads had 
superseded the steamboat on the upper Mis- 
souri, when leaving St. Joseph he removed to 
St. Louis and took charge of the St. Louis 
& Quincy Packet Line. In 1869 he left the 
river and came to Bureau County, where he 
had invested in large tracts of land. Since 
coming here in 1869 this county has been 
his home, although his position as President 
of the Watson Coal & Mining Company has 
required his presence at the company's head- 
quarters at Des Moines, Iowa, much of the 
time for a number of years. Capt. Ford has 
always been an active participant in any 
home enterprise which he considered worthy. 
During the existence of the Buda Manufact- 
uring Company he was its President and a 
heavy stockholder, and to many other enter- 
prises he has given his assistance. He was 
united in marriage, in Bloomfield, Me., in 
1846, to Martha Cressey Webb, who died in 
this county in 1861, leaving one son — Will- 
iam W. — who was born in November, 1858. 
In March, 1867, Capt. Ford was married, in 
Buda, to Mrs. Laura C. M. Childs, who is the 
mother of one son — Robert Floyd Ford, born 
October 7, 1871. In 1842, while in Kentucky, 
Mr. Ford became a member of the I. O. 0. 
F., and continued an active member of the 
order for many years, but as age came on, and 
he became more retired, he allowed his card 
to run out. During his residence in Ken- 
tucky, and while on the river, he saw much 
of slavery and its evils, and became very 
much opposed to human bondage, and so 
took an active interest in freeing of the 
slaves. In polities he is identified with the 
Republican party. 

WILLIAM FORDHAM, Walnut. Charles 
Fordham, the father of the above-named gen- 
tleman, was born in Cambridgeshire, England. 
In June, 1856, the family landed in Bureau 
County, 111. They lived in Wyanet and 
vicinity for several years, and in December, 
1864, settled in Walnut Township, where 
they have since resided, and where the fam- 
ily owns 560 acres of land. When first land- 
ing in the county their cash capital was but 
$15. Charles Fordham was married in his 
native country to Elizabeth Morgan, a native 



524 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



of Cambridgeshire. She is the mother of five 
sons, viz : William, Isaac (married to Fan- 
nie Butler), Charles (married to Florence 
Ferris), John (married to Sylvia Major), Ar- 
thur (married to Emma Epperson). The two 
eldest sons were both born in England, but 
the others in this county, and all are farm- 
ers in this township. In politics Mr. Ford- 
ham and his sons are all Democratic. Will- 
iam and Charles are members of the A. F. 
& A. M., Walnut Lodge, No. 722. William 
Fordham was born February 7, 1851. He 
was married in this county August 18, 1872, 
to Miss Sarah Pinion. She was born in 
Princeton, April 10, 1854. She is a daugh- 
ter of Peter and Elizabeth Pinion, both na- 
tives of Cambridgeshire,England; they settled 
in Princeton about 1850, and Bureau County 
was their home till 1881, when they returned 
to Northamptonshire, England. They are 
the parents of foui' children now living, viz.: 
Josiah, Alfred and Peter in Iowa, and Mrs. 
William Fordham. Mr. and Mrs. Fordham 
have three children living, viz.: Elizabeth, 
born November 12, 1873; Arthur, born Octo- 
ber 15, 1877; William, born May 13, 1880. 
S. H. FOSTER, Macon, was born in Wash- 
ington County, R. I., in February, 1820. He 
is the son of Othniel and Eunice (Browning) 
Foster. The Foster family is of English de- 
scent, and came to America some time in the 
seventeenth century. Othniel Foster was 
born in W'ashington County, R. I., where he 
was a large land-owner, but his wife was 
born in Connecticut, and both died in Rhode 
Island. They were the parents of twelve 
children, eight of whom are yet living. Our 
subject was reared on a farm, and has made 
farming his occupation during life. In 1856 
he removed from his native State to Illinois, 
and the year following settled in Bureau 
County in Macon Township. Mr. Foster's 
life has been an active one, and he has met 
with success. His farm in Macon Township 
now contains 400 acres of well-improved 
land. In jjolitics he is Republican, and his 
father was a Whig before him. He is a mem- 
ber of the Union Church of Buda. October 
1, 1846, he was married in his native county 
to Miss Sarah Browning, who was born Au 
gust 5, 1827, and is the daughter of Abial F. 
and Hannah (James) Browning. The Brown- 



ing family for generations had resided in 
Rhode Island, and the farm adjoined that of 
the Foster farm on the sea shore. Mrs. Fos- 
ter is the only daughter in a family of six 
children. Mr. and Mrs. Foster have five 
children, viz. : Charles, Eunice, William, 
George and S. H., Jr. Charles and William 
are farmers in Ida County, Iowa; Eunice is 
the wife of N. J. Knipple, of Buda; George 
is a druggist in Buda; and S. H. is at home. 

GEORGE S. FOSTER, Buda. Among 
the young men of Buda who have been suc- 
cessful in their business ventures, and have 
laid the foundation for future competency, 
is the gentleman whose name heads this 
sketch. He was born in Cook County, 111., 
January 27, 1857, and is the son of S. H. 
Foster, whose sketch appears in this work. 
Mr. Foster came to this county in infancy 
with his parents. He was reared on a farm, 
and his early education was in the schools of 
this county, but in early manhood attended a 
college of pharmacy in Chicago, and also 
took a commercial course in the Business 
College of Davenport, Iowa. In 1879 he 
engaged in the lumber business in Buda, the 
firm being S. H. Foster & Son. This is the 
only lumber yard in the village, and our 
subject has the management of the business. 
March 1, 1881, the firm of Toomey & Foster, 
druggists, of which he was a member, opened 
a new stock of drugs and groceries, and 
have met with good success since. They 
carry a stock of goods valued at about $3, 500. 

RODERICK B. FRARY, Lamoille, is one 
of the older residents of Bureau County 
who have been honorably and prominently 
identified for a period of forty years, with 
its business and public interests. Mr. 
Frary was born at Whately, Mass., Jan- 
uary 28, 1821. He was the son of Seth, the 
son of Seth, the son of Eleazar, the son of 
Isaac, the son of Eleazar, the son of John 
Frary. The last mentioned, according to old 
histories preserved in Massachusetts, was the 
first of the name who came to America, about 
the year 1600, and settled in Massachusetts 
— the exact locality not now known, but his 
grandson, Isaac Frary, lived at Hatfield, 
Hampshire Co.. Mass., and reared a family. 
One of his children, Eleazar Frary, was born 
at this place December 19, 1716. The 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



535 



Frarys at this time were farmers by occu- 
pation, and in religion were members of the 
Congregational Church. It would appear 
that they were people of enterprise and took 
an active part in affairs of those days, as 
Seth, the grandfather of Roderick B., was a 
soldier in the war of independence and held 
a Captain's commission. He died at Hatlield, 
Mass., in 18-45, aged upward of eighty years, 
and for many years had been the recipient of 
a Captain's pension from the United States 
Government. One of his epaulets, worn 
while in the service of his country, is now in 
the possession of R. B. Frary, and is prized 
highly, not only as a family relic, but as a 
Revolutionary one. He was married in 1779 
at Whately, Mass., to Esther Scott, of that 
place, and a daiighter of David Scott. The 
latter was the master builder in erecting the 
first church edifice ever built in that town. 
It was commenced in 1772, and, as old his- 
tories give it, one barrel of cider brandy was 
consumed at the " raising " of the frame. 
Seth Frary, last named, and his wife had 
born to them nine children. Their son Seth 
(the father of Roderick B.) was born at 
Whately, Mass. He married Dency Cooley, 
a daughter of Martin Cooley, all of Whately. 
Their children were: Giles C. ; Martin C. ; 
Daniel G., born March 4, 1817; Pamelia, 
February 28, 1819; Roderick B., in 1821; 
and Esther, born in 1823. The only ones 
now living are Roderick B. and Pamelia, the 
latter living in Altona, Knox Co., 111. Mr. 
Roderick B. Frary, the subject of this sketch, 
was left an orphan, his father dying when 
he was but two and his mother when he was 
but sis years old. After his parents' death 
he went to live with his uncle, Dennis Cooley, 
with whom he remained until he was sixteen. 
He then bound himself to Dr. Bardwell, of 
his native place, to remain until he was 
twenty-one years old. Attaining his major- 
ity in the spring of 1842, the following Au- 
gust he started for Illinois, arriving at La- 
moille in September, where he made a short 
visit with his sister. He then continued on 
his journey, his objective point being Wau- 
kesha County, Wis., where he intended build- 
ing a saw-mill. On his arrival there he com- 
menced this enterprise; it was, however, final- 
ly abandoned, and he turned his attention to 



farming. He erected on his land a log-house 
1(3x24 feet in size, and was married in this 
building the 26th of April, 1844, to Miss Ann 
Elliott, a native of Pease Marsh, Sussex Co., 
England, born March 19,1824. Sheisadaugh- 
ter of George and Lucy Elliott, who came to 
the United States in 1828, settling at Sanger- 
field, N. Y., moving to Wisconsin in 1836, 
and to Bureau County, 111., in 1851, where 
they lived until their deaths at Lamoille, 
which occurred, the mother's in 1862^ and 
the father's in 1866. They had the following 
children: Ann, now Mrs. Frary; George, who 
lives on the old home farm in Wisconsin; 
Samuel, who resides in Delta County, Mich. ; 
Stephen, of Waukesha County,Wis. ; Mrs. Har- 
riet Bonham, of Andrew County, Mo. ; Mrs. 
Mary Baird, of Laramie City, W. T., and 
James, of Sussex, Waukesha Co., Wis. About 
one year after Mr. Frary's marriage in Wis- 
consin, he with his wife and one child moved 
to Bureau Co., 111., and in company with his 
brother-in-law, Mr. Mather, entered one 
quarter section of land on Section 2, La- 
moille Township. Here he lived until 1852, 
farming during the summers, and manufactur- 
ing brooms during the winters, March 10, 
1852, he commenced clerking at Lamoille for 
Tracy Beeves at $250 a year. After one year 
Mr. Reeves sold out to the Union Store Com- 
pany and Mr. Frary was appointed chief 
clerk, a position that he successfully occu- 
pied for four years and six months. He, in 
September, 1857, in company with Mr. How- 
ard, under the firm name of Frary & Howard, 
opened a general store at Lamoille. This 
business he continued some time alone and 
under different partnerships until 1876, when 
he sold oat his interest to his son and son- 
in-law, who were then his partners. In 1876 
Mr. Frary became interested in breeding and 
raising Jersey cattle. He has imported since 
that date five car-loads of thoroughbred Jer- 
seys. His herd consists at present of about 
fifty thoroughbreds. At present he devotes 
his time to the care of his stock, a boot and 
shoe store that he operates at Lamoille Vil- 
lage, and his ofiicial duties as Justice of the 
Peace and Notary Public, positions that he 
has held for several years. In politics Mr. 
Frary was an original Abolitionist, and later 
a Republican. He has served his township, 



526 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



county and nation in various official posi- 
tions. He was the tirst Supervisor elected in 
Lamoille Township and subsequently served 
several terms, also ten years as Township 
School Treasurer and various other local offi- 
ces. In 1857 he was elected Treasurer of 
Bureau County, and re-elected in 1859. At 
the expiration of his second term in 1861 he 
was appointed Assistant United States Inter- 
nal Revenue Collector under J. H. Bryant, 
serving one year. In the spring of 1864, when 
President Lincoln made a special call for 
100-day men as volunteers, Mr. Frary volun- 
teered, and in company with Maj. Roth was 
largely instrumental in raising Company G 
of the One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Illinois 
Volunteer Infantry. This company was raised, 
enlisted and ready for transportation free of 
expense to the United States Government. 
Mr. Frary was mustered in as First Lieuten- 
ant, and on the organization of the regiment 
received his commission as Captain. The 
regiment immediately re2:)orted at Benton 
Barrack, St. Louis, and soon entered upon 
active service. It was stationed a short time 
at Cairo, where Mr. Frary was appointed and 
served as Provost Marshal. After a service 
of about six months the regiment was mus- 
tered out, and each officer and soldier re- 
ceived personal thanks from President Lin- 
coln for services rendered the Nation, in 
shape of a certificate signed by himself set- 
ting forth the facts. Mr. and Mrs. Frary 
have been members of the Congregational 
Church since 1846. For many years he has 
served the chiu'ch as Deacon, and has always 
been an active worker in its support; and of 
the three church edifices of this denomina- 
tion erected at Lamoille at diflferent times he 
was each time a member of the Building 
Committee. Mr. and Mrs. Frary have had 
a family of seven children: Esther C, born 
February 4, 1845, married Albert E. Porter 
May IG, 1867, and died January 29, 1878, 
leaving one son; Dwight H., born April 2, 
1847, and married Ella Hunt September 12, 
1877; Lucy C, born December 9, 1852, and 
married Clarkson Norris October 15, 1874, 
and died March 26, 1875; Emma D., born 
January 14, 1858; Roddie B. , born October 
25, 1861, and died January 26, 1870; Nellie 
P., born March 10, 1868; Hattie M., born 



March 7, 1870. Mr. Roderick B. Frary's 
portrait will be found on another page. 

MILFORD FRAZEE, Dover, was born in 
Alleghany County, Md., November 21. 1843. 
His parents, Elisha and Barbara (Stuck) 
Frazee, were both natives of Maryland, and 
spent their lives there. They were the par- 
ents of six children, all living, viz. : Caroline, 
wife of Dr. Switzer, of Markleysburg, Fayette 
Co., Penn. ; Milford; Julia, wife of Hiram 
Griffith, of Markleysburg, Penn. ; Kimmel, of 
Garrett County, Md. ; Ulysses S., also of 
Garrett County, both on the old homestead, 
and James. Elisha Frazee was born April 
30, 1800, and died December, 1874. His 
wife survived him several years. Milfoi-d 
Frazee was reared on a farm and educated in 
the common schools, and also attended an 
academy for one year in Smithfield, Penn. He 
j taught school for one year in Maryland and 
also in West Virginia. In October, 1808, he 
came to Bureau County, and engaged in 
farming and also in teaching. In 1873 he 
settled on his present farm of 160 acres in 
Sections 34 and 27, Dover Township. He 
was married December 27, 1870, to Annor 
Coddington, born September 7, 1848. She 
is a daughter of James Coddington. (See 
sketch of J. H. Coddington.) She is the 
mother of seven children, viz.: Lillie May, 
born July 5, 1872; Fannie Belle, June 9, 
1875; Carrie Winnifred, February 23, 1878; 
James Worrall, November 6, 1880; Kate 
Edna, August 20, 1882, and infant daughter, 
November 2, 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Frazee are 
members of the Baptist Church of Princeton. 
In politics he is a Republican. 

DAVID PRIBLEY, Dover, was born in 
New Philadelphia, Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, 
January 28, 1819. He is the son of Jacob 
Fribley, who was born in Pennsylvania, 
where he was married to Elizabeth Woods, 
and afterward removed to Ohio, where they 
died. Their son David spent his early life 
on the farm in his native county, and farm- 
ing has been his occupation during life. No- 
vember 23, 1867, he came to Bureau County, 
and then to his, present farm of 190 acres, 
adjoining Dover. He was married in Tus- 
carawas County, Ohio, in 1840, to Margaret 
Lupher, a daughter of Henry Lupher. She 
was born in the same place as Mr. Fribley, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



527 



but her parents >were natives of Pennsyl- 
vania. Mr. and Mrs. Fribley are the par- 
ents of five childrea, viz.: Henry L. , died 
of disease while in the army in 1862, of the 
Eightieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry; Jacob, 
in Thirtieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry (was 
killed at the battle of Antietam in 1862); 
Catherine is the, wife of Abel Heusel, of 
Missoiu'i; Hannah, wife of Enoch Hensel, of 
this county; Sadie, wife of Charles Hogue, 
of this township. Mr. Frible)' has been a 
Republican since the party was first organ- 
ized. He and his family are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. In his bus- 
iness life Mr. Fribley has been so prompt in 
all his transactions that he has never been en- 
gaged in a lawsuit. 

PETER FUNFSINN, Westtield. was born 
November 8, 1849, in Luxendburg, Germany. 
His parents, Henry and Catharine (Rodesh) 
Funfsinn, natives of Qei'many, immigrated to 
LaSalle County, 111., in 1850, where they 
bought eighty acres of land. They are yet 
living, and have been successful farmers, 
and now possess 500 acres in LaSalle and 
Bureau Counties. Their eight children are: 
August, Peter, Mrs. Mary New, Mrs. Catha- 
rine Snyder, Mrs. Anna Hostetter, John H. , 
Rosa and Maggie Funfsinn. Peter Funf- 
sinn was married November 18, 1874, to 
Agnes Sondgeroth, born February 2, 1854, 
in LaSalle County, daughter of Conrad and 
Margaret (Schroeder) Sondgeroth. This 
union was blessed with three children, viz. : 
Conrad, Henry P. and an infant son. Mr. 
and Mrs. Funfsinn are members of the Cath- 
olic Church. He is a Republican, Township 
Commissioner, and has a farm of 200 acres. 

THOMAS FUNSON, Wheatland, who 
is the subject of the following biogra- 
phy, was born October 1, 1812, in County 
Tyrone, Ireland. He is a son of Oliver and 
Elizabeth (Sproul ) Funson, who wei-e natives 
of the above place, where they also died. 
They were the parents of the following chil- 
dren: Mrs. Fannie Milligan, deceased; 
Thomas Funson, our subject; Mrs. Eliza- 
beth McCormic and Mrs. Margaret Young 
were twins, the latter is deceased; and Mrs. 
Letitia Milligan, who is yet living in Can- 
ada. Our subject received a common school 
education in his native country, where he 



tilledjthe soil till he immigrated to the United 
States in 1846. He landed in Philadelphia, 
where he remained nearly six years, and then 
removed to Ohio, where he farmed two years. 
In 1853 he bought eighty acres of land in 
Milo Township, Bureau Co., 111., which land 
he improved and farmed successfully, till at 
present, owing to his perseverance and in- 
dustry he owns 279 acres of land. Politic- 
ally Mr. Funson is identified with the Repub- 
lican party, and has tilled many offices in this 
township; among others that of Collector, 
Clerk and Commissioner. Mr. Funson was 
united in marriage in his native country to 
Margaret McCoy, who is the mother of the 
following children: Mrs. Elizabeth Moffitt, 
Hugh M., Henry O. , Thomas T. and Fannie 
Funson. Religiously Mr. and Mrs. Funson 
are connected with the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. 

A. T. GALER, Princeton, was born Sep- 
tember 22, 1817, in Highland County, Ohio. 
He is a son of Peter and Elizabeth (Allen) 
Galer, natives of Virginia. They were the 
parents of eight children, who were all mar- 
ried here, viz.: John, Daniel, Jacob, Adam 
T., Sarah, Catharine, Ruth and Nancy. Of 
these, only Jacob Galer, a resident of Wash- 
ington Territory, and Adam T. Galer are yet 
living. Our subject came to this county with 
his parents August 20, 1834. They settled on 
Section 19 in Princeton Township, where they 
afterward entered 320 acres of land. The par- 
ents both died here, and are buried in Oakland 
Cemetery. Our subject was married here to 
Matilda Allen, who was born June 18, 1811, 
in Brown County, Ohio. She is a daughter 
of Jackamiah and Jane (Anderson) Allen, 
now deceased. They came West by water 
down the Ohio, and then up the Mississippi 
and Illinois Rivers, landing in Hennepin, 111., 
March 21, 1834. They were the parents of 
ten children, viz. : William, Melinda, Ma- 
tilda, Jemima, Ervin, Anderson, Jane, Jacob, 
Sarah and Polly. They all reared families; 
five of them are yet living; of these, Matilda, 
Jane and Jacob Allen are in this county. 
Mr. and Mrs. Galer are the parents of three 
children now living, viz. : Joseph, George 
and Melvina. The latter is the wife of 
William G. Johnson. They have five chil- 
di-en: Adam L., William C, MaryM., Nellie 



528 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



J. and Thompson G. Johnson, Joseph and 
George Galer are residents of Nebraska. The 
former is now married to Mary Thompson; 
his first wife was Mary Huffman, deceased. 
He has three children, viz.: Cora, Blanche 
and Charlie. The latter married Rosa Sales- 
bury. They have four children, viz.: Fred, 
Ord, Mabel and Tedrow Galer. Our subject 
is now living on a part of the old homestead; 
the farm contains 190 acres; he has also 200 
acres in Concord Township. He is a Master 
Mason, and in political matters is connected 
with the Republican party. He was formerly 
a strong Abolitionist. 

JAMES GALLAHER, Indiantown, was 
born October 8, 1820, in Liverpool, Perry 
County, Penn. His parents, Thomas and 
Isabella (Adams) Gallaher, were born and 
died in Pennsylvania. They reared six chil- 
dren. Of these, only John A., of Pennsyl- 
vania, and James Gallaher, our subject, are 
now living. The latter was educated in 
Pennsylvania, where he was a boatman on 
the Pennsylvania Canal, running from Phila- 
delphia to Pittsburgh. He followed boating 
about eight years, and then clerked for his 
uncle, R. C. Gallaher, in MifHin, Juniatta 
Co., Penn. He clerked there till 185'2, when 
he came to Bureau County, 111., where he 
bought eighty acres of land on Section 3, in 
Indiantown Township, where he yet resides, 
and at present owns 365 acres of land, the 
result of perseverance and industry. 

Mr. Gallaher was married, February 9, 
1860, in Pennsylvania, to Sarah A. Fulton, 
who was born October 31, 1829, in Chester 
County, Penn. She is a daughter of Thomas 
Fulton. To Mr. and Mrs. Gallaher three 
children were born, viz. : Mrs. Margaret 
Gaskill, Thomas and Mary Gallaher. Mrs. 
Gallaher is religiously connected with the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically, 
Mr. Gallaher is identified with the Repub- 
lican party. He has been School Director, 
and filled minor offices in his district, and 
financially has been a very successful man. 

JAMES M. GARDNER, Arispe, was born 
May 1, 1849, in Osceola, Stark Co., 111. His 
parents, Otis and Mary (Weaver) Gardner, 
were natives of New York. They came to 
Peoria County, 111., in 1831; from there 
they removed to Stark County, where the 



father died February 19, 1881, aged seventy- 
two years. The mother died in March, 1882. 
They were the parents of the following chil- 
dren: Mrs. A. L. Welsh, Charles A.., James 
M., Judson I., Mary E., and Mrs. Edith M. 
Mann, who are yet living. Three others are 
deceased. George Gardner, a brave soldier, 
was killed at Vicksburg in our late war. Our 
subject was educated at Lombard College. 
He clerked abont ten years and then was a 
merchant inTiskilwa for five years. For the 
last five years he has made farming his occu- 
pation with good success. He was married, 
June 15, 1876, to Clara P. Benson, a daugh- 
ter of A. Benson. She was born September 
11, 1853, and is the mother of two children, 
viz.: Alanson B. , born October 20, 1877, and 
Marian C, born September 6, 1880. Mr. and 
Mrs. Gardner are members of the Baptist 
Church. He is an A. F. & A. M. 

MICHAEL GENNETT, Wheatland, was 
born April, 1S12, in County Louth, Ireland. 
His parents, Hugh and Nancy (Garlin) Gen- 
nett, were also natives of Ireland, where they 
died. They were the parents of the follow- 
ing children: Hugh, Matthew, James, Mary, 
Margaret, Catharine, Ann, Michael and Eliz- 
abeth. Of the above only Matthew, Mrs. 
Margaret Earley, Mrs. Elizabeth Mooney and 
Michael Gennett, are yet living. The latter 
came to the United States in 1829 and after 
a sojourn of two years in New York came to 
Peoria County, 111., via the lakes and rivers. 
About 1834 he came to Bureau County, where 
he bought 160 acres of land at $7 per acre, 
but did not settle on the land till 1837 when 
he returned from Chicago, where he had 
lived since his marriage. He has a farm of 
300 acres of land in Wheatland Township, 
where he enjoys the esteem of all who know 
him. Mr. Gennett was married in Peoria 
County, to Margaret Lawle.ss, a native of 
County Louth, Ireland. Her parents, James 
and Margaret (Brannon) Lawless, were pion- 
eers of Peoria County. Mrs. Gennett is the 
mother of the following children: Hugh J., 
William P., Mrs. Mary A. McAleer, Frank 
J., Edward C, Lizzie J. are yet living; 
Thomas, James, and two infants are deceased. 
James Gennett was a brave soldier boy, who 
oflfered his life on the altar of his country. 
He died at home surrounded by those he 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



529 



loved, two weeks after his father brought 
him home from the South. Mr. Gennett has 
now living six children and fifteen grand- 
children. Of the latter, six are the children 
of Hugh J. and Maria (Larkin) Gennett; 
three of William P. and Ella (Larkin) Gen- 
nett; and the other six are the children of 
Mrs. Mary A. McAleer. 

J.\JIES GEKROND, Neponset, was born 
December 14, 1826, in Kirkcndbright, Scot- 
land. His parents, John and Mary (Wilson) 
Gerrond, were also natives of the above place, 
where their ancestors had flourished for three 
centuries. In 1852 the parents of James 
Gerrond immigrated to the United States, set- 
tling in Lackawanna County. Penn., where 
both died. They reared nine children, viz.: 
John, Agnes, Jennett, Mary, Esther (de- 
ceased), James and Elizabeth; the two other 
children died in Scotland. The grandparents 
of our subject were Robert and Jennett (Max- 
well) Gerrond; they died in Scotland. Our 
subject was educated in his native country, 
where he also learned the blacksmith trade, 
which occupation he followed there and also 
several years after he came to the United 
States, which was in 1850. He first settled 
in Carbondale, Penn. In April, 1855, he 
came to SheiSeld, 111., and two years after- 
ward he bought a farm in Macon Township, 
Bureau Co., where he farmed till the fall of 
18(51, when he removed to Neponset, where 
he lived four years and then moved one mile 
south of it, where he at present resides. Mr. 
Gerrond was married twice; his first wife, 
whose maiden name was Margaret Fersruson, 
was a native of Scotland. She was an old 
schoolmate of our subject in his boyhood days. 
She was a model wife, and the mother of five 
children now living, viz.: Mrs. Agnes Wing, 
Mary W., James C, Maggie F. and Jesse D. 
Gerrond. Subject's paresent wife is Mrs. 
Sarah Battdorf (nee Sarah Norton), a native of 
Yorkshire, England. She was a daughter of 
Robert Norton, who was an old settler in 
Neponset Township. She is the mother of 
three children, viz.: Nellie, George N. and 
John Gerrond. Mrs. Gerrond is an active 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
!Mr. Gerrond is a member of the A. F. & A. 
M. fraternity. He has held many township 
offices as. Assessor, Collector, Justice of the 



Peace and Supervisor, which latter office he 
at present occupies. Politically he is a Re- 
publican. When Mr. Gerrond landed in the 
United States he was poor in purse, three 
sovereigns being all his wealth, but he was 
rich in will-power, industry and that good 
old Scotch trait "perseverance," and to-day 
he is counted among our most successful and 
wealthy men in Neponset Township. 

HIRAM GHEER, deceased, was born 
July 12, 1819, in Dauphin County, Penn. 
His parents, David and Eva Gheer, were of 
German descent. They reared eight chil- 
dren; of these, Hiram, John, Theodore, Levi 
and Andrew Gheer. came to Illinois together. 
George Gheer came afterward and is yet liv- 
ing in this county. Hiram Gheer came to 
Knox Grove, III., in June, 1842, where he 
resided till April, 1850, when he came to this 
county and settled in Clarion Township, 
where his widow yet resides. He was an ex- 
emplary citizen and took an active interest 
in educational matters. He died June 8, 
1877. He was married January 7, 1841. in 
Venango County, Penn., to Betsey A. Mc- 
Quiston, a daughter of John and Nancy 
(Harper) McQuiston, of Scotch descent. She 
was born June 16, 1821, in Venango County, 
Penn., and is the mother of the following 
children: Flemming, who married Hannah 
Winters; Mrs. Nancy Carothers, of Kansas; 
Mrs. Sarah Carothers, deceased; Mrs. Alice 
Cummings, of Mendota; Mrs. Rachel Irwin, 
of Wisconsin: Martha A.; Jessie, deceased; 
Ernest H. , who married Georgia Crawford, 
and Lawson J. Gheer. Mrs. Gheer has seen 
her children grow to man and womanhood, 
and many married, and all are respected citi- 
zens in the communities where they reside. 
DANIEL GINGERY, Indiantown, was 
born February 2, 1824, in Germany. He is 
a son of John and Magdalena (Eckhart) Gin- 
gery, natives of Germany. They came to 
the United States in 1825, and settled in 
Pennsylvania. In 1831 they came to Taze- 
well County, 111., where the father died the 
same year. The mother died in the fall of 
1852, at the home of Joseph Albrecht, one 
of our German pioneers. She was the mother 
of eight children: Catharine. Peter, Bar- 
bara, Joseph, Phebe, Louise, Christian and 
Daniel Gingery, our subject. He and his 



530 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



sister, Mrs. Catharine Beck, are the only sur- 
vivors of that family. Mr. Gingery was 
reared in Tazewell County, 111., but apart 
of his early life was spent in Bureau County. 
He followed the carpenter trade in Wood- 
ford County, and after he was married there 
removed to Tazewell County, where he lived 
seven years. In the spring of 1865 he came 
back to Bureau County, where he has farmed 
ever since. He lived in Arispe Township 
till 1881, when he removed to Indiantown, 
where he now has a farm of 160 acres of 
choice land. He was married April 3, 1857, 
to Catharine Guasler, who was born in 1835, 
in Baden, Germany. She is a daughter of 
Henry and Elizabeth (Esterly) Guasler, of 
Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Gingery are mem- 
bers of the Mennonite Church, and are the 
parents of the following children: John, 
Henry, Edwin, Anna, Bertha, Louisa, Mary, 
Willie and Josephine Gingery. Mr. Gin- 
gery traveled in the West, but has seen no 
country that pleased him as well as old Bu- 
reau County. Politically he is identified 
with the Republican party. 

VEIT GOETZ, Clarion, was born Febru- 
ary 4, 1831, in Germany. He is a son of 
George Goetz, also a native of Germany. 
Veit Goetz was reared in the old countiy, and 
eventually came to the United States. He 
first settled northwest of Lamoille, and then 
bought 160 acres in Clarion Township, 
where he now resides. He came here a poor 
man, but being very industrious and econom- 
ical, he has accumulated a nice property of 
310 acres. He was married here to Julia 
Heiman, and this union was blessed with 
five children: Anna, Leonard, Elizabeth, 
Catharine and John Goetz. In political mat- 
ters Mr. Goetz is identified with the Repub- 
lican party. 

ANDREW GOSSE, Princeton, was born 
April 28, 1812, in Eschweiler, Alsace, Ger- 
many, formerly France. He is a son of 
Franz and Mary A. Gosse. The latter was of 
Italian descent. Mr. Gosse came to America 
with his parents in 1831. He landed in New 
York, but went shortly after to Detroit, Mich. 
In 1839, in company with several other young 
men, he came to Bureau County, 111. For 
many years he followed the occupation of a 
brick-maker in Lamoille and Princeton, and 



for a long time had the only brickyard in 
the county. The last few years he made 
1,000,000 brick per annum. Many men in 
Bureau County who are wealthy to-day were 
at one time employes in Gosse' s brickyard, 
and there made the money with which they 
started in business for themselves. In 1858 
Mr. Gosse turned his attention to farming, 
and followed it with good success, and now 
owns about 500 acres of choice land in the 
vicinity of Princeton. He was married June 
6, 1843, in Woodford County, 111., to Miss 
Eva Wilz, born March 22, 1823, in Bavaria, 
Germany. Her parents, Peter and Gertrude 
(Hut) Wilz, came to the United States in 
1838. Mrs. Eva Gosse is the mother of the 
following children: Franz H., Jacob P., 
Eva, Julia, Sophia and Georgie. Mr. Gosse 
has met with deserved success in his labors. 
At present he is retired from active business, 
and in the circle of his pleasant family en- 
joys the benefits of a well spent life, and to- 
day, though the shadows of life gather about 
him, he is a cheerful, hale old man whom it 
is pleasant to meet. 

WILLIAM H. GOULD, Neponset, was born 
April 17, 1852, in Neponset Township, Bu- 
reau County. He is a son of Abraham and 
Hannah (Bowen) Gould, natives of England. 
Abraham Gould was born in Eastchurch, 
County of East Kent, England. In 1849 
he immigrated to the United States, and has 
been a successful farmer in Neponset Town- 
ship, and at present lives in Neponset, en- 
joying the fruit of many years of toil. He 
was married January 5, 1850, in Bureau 
County, to Hannah Bowen, a daughter of 
George and Sarah (Moocroft) Bowen. Four 
children blessed this marriage: William H., 
John B., Mrs. Eliza J. Russell, and Addie. 
The great-grandparents of our subject were 
John and Elizabeth Gould, and the grand- 
parents were John and Elizabeth (Hart) 
Gould, who came to the United States in 
1854. Both died in Bureau County. They 
were the parents of three children who 
reached maturity: George (deceased), Abra- 
ham and Mrs. Elizabeth Wood. Our subject, 
William H. Gould, was educated principally 
in the common schools of his native county. 
Here he has made farming his vocation. He 
was married Januarv 29, 1876. to Miss Laura 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



531 



E. Bennett, who was born February 6, 1856, 
in Indiana. She is a daughter of Timothy 
and Elizabeth (Russell) Bennett, natives of 
Ohio, who came here about 1856. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Gould one child was born — Grace 
M. She was born October 26, 1877, and died 
December 2, 1879, brightening their home 
only about two years. Sir. Gould has a farm 
of 160 acres. He is a strong Republican, 
and has been a township and school officer. 

JAMES GRAHAM, Fairfield, was born 
March 23, 1823, in Queens County, Ire- 
land. His parents were James and Eliza- 
beth (Cullen) Graham. Our subject had two 
brothers and one sister who came to this 
county, viz.: Alfred, deceased; Malcolm, yet 
living, and Mrs. Caroline Quigg, a resident 
of Dakota. James Graham came to America 
in 1847, landing in New York. He was a 
wool sorter by occupation, and worked at his 
trade a short time in Connecticut. After 
this he went to Ithaca, N. Y., where he fol- 
lowed his trade nearly ten years. In March, 
1857, he came to Fairfield Township, Bureau 
Co., 111., where he bought eighty acres of 
dry land, as he supposed, because at that 
time no water stood on the land; but when 
he came to settle on it a few months later he 
found it submerged, and had to wade through 
nearly two feet of water to get to a few acres 
of elevated land, which he cultivated. Simi- 
lar incidents occurred in the northwest part 
of this county. Nothing daunted by this 
sad beginning of a farmer's life Mr. Graham 
stuck to the land and proved a successful 
farmer, and at present owns 280 acres of 
land. He was married in Ithaca, N. Y., to 
Mary A. Sterling, a native of County Ar- 
magh, Ireland. She is the mother of three 
childi-en, viz.: Mrs. Caroline Adams, Mrs. 
Elizabeth C. Burk and Alfred J. Graham. 
Mr. and Mrs. Graham are members of the 
Church of England. Politically he is a 
Democrat, but favors greenback principles. 
He has filled school offices. 

THOMAS GRANFIELD, deceased, was 
a native of Kerry County, Ireland, and died 
in Bureau County, III., February 1, 1877, at 
the age of forty-seven years. He was the 
son of Martin Granfield, who was born in 
Ireland, and is now living in Hall Township, 
Bureau County at the advanced age of near- 



ly one hundred years. His wife, Ellen 
Coran, died here leaving three childi'en,viz. : 
Thomas. Mrs. Maggie Manning, of Hall 
Township, and Mrs. Mary Granville, of St. 
Louis. When Thomas Granfield came to the 
county in 1818, he and his father bought 
eighty acres of laud. He was a successful 
farmer, and at the time of his death owned 
240 acres. He was married June 15, 1860, 
to Mary Martin, born in Ken-y County, Ire- 
land, in 1840. Her parents, Thomas and 
Margaret (Sullivan) Martin, came to this 
county in 1857, and he died here in Febru- 
ary, 1877. She is still living, and is the 
mother of four childi-en, viz. : Mary, John 
Michael and Mrs. Johanna Fenton. Thomas 
Granfield left eight children, viz. : Thomas 
(born March 31, 1861), Michael, Mary, Al- 
len, Margaret, Johanna, Martin and Agnes. 
Mrs. Granfield is a member of the Catholic 
Church. Her husband was a Democrat in 
politics, as is also her son Thomas. 

GEORGE W. GRAVES, Lamoille. The 
progenitor of this family came to the Amer- 
ican colonies from France. Here his time 
from eighteen to twenty-one years was sold 
to pay for his passage, as was customary in 
those days. When he attained his majority 
he was given an extra suit of clothes and two 
axes, and started for Palmer, Mass., where he 
was one of the pioneers. His son Daniel 
was the father of Gideon Graves, who mar- 
ried Hannah Dake, a native of Rhode Island. 
She was the mother of ten children. Gideon 
Graves was a farmer, and an Orderly Sergeant 
in the Revolutionary war. Willet Graves, a 
son of Gideon Graves, was born February 6, 
1803, in Palmer, Mass. He died July "24, 
1855, in Belchertown. He was also a farmer 
and married Lucy Paine, born April 11, 1815, 
in Ludlow, Mass. Her parents were Lemuel 
and Elizabeth (Morse) Paine, the former a 
son of David and Abigail (Shepherd) Paine, 
and the latter a daughter of Mary (Boyden) 
Morse, who was nearly a hundred years old 
when she died. Willet Graves, Sr., was 
the father of six children, viz.: George W., 
Mrs. Josephine Barrett, Daniel H. , who was 
killed at the battle of Vicksburg; Jason L., 
Mrs. M. Pamelia Vickroy and Willet Graves, 
Jr. The widow of Willet Graves married 
Cyrus Hills, with whom she came to Lamoille, 



533 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



where she yet resides, and where he died 
May 25, 1868, aged seventy-two years. 
George W. Graves was born February 9, 
1836, in Belchertown, Mass. He came to 
Lamoille in January, 1858. At the breaking 
out of the war he enlisted in the ninety 
days' service, and re-enlisted in the Fifty-sec- 
ond Regiment, Company B, of which he was 
elected Second Lieutenant. He was in the 
service altogether about one and a half years. 
Since then he has been a painter for many 
years. At present he is in the furniture 
business. He was married here to Ida M. 
Kane, a native of New York State. She is 
the mother of Lorin Igon Graves, who was 
born October 11, 1874. Religiously, Mr. 
Graves is a member of the Congregational 
Church. He is Commander of the G. A. R. 
Post, and Secretary of the A. F. & A. M. fra- 
ternity of Lamoille. Willet Graves, Jr., was 
born February 4, 1848, in Belchertown, Mass. 
He came here with his mother in March, 
1858, and was married here December 24, 
1873, to Jennie Gill, who was born January 
29, 1854. She is a daughter of John and 
Eusebia (Hills) Gill. Mr. and Mrs. Graves 
are religiously connected with the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, and have one adopted 
child — Jesse E. Graves. Politically, Mr. 
Graves is identified with the Republican par- 
ty. He has made farming his occupation, 
and has now a farm of 300 acres. 

NATHAN GRAY, Westtield. Our sub- 
ject's ancestors were of Scotch extraction, 
and of the good old Presbyterian stock, many 
of whom settled in the north part of Ireland, 
from whence four brothers emigrated to Mas- 
sachusetts. Our subject's grandfather, Dan- 
iel Gray, was a farmer and reared a large 
family in Massachusetts. Several of his 
children were soldiers, and one an officer in 
the Revolutionary war. His son, Collister 
Gray, was born in 1777, in Hampshire Coun- 
ty, Mass. He removed to Madison County, 
N. Y., where he farmed, and died in Chenan- 
go County, N. Y., aged over eighty years. 
He was married in his native State to Han- 
nah Calhoun, who was bom in 1777, in Pe- 
tersham, Worcester Co., Mass. She died in 
Chenango County, N. Y., aged seventy-six 
years. She was a distant relative of John 
C. Calhoun, and was the mother of five chil- 



dren, who reached the age of maturity, viz. : 
Collister, deceased; Mrs. Phoebe Stowel, of 
Poweshiek County, Iowa; Mrs. Cornelia 
Newton, of Nebraska; Nathan, our subject, 
and Alexander H., of North Springfield, Mo. 
Nathan Gray was born April 8, 1812, in 
Lebanon, Madison Co., N. Y. He was reared 
and educated in his native State, where 
he made farming his occupation, and was 
married there, December 19, 1836, to Meri- 
ba Brown, who was born May 11, 1817, in 
Hamilton, Madison Co., N. Y. Her parents, 
Edwin and Lucy (Woodman) Brown, were 
natives of the same county, and of English 
extraction. Her uncle, Thomas Simmons, 
was one of the founders of Galesburg, 111. 
Mr. Gray came to Bureau County, 111., 
in June, 1846, and entered 1,040 acres of 
land in Westtield Township, which was the 
nearest Government land to Peru. At that 
time while standing on his land he could not 
see a sign of human habitation. He met 
several gentlemen who all assured him 
that Bureau County was the most healthful 
country in the world, among them were 
Mr. Bowen, from Clarion Township, Mr. 
Bingham, from Dover, and Stewart Richard, 
from near Princeton. In September of the 
same year he brought his family to this coun- 
ty. It cost him only $11 to have his goods, 
weighing 2,200 pounds, hauled from Chicago. 
When he arrived at Mr. Bowen's he found 
that he had just been buried, and in Dover 
he found Mr. Bingham at the point of death. 
At Stewart Richard's he was told by that 
worthy that he was just on the hunt for some 
women folks to help lay out the old lady, 
who had just died in this healthy country. 
Nothing daunted, Mr. Gray went onto Prince- 
ton, where he in partnership with Dr. Convers 
kept a general store for two years. During one 
year they sold ninety-six fiddles, principally to 
the Green River gentry. After this Mr. Gray 
was in partnership with John Dodge, and for 
several years was Postmaster. In the spring 
of 1 852 he removed onto his farm which he 
improved, and where he now resides. His 
wife died March 5, 1882. She was the mother 
of six children, viz. : Mrs. Lucy Prindle, 
of Washington, D. C. ; Sidney C, of Colum- 
bus, Neb. ; Clark, Hermas, Jay N. and Mabel 
Gray. Of these Clark Gray enlisted in 1862, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



533 



in the Ninety-third Regiment, Company K, 
Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served till 
the close of the war. He was elected First 
Lieutenant but was promoted to Captain, and 
participated in several battles and " Sher- 
man's march to the sea." Bureau County voted 
him for his conduct a handsome sash and 
sword. At present he is a banker in Larned, 
Kansas. Mr. Nathan Gray has always taken 
an active part in all jDublic and political mat- 
ters, and among the many schemes and jioliti- 
cal contests with his adversaries we remember 
his wool picking at the Green River voting 
precinct, and others, while an old time Whig. 
At present he is identified with the Repub- 
lican party. In his own township he was a 
leading man for years, and while filling the 
office of Supervisor, was an active advocate 
for the building of the new court house. 

HERStAS GRAY, Westfield, was born 
January 17, 1843, in Otselic, Chenango Co., 
N. Y., son of Nathan Gray. (See preceding 
sketch.) Our subject is one of a family of 
six children, viz. : Lucy, wife of George 
Prindle, and the mother of Sibyl (deceased), 
Sidney and George Prindle; Sidney C. mar- 
ried Roena Ransom, daughter of Lyman 
Ransom — children four, viz. : Clinton, Myron 
(deceased), Arthur and Syd Roene, the latter 
deceased; Clark; Hermas, our subject; Jay 
N. married Vista Dodge, who is the mother 
of one child, Vara Gray; and Mabel Gray, at 
home. Hermas Gray was reared and educat- 
ed in Biu'eau County and at Knox College. 
He was married here, November 17, 1864, to 
Lydia A. Hughes, born May 6, 1840, in 
South Trenton, N. Y. , daughter of David 
and Mary (Morris) Hughes, deceased. Mr. 
and Mrs. Gray are members of the United 
Brethren Church, aud the parents of two 
children, viz. : George N. and Elmer H. Gray. 
Politically Mr. Gray is a Republican. He 
has a farm of 293| acres. 

CLARK GRAY^ President of the Larned 
State Bank, in Larned, Kan. , was born Janii- 
ary 12, 1841, in South Otselic. Chenango 
Co., N. Y. He was reared in Bureau Coun- 
ty, in the affairs of which he had commenced 
to take an active part when he removed to his 
Western home. '• Old Bureau " showed her 
appreciation for his conduct during the war 
by voting him the handsome pi-esent above 



referred to. He was married September 18, 
1873, at Pawtucket, R. I., to Miss Anna M. 
Cushman, born in Pawtucket, May 24, 1849. 
Her parents were Henry B. and Harriet T. 
Cushman. 

W. I. GREELEY, Indiantown, was born 
January 24, 1839, in Franklin, Merrimac 
Co. , N. H. He is a son of Ira and Sarah 
(Peabody^ Greeley, natives of New Hamp- 
shire, where they died. They were the par- 
ents of the following children, viz.: Caroline, 
Sarah, William J. (our subject), Ellen and 
Emma. Mr. Greeley was educated in New 
Hampshire, where he also worked at needle- 
making till May, 1858, when he came to this 
county, where he worked about two years in 
Macon Township, and then went to farming 
for himself. In 1871 he bought 160 acres 
of land, where he now resides He was 
married January 1, 1862, to Miss Judith 
Pilkington, a native of New York. Her par- 
ents, William and Hannah (Towers) Pilking- 
ton, were natives of England, where he died. 
She is yet living. Mrs. Judith Greeley is 
religiously connected with the Episcopalian 
Church. Politically Mr. Greeley is identified 
with the Democratic party. 

A. G. GREENMAN. Arispe. The subject 
of the following biography was born April 12, 
1838, in Lake County, Ind. He is a son of 
Dr. Martin Greenman, who was born 1804. in 
Herkimer County, N. Y. He was principally 
self-educated. Dr. Mariam.of Sominauk, 111., 
was his preceptor while studying medicine. 
Ho came to this county in 1847, and prac- 
ticed medicine in Tiskilwa and vicinity. In 
1849 he went to California, where he followed 
his profession for two and a half years. He 
visited that State in 1854. In 1856 he re- 
moved into the country, and in 1877 the angel 
of death closed his useful career. He was 
married in New York State, to Modena Gage, 
who was born December 22, 1810, in Ferris- 
burg, Vt. She is a daughter of Jesse and 
Sarah (Grover) Gage. Mr.s. Dr. Greenman 
was the mother of the following children: 
Curtis, Mrs. Rosina Holton, wife of Dr. Hol- 
ton; Mrs. Flora Kitterman, Mrs. Asena Bar- 
low, Almon Gage, Mrs. Eucla Sherwood, and 
Don Alvarus M. Greenman. Our subject 
was principally educated in this county, 
where he is classed among our successful 



534 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



farmers, owning a farm of 515 acres. He 
was married February 27, 1862, to Eliza 
Cbenoweth, a daughter of Bureau County's 
famous pioneer preacher. Elder Cbenoweth 
(see general history). Mrs. Greenman was 
born February 18, 1841. She is a member 
of the Baptist Church, and is the mother of 
five children, viz.: Koscoe (t., Blanche I., 
Flora C, Merle B., and an infant daughter. 
Mr. Greenman is an ardent supporter of the 
principles advocated bv the Democratic pai'ty. 

NICLAUS GROSZ, Clarion, was born 
January 7, 1813, in Gestungshausen, Coburg, 
Germany. He is a son of Simon and Anna 
M. (Mahter) Grosz, both natives of Germany. 
Niclaus Grosz learned and followed the car- 
penter's trade in the old country where he 
was also married in February, 1837, to Eliza- 
beth Aulwurm. who was born February 22, 
1814, in Oeslau, Coburg, Germany. She was 
a daughter of Lorenz and Catharine (Pop) 
Aulwurm. Mr. Grosz came to America in 
December, 1853. He came to Bureau County, 
111., and bought 100 acres of Elisha Fassett, 
in Section 4, in Lamoille Township. After 
five years he sold out and bought eighty- four 
acres in Clarion Township, where he now 
owns 210 acres, which he acquired by his 
perseverance and industry. He has followed 
the carpenter's trade hereto some extent, and 
built the German Lutheran Church. Mr. 
and Mrs. Grosz are the parents of the 
following children: Pancratz, Charles, who 
fell at the battle of Pittsburg Landing, 
and Lorenz, who is yet at home; he was 
born here August 17, 1855, and was married 
September 20, 1879, to Margaret Fridlein,who 
was born November 27, 1857. She is a 
daughter of George and Margaret Fridlein, 
now residents of Iowa. Mrs. Margaret Grosz 
is the mother of three children, viz. : Paul J., 
Gilbert O. and Laura A. Grosz. The Grosz 
family is religiously connected with the 
Lutheran Church. 

MOSES GRUMBINE, Ohio, was born in 
Lebanon County, Penn., July 28, 1843, and 
is the son of Benjamin and Sarah Grumbine, 
of Pennsylvania. The father was born No- 
vember 19, 1815, and came to Du Page Coun- 
ty, 111., in May, 1845, where he still resides, 
his address being Naperville. The mother 
was born October 20, 1817, and is still liv- 



ing. Mr. and Mrs. Grumbine were married 
September 25, 1835, and are the parents of 
ten children, nine of whom are now living, 
the subject of this sketch being the fourth 
child and the only one in this county: Leah, 
now Mrs. Kessel, of Dakota; Katherine, of 
Naperville, 111. ; Solomon, of Colorado; Mo- 
ses, subject of sketch; Aaron, of Utah; Mary 
A., of Naperville. 111. ; Jeremiah, died in 
December, 1855; Sophia, now Mrs. Wert, of 
Naperville, 111.; Henry, of Piano, 111.; Sa- 
rah, of Naperville, 111. August 4, 1862, the 
subject of this sketch enlisted in Company 
B, One Hundred and Fifth Illinois Infantry, 
in which company he served till May 2. 1865, 
when he was discharged, by reason of wounds 
received at Lost Mountain, Ga., June 16, 
1864. December 3, 1868, Moses Grum- 
bine married Miss Rebecca H. Strasbiu-ger, 
of Chicago, 111., the daughter of Rev. 
William and Abigail Strasburger. Mrs. 
Grumbine was born in Delaware Coun- 
ty, Ohio, November 23, 1843, and re- 
ceived a liberal education in the public 
and High schools of Wisconsin and Illinois, 
and taught in the public schools of the latter 
State for a period of three entire school 
years. Her father was born in Prussia, De- 
cember 2, 1821, and came to this country at 
the age of fourteen, and entered the ministry 
in Wisconsin, and is now a local preacher at 
Marion, Iowa. The mother was born in Lan- 
caster County, Penn., December 17, 1819, 
and is of American parentage, and still sur- 
vives. Mr. and Mrs. Strasburger are the 
parents of seven children, five of whom are 
now living. Mr. and Mrs. Grumbine are the 
parents of two children: Ulvsses W., born Oc- 
tober 25, 1869, died July 26, 1870; Eugene 
E., born April 12, 1874. Mr. Grumbine re- 
moved from Chicago to Naperville in 1868, 
where he remained till 1872, when he came 
to Ohio, 111., and engaged in the business of 
buying and shipping grain and stock, and he 
is still in the grain business. In politics 
Mr. G. is Republican, and is associated with 
the Methodist Protestant Church. Has resi- 
dence property in Ohio Village, and 600 
acres of land in Kearney County, Neb., 
partlv improved and under cultivation. 

WILLIAM G. GUDGELL, Tiskilwa, was 
born October 1, 1827, in Warren County, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



535 



Ohio. He is a son of Mahlon Gudgell, who 
was a native of Pennsylvania. He was a 
farmer and shoemaker by occupation, and 
died in Ohio. The grandfather of our sub- 
ject was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. 
The wife of Mahlon Gudgell was Charlotte 
(Snodgrass) Gudgell, who was the mother of 
five children, viz. : Stephen, John, Samuel, 
William G. and Milton. Mrs. Charlotte 
Gudgell died in Bureau County, aged eighty- 
four years. Our subject went to school in 
Indiana, and at the age of fourteen he com- 
menced to farm for himself on his widowed 
mother's farm. Even at that age he would 
do a man's work in cradling and mowing. 
In the fall of 1850 he came to Putnam 
County, 111., where he farmed till 1856, when 
he removed to Tiskilwa, Bureau County, 
where he opened a grocery store the follow- 
ing January in partnership with C. A. Dean. 
In a few years the latter went to California, 
and Mr. Gudgell has continued the business 
ever since. For a number of years he was 
also engaged in the stock and grain business. 
Mr. Gudgell was married twice. His first 
wife, Mary A. Sharpless, died March 4, 
1861. She was the mother of four children, 
viz.: Harrison W., Luella V., Sarah L. and 
William Frank. His present wife, Susan A. 
Smith, is a native of New York. She is the 
mother of six children, viz.: John H, Emma 
A., Clarence E., Ida, May and Walter R. 
Mr. and Mrs. Gudgell are members of the 
Baptist Church. Politically he is a Repub- 
lican, and was formerly a friend of the 
" underground railroad." 

JOHN GUGERTY, Ohio, was born April 
19, 1835, at Dunda Ik, Louth County, Ireland, 
and is the son of Patrick and Catherine 
Gugerty, who came to America in 1851, first 
landing at New Orleans, but came to Ohio 
Township in June of that year. The father 
was born in 1792, and died in this county 
March 25, 1876. The mother was born in 
1788, and died in this county August 29, 
1882. In 1855 the subject of this sketch 
settled with his parents on Section 2, 
where he still resides. December 9, 1856, 
Mr. Gugerty married Mary Burns, the 
daughter of Owen and Catherine Burns, of 
Louth County, Ireland. The father was born 
in Ireland in 1800. The mother was born 



in 1805. Both died in their native land. 
Patrick and Catherine Gugerty were the 
parents of nine children, five of whom are 
now living in America, biit two only are in 
this county — John and Mrs. Hugh Larkin. 
Mr. and Mrs. John Gugerty are the parents 
of eight children, five of whom are now liv- 
ing: Mrs. Catherine J. Murthy, born April 
15, 1858, Ohio, 111.; Mrs. Ann B. Shehan, 
February 29, 1860, Ohio, 111.; Thomas 
Gugerty, March 19, 1862; John Gugerty, Jr., 
November 22, 1863; Mary E. Gugerty, Sep- 
tember 9, 1868. Three children died in in- 
fancy. Mr. Gugerty owns 397 acres in Ohio 
Township: also town property in Ohio vil- 
lage. In politics is a Democrat, and a mem- 
ber of the Catholic Church. 

HENRY GUITHER, Walnut, was born in 
Saxe-Coburg, Germany, April 6, 1827. He 
remained in his native land till he was 
twenty-one, and then, in 1848, came to Amer- 
ica, having just money enough to bring him 
to Chicago, 111. He first worked on a farm 
near Joliet, for a man named King, and the 
following year rented a piece of land. In 
the fall of 1849 he was married, at Joliet, 
and in November removed to Lamoille, Bu- 
reau County. That winter he worked in the 
woods for Tracy Reeve, at $11 per month. 
In 1850 he again farmed on rented land, and 
in 1853 purchased eighty acres of land where 
his house now stands, in Section 2, Walnut 
Township, in what is known as Red Oak 
Grove. He bought the farm all on time, at 
S5 per acre. In April, 1855, he removed to 
bis present farm, where he has since resided. 
At thai time his house was the only one on 
the north side of Red Oak Grove for ten 
miles; on the west side there were no im- 
provements, and on the east side was a log- 
cabin owned by Dunham, who made the first 
settlement in Red Oak Grove. Mr. Guither 
has continued to invest in land as his capital 
increased, till he now ov?ns about 1,000 acres 
in one body, and 160 acres near the village 
of Walnut. Mr. Guither has been very suc- 
cessful in his business since coming to 
Bureau County, but it has been through his 
own energy and industry. He was married, 
October 18, 1849, to Barbara Pope, who was 
born February 25, 1830, in Saxe-Coburg, 
Germany, and came to America in 1848. She 



536 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



is the mother of seven children, viz. : Edvpin, 
born July 25, 1850, married to Caroline 
Eapp, lives in this township; Barbara, born 
July 26, 1851, wife of George Hoffman, of 
Clarion Township; John, born April 2, 185'4, 
of Lee County, married to Ruth Betz; Mag- 
gie, born January 1, 1856, wife of John 
Baumgartner, of Walnut Township; Martha, 
born June 3, 1857 ; Mary, born September 13, 
1859; Daniel, born August 8, 1860. Politic- 
ally Mr. Guither is a firm supporter of the 
Republican party, and has always taken an 
active part in political matters. He has held 
various township offices. He and his family 
are members of the Evangelical Church. 

GEORGE GUNKEL, Sheffield, was born 
in Butler County. Ohio, October 16, 1814. 
He is the son of John and Catherine (Beak- 
ler) Gunkel, who were natives of Pennsylva- 
nia, and of German descent. Mr. George 
Gunkel was reared on a farm in his native 
county, in Ohio, till about the age of seven- 
teen years, when he began learning the trade 
of millwright, and served his apprenticeship, 
and afterward followed his trade for about 
nine years. He then began carpentering, and 
continued in the same business till after com- 
ing to this coi;nty. About the time of reach- 
ing his majority he left his native State, and 
for two years resided in Carroll County, Ind., 
and then in Tippecanoe County, where bo 
continued to reside till coming tb this county 
in 1856. In 1857 he erected for himself a 
business house at Sheffield, and began in the 
mercantile business, and has continued with- 
out intermission in the same since, and is 
now the oldest business man in Sheffield. 
When he first began business there were but 
five other business houses here except saloons. 
Besides the general store, he has also been 
engaged in the lumber business for a number 
of years. His son D. A. is his partner in 
business. He was married, February 24, 
1837, in Indiana, to Sarah Isley, who was 
born near Dayton, Ohio. Her parents were 
natives of Virginia, and also of German 
descent. Mr. and Mrs. Gunkel have two 
children living, viz. ; Daniel A. and Mrs. 
Catherine A. Boyden, wife of Charles H. 
Boyden, of Sheffield. 

JOHN GUNNING, Neponset, the subject 
of the following biography, was born February 



22, 1827. in County Down, Ireland. He is a 
son of Thomas and Alice (McBride) Gun- 
ning, who were both natives of Ireland, 
where they died. They were the parents of 
thirteen children, and of these the following 
ten reached matui-ity : Sarah A. , John, Esl her, 
Eliza, Alexander, Jane, Mary, Thomas, Bell, 
and Matilda. Our subject, John Gunning, 
was educated in the common schools of his 
native country, where he afterward farmed 
till 1850, when he immigrated to the United 
States, and settled near Albinia, N. Y. 
There he farmed till 1856, and then removed 
to Osceola, Stark Co. , 111. , where he farmed 
four years. About 1860 he came to Nepon- 
set Township, Bureau County, where he now 
resides in Section 24, on a farm of 200 acres, 
which is the result of his and his family's 
industry and perseverance. MJr. Gunning 
was married February 18, 1850, in County 
Down, Ireland, to Margaret Porter, who was 
a native of the above place, and who died 
July 26, 1880, in Bureau County. Her 
father's name was Hugh Porter. She was 
the mother of three children, now living, 
viz.: Thomas J., Catharine E., and Hugh 
G. The oldest son, Thomas J. Gunning, 
manned Alice Carpenter, who is the mother 
of three children, viz.: John S., Thomas P. 
and Charles H. Mr. Gunning came to the 
United States without means, but with an 
abundance of perseverance and native ener- 
gy. He has been township and school 
officer. He and his two oldest children are 
members of the Congregational Church. 
Politically Mr. Gunning has been identified 
with the Republican party. 

AEMSTEAD T. HAGAN, Hall, was born 
November 12, 1814, on the Potomac, in 
Montgomery County, Md. His parents, 
Thomas and Rosina (Shelton) Hagan, were 
both natives of Maryland, as was the grand- 
father, Joshua Hagan. Our subject's par- 
ents removed to Nelson County, and then to 
Union County, Ky., where the mother died. 
The father died in Louisville, Ky. ; he was a 
soldier in the war of 1812. They had two 
children — our subject and Mrs. Harriet Vin- 
cent, deceased. A. T. Hagan was a farmer 
in early life, and also followed the river for 
a short time, and for five years was engaged in 
the grocery business in New Orleans. March 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 



537 



1, 1848, he came to Peru, 111., where he was 
in business a short time. Afterward he and 
two other men made the dangerous trip across 
the plains, traveling a distance of 2,000 
miles with an os team. In California he was 
engaged in mining, and returned East in July, 
1850, via Panama and New York. He then 
went into the ice business in Peru, 111., fol- 
lowing it successfully for twenty years. In 
1871 he moved onto his farm south of Peru, 
but in 1875 sold it, and bought the Kelly 
farm, consisting of 4'26| acres in Hall 
Township, Bureau Co., 111., where he now 
resides. Mr. Hagan was married in Arling- 
ton, April, 1852. to Miss Catharine Waugh, 
a native of Westmoreland County, Penu., 
daughter of James Waugh. Mr. and Mrs. 
Hagan have three children, viz.: Willie R., 
married to Belle MeCormic, a native of Peru, 
daughter of John L. MeCormic; Frank and 
Jennie Hagan. Mr. Hagan is a Prohibition- 
ist. He is a member of A. F. & A. M. frater- 
nity. James Waugh, deceased, was a native of 
Cumberland County, Penn., and died in Ar- 
lington, 111., February, 1862, at the age of 
seventy -five years. He was a son of Richard 
Waugh, of Scotch extraction, and a native 
of the north of Ireland. James Waugh was 
married in Peru, 111. , to Jane Park, who came 
from New Jersey. They came to Peru in 
1848, and to Arlington in 1850, where they 
bought land of George Gilson. Mrs. Waugh 
died in Arlington in March, 1862, at the age 
of fifty-six years. She was the mother of the 
following children, now living: William, 
Samuel, Mrs. Catharine Hagan, Slary, James, 
Mrs. Caroline Linton (of Dakota), and 
Martha. James Waugh had the true pioneer 
spirit; he laid out part of Arlington, and took 
an active interest in everything that per- 
tained to the welfare of the community 
where he resided, and his influence for good 
was felt by all who came in contact with 
him. 

J. F. HALE, Mineral, was born June 16, 
1845, in Somerset County, Me. His parents, 
James and Dolly (Farmer) Hale, were also na- 
tives of the above place. The former died in 
Bureau County, May 12, 1843, where his 
widow yet resides. She is the mother of 
five children, who are now living, viz. : John 
F., our subject, Mrs. Roxana Bowen, Isa- 



belle, Emma and James, the latter a resi- 
dent of Iowa County, Iowa. Our subject was 
educated in Bureau County, to which became 
with his parents. About 1869 he removed 
to Iowa County, Iowa, where he farmed, and 
was married in August, 1869, to Miss Carrie 
Teeter, who was born July 18, 1861, in In- 
diana. She is the mother of three children, 
viz.: Lenora E., born August 11, 1870; 
Charles P., August 25, 1873; and J. Frank, 
November 14, 1876. After a residence of 
seven years in Iowa, Mr. Hale returned to 
the old homestead in Mineral Township, 
Bureau County, where his industrious par- 
ents had accumulated a farm of 430 acres of 
land. Mr. Hale is a member of Marengo 
Lodge, No. 114, A. F. & A. M., of Marengo, 
Iowa. Politically Mr. Hale is identified 
with the Democratic party. 

THE HALL FAMILY. John Hall, one 
of the first settlers in Bureau County, was 
born in Georgia, and when about four years 
of age removed with his parents to Ken- 
tucky, where he remained till after his first 
marriage, which was to a Miss Horn, by 
whom he had two children. After marriage 
he removed to Indiana, and his wife died. 
He was married to Elizabeth Kellums in In- 
diana, and she was the mother of thirteen 
children. Of the family the following yet 
survive: Wesley Hall, of Iowa, near Bur- 
lington; Mrs. Eliza Brown, a widow; Mrs. 
Melinda South, Mrs. Marena Bookum, Syl- 
vester, Elijah and Elisha reside in Atchison 
County, Mo.; Charlton Hall lives near 
Nebraska City, Neb.; and William Hall, the 
youngest of the family, resides in Iowa. 
More of John Hall and his settlement in 
Bureau County will be found in the General 
History. Ransom Hall (deceased) was born in 
Indiana, January 29, 1823, and is the second 
son of John Hall. After coming to Bureau 
County he made this his home till death, 
and was engaged in farming, in which he 
was quite successful. December 12, 1845, 
he was married to Amanda Long, who was 
born in Green County, Ohio, November 12, 
1827, and is the daughter of Henry J. and 
Mary (Walden) Long. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Hall two daughters were born, viz.: Maria 
Louisa, born November 16, 1847, wife of M. 
M. Martin, Selby Township; Mary E., No- 



538 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



vember 15, 1853, wife of Peter A. Martin, of 
this (Selby) Township. Mr. Hall died July 
2, 1861. Mr. Hall and wife were members 
of the Methodist Church. (For sketch of 
the Long family see that of Ernest Dunte- 
man.) 

N. A. HAREINGTON, Bureau, was born 
in Farmington, Kent Co., Del., October 19, 
1831. His parents, Jonathan and Lydia 
(Anderson) Harrington, were both natives of 
the same county as their son, and have 
always lived in that vicinity. Jonathan 
Harrington was born November, 1794, and 
his wife November, 1807. They are the par- 
ents of four sons and four daughters now 
living, and two daughters dead. He has 
always been a farmer, and the Harrington 
family as far back as is known, have been 
farmers and resided in Delaware. N. A. 
Harrington was reared on the farm, and has 
made farming his occupation during most of 
his life. In 1855 he came to Bureau County, 
111., and began working by the month, but 
the following winter engaged in teaching 
school, which occupation he followed for sev- 
eral succeeding winters, farming in the sum- 
mer. In the fall of 1860 he purchased 
eighty acres of land, his present homestead, 
where he has since resided. His farming 
has been general, but in later years most of 
his attention has been given to raising and 
feeding stock. He has gradually added to 
his farm until he now owns 720 acres in 
Bureau Township. In politics Mr. Harring- 
ton has been a Republican since the organi- 
zation ofj^the party. He was married in this 
county November 22, 1857, to Margaret E. 
Sapp, a daughter of Hezekiah Sapp (see 
sketch of Andrew Sapp). She was born in 
Delaware, Jijne 8, 1837. Mr. and Mrs. Har- 
rington are the parents of six children, viz. : 
Clement, born September 8, 1858, married 
to Hattie Lysinger; Ora, born October 27, 
1860, died September 17, 1863; Adelbert, 
born July 30, 1864; Luella, born April 3, 
1867; Lydia M., born December 26, 1869; 
Ada, born August 28, 1872. All reside in 
Bureau Township. Mrs. Harrington is a 
member of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. 

HON. JOSEPH W. HARRIS, Tiskilwa. 
The genealogy and biography of the Harris 
family in America, is as follows: The pro- 



genitor of the family came from England 
and was one of the pioneers of New England, 
where the family bore a conspicuous part in 
the events which led to the union of the 
thirteen colonies, afterward States. The 
great-grandfather of our subject, David Har- 
ris, was a native of Rhode Island, where he 
was a prominent merchant. His son, Joseph 
Harris, was one of the first graduates of 
Brown University, and was a zealous patriot 
during the Revolutionary war, in which he 
took an active part. He was one of the party, 
who, disguised as Indians, threw the tea over- 
board from English vessels anchored in Nar- 
ragansett Sound — a facsimile to the Boston 
Tea Party. One of his children, William 
Harris, who is the father of our subject, was 
born 1785, on the Island of Nantucket; he 
died 1864 in Woonsocket, R. I. His main 
occupation in life was that of a cotton man- 
ufacturer. He was a man of undaunted 
courage, firmness and endurance. In 1849 
he was chosen captain by a party of young 
men, and led them overland to Mexico, 
where he remained two years and met with 
many adventures. After the expiration of 
two years he returned to his native State, 
where he followed his favorite occupation. 
He was married twice; his first wife, Sarah 
Green, was the mother of five children, who 
reached maturity, viz.: Eliza, William, 
Joseph W. (our subject), Sarah J. and Mrs. 
Catharine J. Thacher. His second wife was 
Sarah Wilkinson, a grand -daughter of Osial 
Wilkinson, of English extraction. The last 
named family are remarkable for their in- 
genuity as inventors. They were the 
originators of the world- famed spinning 
power looms, and also manufactured them 
first in America, thus gaining and distribut- 
ing wealth. Mrs. Sarah W. Harris was the 
mother of three children, viz. : Anna, Abra- 
ham and Edward Harris. The latter was 
killed while Deputy Sheriff in Colorado. 
Our subject was educated in Massachusetts. 
In early life he clerked in a drug store. In 
1836 he went to Galesburg, Mich., where he 
farmed. In May, 1840, he came to Tiskilwa, 
111. He entered and bought land and be- 
came a successful farmer. He still owns a 
farm of 312J acres in Milo Township. In 
January, 1882, he removed to Tiskilwa, where 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



539 



he now resides. In September, 1861, he en- 
listed in the Fifty-seventh Regiment, 
Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Company F. 
He had the rank of First Lieutenant and 
served till October, 1865. He participated 
in the battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh and 
Corinth. In the fall of 1862 he was detailed 
to the Freedman's Bureau, and in that grand 
institution for the colored men, rendered val- 
uable services to the United States Govern- 
ment. He had charge of about 3,000 
freedmen, who were distributed in three 
diiferent camps, employing them principally 
in raising cotton. It was the only self-sup- 
porting camp in the United States. Mr. 
Harris was married here, January 16, 1846, 
to Fannie Hall, who was born October 18, 
1821, in Mansel Park, Derbyshire, England. 
Her parents were Thomas and Sarah D. 
(Cockayne) Hall. The latter's ancestors came 
to England with William the Conqueror. 
IVIi's. Harris was the mother of four children; 
of these only William H. Harris is yet living. 
He was born June 28, 1850, and is a miner 
in Colorado. Mrs. Harris is an active mem- 
ber of the Episcopalian Church. Politically 
Mr. Harris is identified with the Greenback 
party. He has filled diiferent offices and has 
been a Member of the Legislature. 

WILLIAM M. HARSH, Tiskilwa, the 
subject of the following biography, was born 
February 4, 1834, in Washington County, 
Penn. His parents, Daniel and Nancy (Mc- 
Kee) Harsh, were natives of the same place. 
Daniel Harsh was a farmer by occupation 
and died in Ohio. Mrs. Nancy Harsh is yet 
living in Iowa. She is the mother of seven 
children, viz.: William M., Philip L., Mrs. 
Mary N. Donlin, Alexander, James B., An- 
drew F. and Mrs. Alvira J. Oliver. Of the 
above, Alexander Harsh lost his life in the 
army in defense of the Union during our late 
Civil war. Our subject, William M. Harsh, 
came here with his parents in 1848. Here 
he was reared on a farm and made farming 
his occupation. At present he owns a farm 
of 800 acres. For the last twenty-five years 
he has been engaged in the stock business. 
For several years past he has been interested 
in the stock business in Montana Territory, 
and is a member of the River Falls & Tiskil- 
wa Live Stock Company, which has fifteen 



members and a capital of $100,000. Mr. 
Harsh was married June 5, 1861, to Mary J. 
Bacon, who was born September 9, 1840, in 
Amanda, Hancock Co., Ohio. Her mother, 
Mrs Betsey (Robinson) Bacon, is living with 
her. To Mr. and Mrs. Harsh three children 
were born, viz.: Mary Ada, born August 11, 
1862; Charles J., born October 23, 1864; 
and Stella J., born May 24, 1875. Mrs. 
Harsh is a ftiember of the Episcopalian 
Church. Politically Mr. Harsh has always 
been identified with the Republican party, 
and has filled various local offices. 

ORREN HASARD, Neponset. The geneal- 
ogy of the Hasard family dates back to two 
brothers who came over from England, and 
were amontr the first settlers of the New Enjr- 
land States. The old family name was spelled 
Bazard (the name was changed by our sub- 
ject). David Hazard, the grandfather of our 
subject, was a descendant of the two brothers 
mentioned above. His son, Caleb Hazard, 
was reared in Cambridge, Washington Co., 
N. Y., and died in Wirt, Allegany Co., N. Y. 
He was a cooper by occupation, but the lat- 
ter part of his life farmed. He married 
Elizabeth Babcock, a native of New York, 
where she died. She was the mother of 
twelve children, viz.: Orren (our subject), 
Nancy, Robinson, Elihu, Parley, Eliza A., 
Lorenzo, Ruth, Cyrus, Byron, Samantha an! 
Page, who have all been married and are yet 
living in different parts of the United States. 
Orren Hasard was born February 28, 1815, 
in Spafford, Onondaga Co., N. Y. Mr. Has- 
ard was educated in the common schools of 
New York State. In early life he assisted 
his father, and then learned and followed 
the carpenter's trade in New York. He came 
to Peoria, 111., in May, 1839; from there he 
came to Providence, Bureau County, the same 
month. In Providence he followed his occu- 
pation about six years, and then removed to 
Mineral Township, and there followed his 
trade for several years, and then went to 
farming. He was a successful farmer, and 
in 1883 sold 429 acres of land and removed 
to Neponset, where he now resides. He was 
married in Mineral Township, January 1, 
1846, to Miss Mary Hall, born March 8, 1817, 
in Derbyshire, England. She was a daugh- 
ter of Thomas and Sarah (Cockayne) Hall, 



540 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



natives of England. She died on the Atlan- 
tic Ocean. He came to the United States in 
1837, and died the following year in Stark 
County, 111. Mrs. Mary Hasard came to 
Stark County, III, in 1836. She is the 
mother of four children now living, viz.: Ar- 
thur C, born January 7, 1849; Mrs. Sarah 
J. Stetson, born July 3, 1853; Charles E., 
born March 2, 1859; and Mary L., born 
April 12, 1865. Mrs. Hasard is an active 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Chunih. 
Mr. Hasard is a member of the Congrega- 
tional Church. Politically he is identified 
with the Republican party. 

THE HASSLER FAM'ILY, Selby. Jolin 
Hassler, deceased, was born in Zurich, 
Switzerland, August 28, 1764. For twenty 
years before coming to America, he resided 
in Germany, but retained his citizenship in 
Switzerland for several years after coming to 
this country. In 1834 he started with his 
family to America, and after a trip of sixty- 
eight days landed at New Orleans. They 
then came up the Mississippi River to St. 
Louis, Mo., where they remained for some 
time looking for a suitable location, but not 
being pleased with the country went to 
Beardstown, 111. From there two of the 
sons started on foot to Springlield, and two 
came to Hennepin. The latter, finding 
country that suited them, returned to Beards- 
town, and the family again took the boat 
and landed at Hennepin. They soon after 
pui-chased the claim of John Hall in Selby 
Township, and the family entered 1,800 acres 
of land. The Hassler family is one of the 
earliest in Selby Township and probably the 
first that came to this county from Germany, 
and it is due to their influence as German 
speaking residents that many other families 
from the old country settled in the locality 
of Hollowayville. John Hassler was mar- 
ried in Saxony, Germany, to Christina Char- 
lotte Rossig, born in Dresden, Saxony, Janu- 
ary 11, 1781. John Hassler lived but two 
years after coming to America, dying at his 
daughter's home two miles south of Henne- 
pin, September 20, 1837. His wife survived 
him until August 7, 1852. They were the 
parents of six sons and one daughter, viz. : 
John, born October 19, 1802, in Saxonj, was 
killed by accident on the old homestead in 



August, 1853; he left a wife and six chil- 
dren; Rudolph, born January 11, 1805, in 
Switzerland, died May 20, 1881, at Amboy, 
111.; left a family of five children; Henry, 
born April 8, 1807, in Germany, now of 
Mount Tabor, Oreg. ; has a family of two 
children; Charles, born April 18, 1809, lives 
in Selby Township; was married in this 
county to Barbara J. Croisant, of French 
descent. The Croisant family is of the old 
Huguenot stock, and was driven out of France 
during the massacre of St. Bartholomew. 
Charles Hassler is a farmer and owns 160 
acres of land. He has eleven children, viz.: 
Mrs. Justina Toll (deceased), Charles, Jacob, 
Frederick, Adolph, Ferdinand, Matilda, 
Gustav, Emma, Philip, and William (de- 
ceased). Herman, sou of John Hassler, de- 
ceased, was born October 10, 1811, a resident 
of Selby Township; Charlotte, born June 
19, 1814, widow of Peter Savage, has one 
child living, Jacob, born September 25, 1818, 
died October 2, 1880, leaving a wife who 
afterward married G. Deuterman (see 
sketch). Gustav, son of Charles Hassler, 
was born September 10, 1856, on the old 
homestead in Selby TownshiiJ. He was 
married March 8, 1877, to Miss Katie Crois- 
ant, fborn April 3, 1857, in this county, 
daughter of William and Margaret (Wonder) 
Croisant. Mr. and Mrs. Hassler have three 
children: Justina B., Katie and Mary; he is 
a farmer and owns 160 acres of land in 
Hall Township. Philip, son of Charles 
Hassler, was born August 10, 1862, in Selby 
Township; he is a farmer and ovms eighty 
acres of land in Hall Township; he was mar- 
ried in this county March 13, 1884, to Miss 
Katie Heiliger, born April 30, 1865, daugh- 
ter of Adam Heiliger (see sketch). The Hass- 
ler family are all members of the Lutheran 
Church, and with one exception are Demo- 
cratic in politics. 

LEONARD HATHAWAY, Indiantown, 
was born October 18, 1823, in Dighton, 
Mass. His father, Leonard Hathaway, 
Sr. , was born 1792 in the above place, 
and died there in 1872. He was a sea- 
faring man and also a soldier in the war 
of 1812. He married Sally Lincoln, a 
daughter of Lot Lincoln, who was also a 
brave soldier in the Revolutionary war. She 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



541 



was born in 1800, and died in 1872. She 
was the mother of the folluwing children: 
Helen, Allen, Leonard, Sallie (deceased); 
Charlotte, Joseph, Annie, Amelia and Eme- 
line (deceased). Our subject was educated in 
Taunton, Mass. He was a sailor in early 
life and afterward a mechanic and farmer. 
He came West in 1855, and settled in Bu- 
reau County. In 1860 he returned East, 
where he enlisted in June the following year 
in the Seventh Massachusetts Regiment, Com- 
pany C, but was transferred to Company B, 
and then to K, which latter he commanded 
over a year as First Lieutenant, to which po- 
sition he had been promoted. He took part 
in the siege of Yorktown and the battle of 
Williamsburg, Va. On the 20th of May, 
1862, he was taken prisoner at Bottoms Bridge 
on the Chickahominy River and suffered the 
horrors of Libby Prison till September 14, 
when he was released and retui'ned to his 
regiment. He afterward participated in the 
two battles of Fredericksburg, Franklin 
Crossing, Gettysburg, where he was wounded, 
Rappahannock Crossing and Wilderness. He 
was mustered out July 5, 1864. In 1866 ho 
returned to this county and engaged in farm- 
ing, and yet resides on the old homestead 
of eighty-four and a half acres in Indian 
town Township. Mr. Hathaway was mar- 
ried August 26, 1843, in Massachusetts, to 
Nancy M. Marvel, who was born Au- 
gust 12, 1823 in the historic town of 
Swansea in Massachusetts. Her father. 
Mason Marvel, married Ruth Pike, and 
participated in the Revolutionary war. 
Mrs. Hathaway is the mother of Charles B. 
and Otis L. Hathaway. The former was 
born January 26, 1845; he married Hannah 
Griffin. They have five children, viz.: Anna, 
Abby B. , Frank M., Leonard and Gracie M. 
Otis L. Hathaway was born February 21, 
1848. He is now married to INIrs. Mary 
Allen. He has one daughter — Ella Hathaway 
— by a former marriage. Politically the 
subject mi this biography is a Republican. 

J. E. HATHORN, M. D., Arlington, was 
born May 17, 1846, in Piscataquis County, 
Me. He is a son of John H. and Ricker 
(Tamsou) Hathorn, natives of Maine. They 
are yet living, and the parents of seven chil- 
dren, viz. : Robert, who was killed at the 



siege of Vicksburg; John E., our subject; 
David A., also a soldier, and now farming on 
the homestead in Maine; Danville S. is a 
resident of Lewiston, Me. ; Henry A. and 
Francis, both deceased, and Mrs. Lizzie J. 
Sanborn. The Hathorn family is of English 
descent, and David Hathorn was the grand- 
father of the above children. Dr. Hathorn 
has enjoyed the benefit of a good education. 
In early life he attended Bates College in 
Lewiston, Me., where he graduated in the 
Greek and Latin course, and then entered 
the College Department. From there he went 
to Brunswick, Me., where he entered the 
Medical Department of Bowdoin College, and 
afterward attended a course of lectures at 
Portland, Me. In the fall of 1870 he came 
West and taught school in Pawpaw, Lee Co., 
111. , and afterward became Professor of Phys- 
iology and Anatomy, which he taught in the 
East Pawpaw Seminary, at the same time 
studying medicine with Dr. Fish, and at the 
end of the year graduated in the scientific 
course, receiving the degree of B. S. The 
following year he taught school at Cottage 
Grove, and the next year attended Rush Med- 
ical College, Chicago, 111., graduating in 
February, 1874. After this he was Principal 
of the Lamoille school one year, and then 
located in Arlington, 111., where he now has 
a lucrative practice, and enjoys the esteem 
and confidence of the people. So anxious 
was the Doctor to fit himself thoroughly for 
his profession that he went to Chicago in the 
spring of 1883 and took a post-graduate 
course. At the age of seventeen, when the 
war clouds were the blackest, he enlisted July 
24, 1863, in the First Regiment of H. A. M. 
v., and served till September 11, 1865. He 
participated in the battles of Spottsylvania, 
North Anna, Talapotomic, Cold Harbor, Jeru- 
salem Plank Road, Petersburg, and the capt- 
ure of the latter place, Richmond and 
Amelia Springs. He had bullets shot through 
his clothes, but was never wounded. Dr. 
Hathorn was married September 26, 1882, in 
Fairfield, Iowa, to Miss Ella J. Dana, who 
was born September 29, 1857, in Westfield 
Township, to which her parents, David and 
Catharine M, (Van Orden) Dana, removed 
the year before. David Dana was born May 
4, 1814, in Peacham, Vt. In 1836 he came 



542 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



to Chicago, aud soon after went to Peru. 
He was married September 26, 1847, and is 
the father of Mrs. Mary C. Davie, George L. 
Dana and Mrs. Ella J. Hathorn. Mr. Dana 
removed to Fairfield, Iowa, in the centennial 
year, and died there January 25, 1882. 

ROBERT HAY, Milo, the subject of the 
following biography, was born September 30, 
1821. He is the son of Thomas and Sarah 
(Maiden) Hay. Thomas Hay was born De- 
cember 20, 1800, in the Lowlands of Scot- 
land. He came to the United States with 
his parents, "William and Jane (Taylor) Hay, 
in the year 1813. They landed in Philadel- 
phia and came West by way of Pittsburgh, 
where he, in company with a number of 
Scotch Seceders, mostly of the Hay and Taylor 
families, bought a fiat-boat and loading their 
goods on it, descended the Ohio River till 
they reached Jefferson County, Ind. , where 
they settled and where all died except Thomas 
Hay, who yet lives in Henry Count}', 111., to 
which he came in 1856. The great-grand- 
father of our subject was Robert Hay, Sr., 
who died in Canada. The mother of our 
subject was born June 2, 1800, in North Car- 
olina. She is yet living, and is the daughter 
of Andrew and Mary Maiden. Robert Hay 
is self-educated. He came to Bureau County, 
111., November 10, 1850, and bought eighty 
acres of land. At present he owns 525 acres 
in Milo Township, where he now resides. He 
was married March 12, 1845, in Jefferson 
County, Ind., to Margaret Crawford, who 
was born October 15, 1826, in the above 
place. She is a daughter of David and Sarah 
Crawford, and the mother of eleven children 
now living, viz.: Oliver P., Professor in the 
Indianapolis College; Mrs. Mary E. Clark, 
Mrs. Julia Schimmel, Frances M, Mrs. Ann 
Reid, Mrs. Maria Rich, Mrs. Isabel Wilcox, 
LeRoy S., Clarence, George and Robert Hay. 
Mr. and Mrs. Hay are members of the Chris- 
tian Church. He is a Republican, and is a 
self-made man in every respect, owing his 
success to his industry and perseverance. 

J. K. HAZEN, Princeton, was born July 
5, 1830, in Warren County, N. J. His 
parents were David W. and Sarah Ann (Tay- 
lor) Hazen, both natives of New Jersey, 
where the former was born September 28, 
1801. He died November 6, 1882. The 



latter was born May 11, 1802. She died 
November 22, 1882. They came hei-e April, 
1857, and settled in Selby Township, but 
afterward removed to Berlin Township, 
where they both died. They were the parents 
of five children, viz.: Elijah E. T., Joseph 
K. , Ziba H., Catharine E. and Ann E. Our 
subject, Joseph K. Hazen, was educated in 
New Jersey, where he was also married in 
1855, to Marilda A. Trimmer, who was born 
September 9, 1835, in Morris County, N. J. 
Her parents, Andrew and Marilda (Weise) 
Trimmer, were natives of the same State. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Hazen three children were born, 
viz.: EmmaT., born May 30, 1856; Sarah 
M., November 27, 1860; she died October 1, 
1864; and Lizzie D., born August 3, 1870. 
Mr. Hazen's grandfather, Ziba Hazen, was 
of Scotch descent. He died in New Jersey. 
His grandmother, Catharine Sharp, was of 
German extraction and the mother of eleven 
children, viz. : John, Lena, Rachel, Christine, 
Mary, Sally, Ann, William, David, Jacob and 
Ziba. All of the above reared families except 
Ann Hazen. Our subject came to Stark 
County, 111., in 1856. The next year, April 
16, he removed to Selby Township, Bureau 
Co., III., settling in Section 2, where he 
farmed successfully till the spring of 1884, 
when he sold out and bought the Skinner 
property of 110 acres in Section 10, near 
Princeton. Mr. Hazen is a self -made man. 
He is a' A. F. & A. M., Arlington Lodge. 
In political matters Mr. Hazen is identified 
with the Democratic party. 

ISAAC HEATON, Bureau: Rees Heaton, 
father of the gentleman whose name heads 
this sketch, was born in Old Virginia, Febru- 
ary 7, 1783. At two years of age he went to 
Greene County, Penn., where he was reared, 
and married Sarab Weaver, of Greene County, 
Penn. In 1814 Mr. Heaton and family 
immigrated to Trumbull County, Ohio, and 
in 1836 to Bui-eau County, 111., and settled 
at Heaton's Point in Bureau Township. He 
resided there until his death which occurred 
June 7, 1878. His wife died December 10, 
1876, lacking nineteen days of being eighty- 
four years old. They were the parents of 
eight children, five of whom are living, viz.: 
William W., now a resident of Cherokee 
County, Kan. ; Isaac, our subject; Abagail, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



543 



wife of Harrison Epperson, of Afton, Union 
Co., Iowa; Dan, of Frontier County, Neb.; 
Elizabeth, wife of S. R. Elliott of Dover 
Township; Nancy, wife of Hezekiah Epper- 
son, died in November, 1865; Hannah, wife 
of James Wilson of Dover Township, died in 
1852; Cj-rus R., died February, 1845. All 
were bom in Trumbull County, Ohio, except 
the oldest son and daughter, who were born 
in Greene County, Penn. Isaac Heaton was 
born in Trumbull County, Ohio, February 
21, 1816. He came to this county with his 
parents in 1836, and has since resided in 
Bureau Township. He was married January 
20, 18-48, to Ann Sullivan, of McDonough 
County, 111. She was born iu Washington 
County, Penn., July 24, 1824, and came to 
Illinois in 1836. She died March 27. 1854, 
leaving three sons, viz.: Cyrus R., born June 
7, 1849, of Dover Township; Henry C, born 
December 23, 1850, at home; John S., born 
November 16, 1852, of Iowa. Mr. Heaton 
was married to Amanda B. Kennedy, Novem- 
ber 17, 1855, who was born in Trumbull 
County, Ohio. July 8, 1828. She is the 
mother of four- children, viz. : Mary L., born 
January 7, 1857; S. Austa, born March 27, 
1859, wife of F. F. Daniels of Bureau Town- 
ship; R. Montgomery, born September 26, 
1866; George W., born December 21, 1868. 
Mr. Heaton has been engaged in farming 
and stock-raising since 1836. His farm con- 
tains 260 acres. In politics he is a Demo- 
crat. 

JOHN HECHTNER, Bureau, was born in 
Prussia, February 26, 1836. He is a shoe- 
maker by trade, and worked at that for four 
years in the old country. In 1854 he came 
to America, and settled in Princeton, where 
he worked at his trade for two years. He 
then went on to the prairie in Bureau Town- 
ship, which was then unimproved. He first 
purchased a quarter of Section 36, paying 
$11.50 per acre. His home farm now con- 
sists of 400 acres in Sections 36 and 25, but 
in the township he owns 880 acres. Until 
he was twenty years old he knew nothing of 
farming, and began by splitting rails and 
cutting cord- wood, but he has been one of the 
most successful farmers in the township. He 
is the son of Godfrey and Mary (Kittendorf) 
Hechtner. His father was a shoemaker, and 



came to Princeton in 1854. He died in 1872. 
They were the parents of four girls and two 
boys. John Hechtner was married in this 
county December 21, 1861, to Elizabeth 
Mehlin. She was born in Switzerland, 
August 4, 1843, daughter of John Mehlin, 
who came to this county in 1853. Mr. and 
Mrs. Hechtner are the parents of twelve chil- 
dren, six of whom are living, viz. : Mary, born 
March 27, 1864, wife of Andrew Rudiger, of 
Bureau Township; Emma, January 10, 1866; 
John, December 13, 1868; Charles, February 
11, 187L; Elizabeth, April 6, 1874: Caroline, 
December 29, 1875. After being on the farm 
two years, Mr. Hechtner lost everything by 
fire December 21, 1859. They saved noth- 
ing, only escaping with their lives. In May, 
1878, he left home on account of ill-health, 
and spent the summer on the European Con- 
tinent, visiting Switzerland, Prussia, and the 
Paris Exposition. In politics he has been a 
Democrat since his first vote, which was for 
James Buchanan. In 1882 he represented 
his township on the Board of Supervisors. 

ADAM HEILIGER, Berlin,' was born 
March 3, 1835, in Putzbrun, near Munich, 
Bavaria. He is a son of George and Catha- 
rina (Silbernagel) Heiliger, born on the 
River Rhine, in Bavaria. The father died 
in Germany. The mother came to America 
in 1864, with her son, Jacob Heiliger, who 
died in Hall Township, Bureau County, 
where the mother also died. Her children 
were: Jacob, Barbara, Adam and Catharina. 
Adam Heiliger was educated in Germany, 
and came to the United States in June, 1858. 
He worked in Selby Township, Bureau Coun- 
ty, for several years, and then bought eighty 
acres of land in Hall Township, where he 
lived twenty-three years. In 1881 he bought 
160 acres in Berlin Township, and now owns 
260 acres. He has been a successful farmer, 
and is in every respect a self-made man. He 
was married in this county, December 20, 
1861, to Miss Katie Lintz. She was born 
February 7, 1839, in Edenkoben, Bavaria, 
Germany, to William and Barbara Lintz. 
Mr. and Mrs. Heiliger have four children, 
viz. : Jacob; Katie, wife of Philip Hassler; 
Henry and Adam. Mr. and Mrs. Heiliger 
are members of the Lutheran Church. In 
politics he is a Democrat. 



544 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



GEN. THOMAS J. HENDERSON, Prince- 
ton. Col. William H. Henderson, father of 
the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, 
was born on the banks of Dick's River in 
Garrard County, Ky., November 16, 1793. 
His early life was spent in the wilds of his 
native State. At the age of nineteen years 
he enlisted in Col. Richard M. Johnson's reg- 
iment of "mounted riflemen," and served 
with this regiment during the war of 1812. 
He was married in Dover, Stewart Co., Tenn., 
January 11, 1816, to Miss Lucinda Wimber 
ly, who died in Haywood County, Tenn., 
whither they had removed in 1823. In Ten- 
nessee we And him filling places of trust from 
Sheriff of the County to State Senator. In 
1836 he resigned his seat in the Senate and 
came to Illinois, settling in what is now Stark 
County. Here his abilities were soon recog 
nized, and he was a Member of the last Leg- 
islature that met in Vandalia in 1838-39, 
and also of the first that met in Spring- 
field in 1840-41. January 27, 1864, he 
died, after having spent a life of activity 
full of the hardships of the pioneer and the 
successes and defeats of a man in political 
life, but honored by all, and most by those 
who knew him best. By his first wife. Col. 
Henderson had three children, and by his 
second wife, Sarah M. Howard, he had one 
daughter who died in infancy, and five sons. 
Mrs. Henderson was born in Sampson Coun- 
ty, N. C, September 15, 1804, and died in 
January, 1^79, at Marshalltown Iowa. Her 
eldest son, Gen. Thomas J. Henderson, was 
born in Brownsville, Haywood Co., Tenn., 
November 29, 1824. He began attending 
school when about five years of age, and un- 
til he was eleven attended almost constantly 
the male academy of his native town, and be- 
fore leaving school had made some advance 
in Latin. In 1836 he came to Illinois with his 
parents, and for a few terms attended school in 
the log schoolhouses of Stark County. At the 
age of seventeen he taught his first school, and 
at various times taught about twelve months. 
In 1845 he attended one term in the Iowa 
University. The one desire of his early life 
was to become a good lawyer, but the strug- 
gle for daily bread had first to be considered; 
to become thorough in his profession would 
require years of patient study and waiting. 



and as a stepping-stone he accepted in 1847 
the oflSce of County Commissioner's Clerk for 
Stark County, and held the same office after 
its change of name to Clerk of the County 
Court, until 1853. He then entered upon the 
practice of his profession, and was a success- 
ful attorney. In 1854 he was called upon by 
Peoria and Stark Counties to represent them 
in the State Legislature. In 1856, at the age 
of thii'ty-two years, he was elected to the 
State Senate from his district and filled that 
office with ability, although the youngest 
member of the Senate at that time. In 1871 
he was appointed by President Grant, with- 
out solicitation on his part. United States Col- 
lector of Internal Revenue for the Fifth Illi- 
nois District, which office he held for two 
years, and during this time collected about 
$9,000,000 for the Government. In 1868 he 
was chosen one of the Presidential Electors 
at large, and cast his vote for Gen. Grant. 
Since 1874 has been a Member of Congress, 
eight years from the Sixth, and is now 
serving his first term, and is member 
elect from the Seventh Congressional Dis- 
trict. As a Member of Congress he has 
taken part in many important discussions, 
as shown in the Congressional records, 
where will be found his speeches on 
the financial question, on the regulation of 
railroad transportation in inter-State com- 
merce, and also on the Hennepin Canal. As 
a politician few men have enjoyed the confi- 
dence of their constituents to a greater de- 
gree than Gen. Henderson. Although he has 
been so successful, yet he has had his defeats. 
In 1862 he was the nominee for Congress on 
a Union ticket, but was defeated by Owen 
Lovejoy. And in the contest for the nomina- 
tion in 1870, he was unsuccessful, and Mr. 
E. C. Ingersoll was nominated. Such is a 
brief outline of Gen. Henderson's career as a 
politician, but on the field of battle he also 
won laiu'els to which admiring friends can 
point with pride. The home influences and 
the air he breathed were such as would pro- 
duce clear-headed, fearless men. At the first 
breaking out of the Civil war, he took strong 
ground in favor of maintaining the Union, 
and he and a young attorney of Toulon. Ben- 
jamin F. Williams, addressed the people of 
almost every school district in Stark Coun- 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



548 



ty, urging them to stand by the Union, 
and GDCouraging volunteers; and their ef- 
orts contributed in a great degree to the 
splendid volunteer contribution of Stark 
County to the war. But Gen. Hender- 
son did not defend his country with his 
voice alone. In 1862 he recruited a compa- 
ny, and to his surprise was elected and com- 
missioned Colonel of the One Hundred and 
Twelfth Illinois Infantry, which was mus- 
tered into the service September 22, 1862. 
He remained with the regiment till the close 
of the war, serving in the campaigns of 
Georgia and Tennessee in 1864 He was se- 
verely wounded at Eesaca, Ga., May 14, 
1864, and after lying in the hospital for some 
time, came home on a furlough. Upon his 
return to the tield in July following, he found 
that the Third Brigade, Third Division, 
Twenty third Army Corps had been organ- 
ized and placed under his command. The 
rank of Brigadier-General by brevet was con- 
ferred upon him, as stated in his commission, 
to rank as such from November 30, 1864, 
"For gallant and meritorious service during 
the late campaigns in Georgia and Tennes- 
see, and especially at the battle of Franklin, 
Tenn. , signed by the President, Andrew 
Johnson, and Edwin M Stanton, Secretary of 
War." At the close of the war Gen. Hen- 
derson was ordered to conduct his regiment 
home, but before leaving the brigade he was 
the recipient of a tribute from the officers of 
the Seventeenth Massachusetts Volunteer In- 
fantry. This tribute was a partial expression 
of the soldiers' regard for their General, 
whom they not only respected for his ability 
as a leader, but loved because of his manly 
virtues and gentlemanly bearing. During 
the heated canvass for the nomination for 
Congress in 1870, all possible efforts were 
made to defeat Gen. Henderson, and among 
other things attacks were made upon his mil- 
itary standing, in answer to which we quote 
the following letter from Maj.-Gen. Cox: 

Department op the Interior, ( 
Washington, D. C, July 5, 1870. f 
My Dear Major:— Yours of the 29th ultimo is 
received, and in reply I am happy to say that there 
can be but one opinion among all those who served 
with our friend, T. J. Henderson. A braver, more 
intelligent, or conscientious officer of bis grade was 
not to be found in the arm}'. He distinguished him- 



self wherever he served, and the patriotism and dis- 
interestedness of his service was such as to endear 
him to all his commanding officers. There is no of- 
ficer in Illinois, concerning whom disparaging criti- 
cism could have less foundation, or be more surpris- 
ing to any who were intimate with the career and 
the history of her soldiers during the war. Always 
hopeful, always prompt, always courageous, a most 
loyal subordinate, and a most able and devoted lead- 
er. Gen. Henderson's reputation ought to be dear, 
not only to his comrades but to the people of the 
State and the country. In haste, very truly yours, 
J. D. Cox, Davenport, Iowa. 
Maj. T. T. Dow. 

Shortly after returning from the army, 
Gen. Henderson was induced by Joseph 
I. Taylor to come to Princeton, where the 
two formed a law partnership which continued 
till 1871, when Gen. Henderson assumed the 
duties of the Collector's office. In 1873 he 
entered into a partnership with Judge H. M. 
Trimble, which partnership still continues. 
We have noted briefly the political and mili- 
tary career of Gen. Henderson, but it is in 
his pleasant home and family circle that he 
receives the most homage. He was married 
in Stark County, 111., May 29, 1849, to Miss 
Henrietta, youngest daughter of Capt. Henry 
Butler, of Wyoming. She was born in New 
York City. August 11, 1830. Four children 
have blessed their union, viz.: Gertrude R., 
born March 31, 1850, wife of Charles J. Dun- 
bar, of Princeton; Sarah Ella, born March 
29, 1852, wife of Chester M. Durley, of 
Brookings, Dak.; Mary L., born September 
12, 1855, is at home; Thomas B., born April 
23, 1860, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 

W. C. HENDERSON, Princeton, was born 
February 13, 1825, in Washington County, 
Penn. ; he is a son of William and Sarah 
(Cox) Henderson, who are also natives of 
Pennsylvania. Our subject was reared on a 
farm in his native State, and when a young 
man went with his parents to West Virginia, 
where he was married in 1851, to Miss Mar- 
garet J. Milligan, a native of West Virginia. 
She was a daughter of Hugh Milligan. She 
died in 1S52, leaving one child — Margaret 
Jane. The maiden name of his present wife 
was Isabell Lucus, who was born July 31, 
1826, in Ross County, Ohio. Her parents 
were Daniel and Jane (McKinzey) Lucus, 
natives of Washington Count}', Penn. This 
second marriage was blessed with one child 
— Prank Henderson, who is now a farmer in 



546 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Texas County, Missouri. Mr. Henderson 
came to Marshall County, 111., in 1855, there 
he farmed till 1868, when he came to Bureau 
County, where he has been successfully 
engaged as a farmer. In February, 1884, 
he removed to Princeton, where he at pres- 
ent resides. Mr. Henderson is a quiet, 
unassuming man. Politically he is identi- 
fied with the Republican party. Mr. and 
Mrs. Henderson are members of the Presby- 
terian Church. 

.FAMES HENSEL, Dover, is a native of 
Melford, Somerset Co. , Penn. , where he was 
born June 24, 1807. When quite small he 
removed to Tuscarawas County, Ohio, where 
he resided until October, 1853, since which 
time he has lived on his present farm, which 
was fii'st settled by Sylvester Brigham. Mr. 
Hensel is a son of Fredericls and Julia 
(Shafer) Hensel; his father was killed in the 
war of 1812, and his mother died in Ohio. 
His opportunity for attending school was very 
limited, but he has ever been an earnest 
advocate of education. He was reared on a 
farm, and has always made farming his 
occupation, and through his own industry 
has been very successful in business. He is 
now one of the largest land-owners in this 
Township, his farm containing over 1,000 
acres. He was married in Tuscarawas 
County, Ohio, to Lydia Fackler, who died 
there, leaving four sons and one daughter: 
Philip residing in Dover Township; Henry 
in Dodge County, Neb.; Simon, not known; 
Enoch, in Ohio Township; Sarah Ann, wife 
of Isaiah Remsburgh, of Ohio Township. Mr. 
Hensel was again married in Tuscarawas 
County, Ohio, to Mary Frease, daughter of 
Henry Frease. By her he has seven chil- 
dren: John, living in Berlin Township; 
Madison, in Walnut Township; Cyrus, in 
Nebraska; George, at home; Harvey, in 
Dover Township; Eliza, wife of George 
Steele of Dover Township; Elsie, at home. 
In politics Mr. Hensfl is identified with the 
Republican party. 

SEBASTIAN HERBOLSHEIMER, Selby, 
was born in Bavaria, Germany, December 22, 
1829. His father, Sebastian Herbolsheimer, 
was a farmer in the old country, and our sub 
ject was reared there and educated in the 
common schools of his native land. His 



parents died in the old country, his mother 
dying when he was two years old. In 1854 
he came to America, landing in New York, 
June 29. He spent three months in Chicago 
and then came to Bm-eau County, October 2, 
1854, where he has since resided, except 
three years which he spent in Peru. When 
he first came to this county he worked three 
years for wages before beginning for him- 
self. In 1860 he bought forty acres of his 
present farm, and has continued to add to it 
till he now owns 355 acres, with excellent 
buildings. He was married April 24, 1857, 
in this county, to Mary Bacht, who died 
January 8, 1858. He was again married 
in LaSalle County, 111., to Mary Downer. 
She was born in Bavaria, Germany, October 
21, 1837; a daughter of John Downer, who 
came to America and settled in LaSalle 
County, in 1857. Both of her parents are 
dead. Mr. and Mrs. Herbolsheimer have 
nine children living, viz. : George, born No- 
vember 17. 1858; John, born September 16, 
1860; Mary, born July 16, 1862; Charles, 
born Februarv 27, 1864; William, born De- 
cember 25, 1865; Frank, born April 24,1868; 
Annie, born March 29, 1870; Kate, born 
March 8, 1873; George Leonard, born July 
10, 1876. All are in this township except 
George, who is in the West. In December, 
1869, Mr. H. visited the old country, return- 
ing in January, 1870. 

JAMES HERRICK, Manlius, was born 
March 31, 1827. in Leicestershire, England. 
He is the son of Thomas and Ann (Newberry) 
Herrick. who reared a family of six children, 
James being the only one in America. 
Thomas Herrick was a farmer, and our sub- 
ject has worked on the farm since he was ten 
years old. His opportunities for obtaining 
an education were very limited, as he did 
not attend school more than a month, except 
Sabbath-schools. His mother died when he 
was about six years old. His father, who 
was well-to-do, lost his property by be- 
ing security for a merchant. James Her- 
rick came to America and landed at St. 
Louis in the latter part of the year 1851. 
He remained there that winter, and the follow- 
ing spring came to Putnam County, where, for 
five years, he worked by the month, and 
then boucrht a farm of his own. Februarv, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



647 



1866, he settled on his present farm of 160 
acres, in Section 13, Manlius Township. 
When Mr. Horrick landed at Hennepin he 
had only 50 cents, and went to work for 50 
cents a day; his success in life he owes to his 
own energy and hard work. When about 
twenty-tive years old he was married in Eng- 
land, but lost his wife and two children by 
cholera, while coming up the Mississippi 
Kiver to St. Louis. In the fall of 1854 he 
was married in Putnam County, to Adah 
Smith, a native of Leicestershire, England, 
a sister of Edward Smith (see sketch). Mr. 
and Mrs. Herrick have had live children, four 
of whom are living, viz. : Lyman, married to 
Cordelia Woodard; James Thomas; Sarah 
Ann, wife of Laban Ball, and Richard. 
Politically Mr. Herrick has been identified 
with the Republican party since its organiza 
tion. He and his wife are members of the 
Wesleyan Church. 

SAMUEL HILLS, Lamoille, was born 
November 20, 1814, in Palmer Township, 
Hampden Co., Mass. His grandfather was 
of Welsh, and his grandmother of English 
extraction. His parents, Elijah and Olive 
(Ryder) Hills, were natives of Connecticut; 
they died in Massachusetts. They were the 
parents of the following children: Cyrus, 
Elijah, Sylvester, Sanford, Mrs. Olive Kim- 
bal, Hiram, Lyman and Samuel (our subject, 
who is the only one living of the above 
named). He was reared and educated in his 
native State, where he worked on a farm till 
he reached his maturity, and then worked in 
a paper-mill for fifteen years. In May, 
1851, he came to Bureau County, 111., where 
he settled on Section 25, in Lamoille Town- 
ship, where he bought 330 acres of partly 
improved land, which he improved, till 
to-day it is one of the finest farms in the 
township. Mr. Hills has been very success- 
ful as a farmer and stockman, and raises 
some fine Norman horses, Durham and Jer- 
sey cattle, Poland-China hogs, and Shrop- 
shire sheep. Mr. Hills was married the first 
time in East Hartford, Conn., to Adeline H. 
Pitkin, a native of the above place. She 
died here in February, 1878, aged fifty nine 
years. She was the mother of two children, 
who are both deceased. He was married the 
second time to Mrs. Nancy L. Harwood (nee 



Fair), a native of Hampshire County, Mass., 
and a daughter of Eli and Martha (Frary) 
Fair, natives of Massachusetts. Mrs. Nancy 
L. Hills is the mother of Mrs. Mary Stacy, 
now a resident of California. Mr. Hills is 
identified with the Republican party, and has 
filled the offices of School Trustee, Assessor, 
and Highway Commissioner. 

L. O. HILLS, Arlington, was born Octo- 
ber 23, 1841, in Palmer, Hampden Co., Mass. 
His parents were Cyrus and Amanda (Olds) 
Hills. Our subject was reared and edu- 
cated in Bureau County, to which he came 
with his parents in 1843. He made farm- 
ing his occupation till 1868, when he 
came to Arlington, where he clerked one 
year for the firm of Gray & Hills, general 
merchants. The next year he bought a one- 
third interest in the store, and at present is 
the senior member of the firm, consisting now 
of himself, S T. Meriam and W. H. Robin- 
son, who keep the largest general store in 
Arlington. Mr. Hills was a soldier in the 
late war. He enlisted in the 100-days serv- 
ice. Company E, of the One Hundred and 
Thirty-ninth Regiment Illinois Volunteer 
Infantry, and was detailed to provost duty 
most of the time. Our subject was joined in 
marriage October 20, 1869, in Scarboro, Me., 
to Miss Mattie C. Moulton, who was born 
April 11, 1843, in Jay, Franklin Co., Me. 
She is a daughter of Freedom and Shuah C. 
(Carter) Moulton, natives of Scarboro, Cum- 
berland Co., Me. This union was blessed 
with four children, viz. : Grace A., born Sep- 
tember 8, 1870; A. Moulton, born August 
28, 1874; Alida M., born December 29, 1875; 
Louis L., born May, 1877. Mrs. Hills is a 
member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. 
Hills is a member of the A. F. & A. M. fra- 
ternity. He takes an active part in political 
matters, and was a delegate to the Rejiubli- 
can State Convention in Springfield in 1880, 
and again to Peoria in 1884. 

J. W. HILLS, Clarion, was born Novem- 
ber 25, 1825, in Wilbraham, Mass. (See 
sketch of Samuel Hills.) Cyrus Hills, son of 
Elijah and Olive (Rider) Hills, and the fa- 
ther of our subject, married Amanda Olds, 
daughter of Justin and Mehitabel (Hixson) 
Olds, a native of Belchertown, Mass. Cyrus 
Hills came to Bureau County, 111., May 24, 



548 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



1843, and bought 160 acres of J. Hixson Olds. 
He died here May 23, 1868, aged seventy- two 
years. His wife died November 14. 1856, 
aged fifty-six years. She was the mother of 
the following children: Charlotte M., wife of 
Linval L. Frizzell, who is the father of Ver- 
rannas E. Frizzell, of Lamoille; Mrs. Euse- 
bia S. Gill, Winchell J., Sylvester H. (de- 
ceased), aged fifteen years; Zelotus S., Elijah 
J., Parmenas L. and Lewis O. Hills, of Ar- 
lington. Of the above, Parmenus L. Hills 
was a gallant soldier in the war of the Rebel- 
lion. He was wounded at the battle of Vicks- 
burg and died in the hospital. The G. A. R. 
Post of Lamoille was named in honor of his 
memory. Oar subject received such school ad- 
vantages as the subscription schools in Perkins 
Grove afforded. He has been a farmer and yet 
resides on his farm in Clarion Township. He 
was married here to Lucy Abels, a native of 
New York State. Her parents were Peter and 
Eve Abels, who came from New York. She 
was the mother of three children, viz.: Cyrus 
W., a resident of Nebraska, married Ella 
Cater; Anson E., a resident of Lamoille, 
married Sarah Wade; and HattieE., deceased, 
aged eight years. Mrs. Lucy Hills died here 
July 19, 1880, aged fifty- seven years. Mr. 
Hills was married a second time to Mrs. 
Mary Ware {nee Cain), a native of Rockford, 
111., but reared in Fort Madison, Iowa. Her 
parents, George and Mary A. (Brown) Cain, 
were natives of New York. Mr. Hills is a 
Republican and with his wife is a member 
of the Baptist Church of Lamoille. 

NELSON HINKSTON, New Bedford, was 
born in Hudson, Summit Co., Ohio Septem- 
ber 20, 1817, and is the son of Joseph and 
Caroline (Webb) Hinkston. The Hinkston 
family is of English descent and came to 
America with the Puritans. Joseph Hinks- 
ton was a soldier in the war of 1812, and a 
pensioner of the Government until his death 
at the age of ninety-four years four months 
and eight days. The family is of a hardy 
and long-lived race. Nelson Hinkston is one 
of a family of ten children, all of whom lived 
to reach maturity, and six still survive. At 
the age of sixteen years om* subject began to 
learn the shoe-maker's trade and followed the 
business, under one roof in Hudson, Ohio, for 
twenty-eight years. He worked on the bench 



only three years after learning his trade, and 
then bought the establishment; carrying on a 
manufacturing business, employing from 
eight to twelve hands. Mr. Hinkston loaned 
to the Broad Gauge, Cherry Valley & St. 
Louis Railroad Company $6,000, which he 
lost through the failure of the company, but 
instead of being discouraged he applied him- 
self with new vigor and soon replaced the 
loss. In September, 1863, he came to Bureau 
County, 111., and settled at New Bedford. He 
has since been engaged in the buying, im- 
proving, renting and selling of lands and loan- 
ing money. He owns in this county between 
five and six hundred acres of land. In poli- 
tics Mr. Hinkston is a supporter of the Re- 
publican party. He was a member of the I. 
O. O. F. for seventeen years in Ohio, but 
since he has resided in this county he has 
not belonged to any order. He was married 
January 1, 1839, to Mabel Clark, a native of 
Connecticut but reared in Twinsburg, Ohio. 
She died in September, 1868, after a sickness 
of two years. She was the mother of one son, 
Elmer, born July 6, 1840. He was a soldier 
in Company K, Seventh Ohio Infantry, en- 
listing in June, 1861, in Cleveland, Ohio. 
He was wounded at Ringgold, twenty-two 
miles from Chattanooga, Tenn,, where he 
was taken, and died January 21, 1864. Mr. 
Hinkston was married March 14, 1869, to 
Mary C. Whittington, who was born in Ash- 
land County, Ohio, March 28, 1847. Her 
father, John Whittington, is now living at 
New Bedford, III,, at the age of seventy- 
seven years. The mother, Jane Whittington, 
died at New Bedford, January 21, 1883, at 
the age of sixty-nine years. 

H. HINMAN, Tiskilwa. The subject of 
this biography was born March 24, 1837, in 
Chittenden County, Vt. He is a son of Rob- 
ert and Mindwell A. (Bartlett) Hinman, both 
natives of Vermont, and yet living in Tis- 
kilwa. They are the parents of the follow- 
ing children: Euphama, Purees L., Hobert, 
Maria, Homer, Columbus, Florence and Har- 
riet Hinman. Our subject, Hobert Hinman, 
received a common school education in this 
county, to which he came with his parents 
in 1838. At first he had only a farm of 
eighty acres, but at present owns 691 acres 
of land in Indiantown Township. As a 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES- 



549 



farmer, Mr. Hinman, like his father, has 
been very successful. He was married in 
Hamilton County, Ohio, to Miss Susan Te- 
bow, a daughter of Peter and Olive (Hobart) 
Tebow. She was born August 23, 1842, in 
the above place. She was the mother of live 
children: Florence, born December 26, 1865; 
Lucia M. , April 26, 1869; Alva, November 
28, 1870; Ethel, November 26, 1872, and 
Mina, born January 13, 1879. Mrs. Hinman 
was a true wife and fond mother, and the 
void caused by her death January 11, 1884, 
will never be filled in the home nor in the 
social circle. She was an active member of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and her in- 
fluence fur good was felt by all who knew 
her. Mr. Hinman has ever been interested 
in school matters, and tilled school offices. 
Politically he is a strong supporter of the 
Republican party. 

GEORGE C." HINSDALE, Bureau, was 
born in Greenfield, Mass., December 29, 
1808. He remained on the home farm till 
he became of age, and then took a trip to the 
Southern States, returning to Massachusetts. 
From there he came to Bureau County, 111., 
making most of the journey on foot, and ar- 
rived here July 4, 1831. He first made a 
claim near Dover, but soon afterward bought 
of Sylvester Brigham a claim, which he en- 
tered, and where he has since resided. Mr. 
Hinsdale was married May 18, 1834, to Eliz- 
abeth Baggs. She was born in Champaign 
County, Ohio, April 10, 1816. Her father, 
John Baggs, was drowned in the Mackinaw 
River in 1827, and the children^ere taken 
by their mother's relatives. Mrs. Hinsdale 
lived with her uncle, Henry Thomas, and 
came to this county with his family in 1828, 
when their nearest neighbor was thirty-five 
miles away. With the exception of some 
time spent in the forts, to escape the Indians, 
Mrs. Hinsdale has lived in Bureau County 
since coming here fifty-six years ago, longer 
than any other settler now living. She is 
the mother of the following children: Emilv, 
born March 21, 1835, wife of Eli Brooks, of 
Montgomery County, Iowa; Samuel D., July 
8, 1837, of Monona County, Iowa, married 
to Nellie Pierce; Nathan B.. March 8, 1840 
(he enlisted in Company D, Seventh Kansas 
Cavalry; was killed December 5, 1862, near 



Coffeeville, Miss.); Mary E., November 15, 
1842,died in Colorado November 22, 1877, 
was wife of Nicholas Baker; Sarah Rebecca. 
July 9, 1848, wife of John Coddington, of 
Bureau County; Julia S., January 27, 1852, 
wife of George W. McPherson, of Bureau 
County; Ann E., October 7, 1854; Ida M., 
June 9, 1858. Of the Baggs family there 
were seven children, four of whom are now 
living: Mrs. Hinsdale, Mrs. Abram Stratton, 
of Indiana; Mrs. Mary V. Avery, of Potta- 
wattomie County, Iowa; John T. Baggs, of 
Monona County, Iowa. Mrs. Baggs. mother 
of Mrs. Hinsdale, was married in this county 
to Abram Obrist, by whom she had four chil- 
dren: Milton Obrist, of Knox County, Neb.; 
Mrs. Ellen Hart, of Boone County, la. ; Mrs. 
Eliza Closson, of Minnesota; Mrs. Catherine 
S. Emery, of Boone County, Iowa. Mrs. 
Abram Obrist died near Dixon, 111. Her 
maiden name was Rebecca Thomas, a sister 
of Ezekiel Thomas. Mr. Hinsdale is the 
oldest of a family of four sons and six 
daughters. Of these he is the only son now 
living, though he has five sisters: Emily 
Hinsdale, of North Bernardston, Mass.; 
Mrs. Mary Ross, of Venango County, Penn.; 
Mrs. Martha Baker, of Venango County, 
Penn. ; Mrs. Julia Long, of Greenfield, 
Mass. ; Fanny Hinsdale, of North Bernards- 
ton, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. Hinsdale, soon 
after their marriage, united with the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church. Mr. Hinsdale was 
one of the first to Join the Wesleyan Meth- 
odist Church, which he helped to organize. 
He was one of the early Abolitionists. 

MARION HITE, Ohio, was born February 
28, 1837, in Marion, Marion Co., Ohio, and 
is the son of James and Ann Hite, formerly 
of Ohio, who came from Indiana to this 
county m 1855, previously moving to Indiana 
in 1837. The father was born in Ohio, Jan- 
uary 6, 1801, and died in this county Feb- 
ruary 24, 1856. The mother was born in 
Ohio, March 7, 1808, and died in Tazewell 
County, 111., September 7, 1860. The 
grandfather of the subject of this sketch on 
the mother's side, James Nichols, was a sol- 
dier in the Revolutionary war. Mr. Hite 
came to this county with his parents and 
resided in Berlin Township —with the excep- 
tion of three years that he was in Tazewell 



550 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



County— till 1862. October 25, 1861 he was 
married to Nancy A. Isaac, of Berlin Town- 
ship, where they resided till August 15, 1862, 
when Mr. Hite enlisted in Company B, 
Ninety-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, in 
which organization he remained till June 23, 
1865, when he was mustered out by reason 
of expiration of term of service. Mr. Hite, 
while in the Ninety-third Illinois, partici- 
pated in the following battles: Siege of 
Vicksburg, from May 19 to July 4, 1862; 
Missionary Ridge, November 25, 1863; Madi- 
son Station, Alabama, Dalton, Ga., Febru- 
ary 25, 1864. Was captured September 3, 
1864, and confined in Florence, S. C, prison 
till December 18, 1864, when he was paroled 
and rejoined his regiment at Alexandria, Va., 
in May. He returned home in July, 1865, 
and settled as a farmer in Lamoille Town- 
ship, where he remained three years, when 
he removed to Berlin Township, where Mrs. 
Hite died February 11, 1878. She was born 
August 9, 1843, and was the daughter of 
Elias and Mary Isaac, formerly of Indiana. 
The father was born in North Carolina, Feb- 
ruary 20, 1804, and the mother in Keniucky, 
March 3, 1805. Elias Isaac came to Put- 
nam Count}' in 1831 or 1832, and was en- 
gaged in the Black Hawk war. In 1879, 
January 19, Mr. Hite was married to Mrs. 
Olive Jones, born March 12, 1831, a daughter 
of Peter and Urana Ellis, who came to Put- 
nam County in 1830, and settled at or near 
the present site of Magnolia. The father 
was born in Pennsylvania, October 12, 1805, 
and died February 20, 1881, in Iowa. He 
took an active part in the Black Hawk war. 
The mother was born in New York, Septem- 
ber 20, 1808, aud died October 20, 1844, in 
this county. In 1849, December 3, Olive 
Ellis was man'ied to James Jones — the son 
of Abram and Mary Jones — who died July 
8, 1865. Of this marriage there was a family 
of three chilcU'en: Ora A. Jones, born Janu- 
ary 5, 1851, died June 16, 1879; Elmore E. 
Jones, November 15, 1S52, died October 8, 
1881 (killed on the railroad at Elko, Nev.): 
Mary O., April 26. 1860 (now Mrs. Ed. 
Norton, Dover, 111.). Mr. Hite has by his 
lirst wife a family of five children: Celia A., 
born November 27. 1861, died November 27, 
1862; MaryE., November 2, 1865; Schuyler 



C, September 25, 1868; Cedella, August 30, 
1873; Elias I., December 29, 1877. In 1879 
Mr. Hite came to Ohio Township, and settled 
on his present home. He owns 260 acres 
in Ohio Township, and eighty in Lamoille 
Township. In politics he is a Republican, 
aud is a member of the North Prairie Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church. Mr. Hite is the 
sixth child of a family of seven sons and six 
daughters. Six of these brothers (all the 
living ones) were in the late war, during a 
long term of service, and not one received a 
wound, and all lived to return. Mr. H. is 
also one of fourteen first cousins, bearing 
his name, who were in the late war, all going 
from this State. 

WILLIAM C. HOBLIT, Indiantown, was 
born August 31, 1819, in Clinton County, 
Ohio. His father, David Hoblit, was born 
December 8, 1787, near Philadelphia, Penn. 
When a boy he was taken to Kentucky by 
his widowed mother, and there was reared, 
and lived till he came to Ohio, where he 
farmed, and died in February, 1871. He was 
married twice; his first wife, Martha Wilson, 
was born April 1, 1792, in Ohio. She died 
October, 1839, in Missouri. Her father, Rev. 
Amos Wilson, was a native of Wales, and a 
pioneer of Clinton County, Ohio. She was 
the mother of eleven children, viz. : John, 
Amos, Catharine, Ann, William C, Benonia, 
Isaiah, Melinda, Elizabeth, David and Mar- 
tha. David Hoblit's second wife, Zelie Kel- 
ley, was the mother of Edward Hoblit. The 
grandfather of our subject, Michael Hoblit, 
was a native^of Germany. He came to Amer- 
ica in 1750, and settled near Pheladelphia, 
where he died. He was the father of nine 
children, and a potter by occupation. Our 
subject received only the rudiments of the 
three "R's" in a little log schoolhouse in 
Clinton County, Ohio. He was married, 
August 17, 1843, to Mary Bloom, who was 
born August 22, 1825, in Clinton County, 
Ohio. She is a daughter of Peter Bloom, 
with whom Mr. Hoblit came to Bureau 
County, III, in 1843. They bought 160 
acres of land in Section 12, near Tiskilwa,on 
eighty acres of which Mr. Hoblit yet resides. 
He has made farming his occupation, and 
tilled many township offices, among others 
that of Assessor for seven years, and High- 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



551 



way Commissioner and Pathmaster for thir- 
teen years. Mr. and Mrs. Hoblit are useful 
members of society, and active members of 
the Baptist Church. Politically he was for- 
merly a Whig, but is now a supporter of the 
Republican party. 

G. W. HOCKENBURY, Walnut, was born 
in Morris County, N. J., December 25, 1831. 
He is the son of Joseph and Anna (Schyler) 
Hockenbury. The father was of Dutch 
descent, but was born in New Jersey. The 
mother was a native of Massachusetts. Both 
died in Morris County, N. J. ; she when our 
subject was but eight years of age, and he 
October, 1880, at the age of eighty- four 
years. They were the parents of four sons 
and one daughter, of whom G. W. is the only 
one to come West, which he did in 1854-,when 
he came to Princeton. In boyhood Mr. 
Hockenbury had learned his trade of engi- 
neer, and after coming to Princeton was 
engaged at his trade as engineer, in the 
foundry of Miller & Chritzman, till about 
1858, when he became engineer at the City 
Mills, where he remained till coming to 
Walnut and engaging in his present busi- 
ness. (See sketch of W. J. Ott.) He was 
"married, in Bureau County, 111., May 17, 
1857, to Phebe Shugart, youngest daughter 
of Samuel Shugart. She died May 29, 1870, 
aged thirty-one years. November 28, 1873, 
he was married, in Princeton, to Elizabeth 
Swayne, who was born in Ohio, in Novem- 
ber, 1844, but came to Bureau County with 
her parents when about one year old. She 
is the mother of two sons, viz.: Freddie, born 
June 7, 1876; Raymond, born August 17, 
1880. In politics he is a life- long Democrat. 
He and wife are. members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church of Walnut. 

ANDREW HOFFMAN, Buieau. was born 
in Prussia, December 26, 1837. His father 
died in the old country, and in 1853 our sub- 
ject came to America with his mother, now a 
resident of Princeton. For one year they lived 
in New York City, then removed to Cleveland, 
Ohio, and a few months later to Chicago, 
where they remained one year, and then came 
to Bureau County. For several years Mr. 
Hoffman worked by the month, and afterward 
farmed on rented land. In 1867 he bought 
his present farm of eighty acres in Section 



26, Bureau Township, at $25 per acre. He 
was married in this county to Louisa Hurst, 
who was born in Prussia, December 15, 1842. 
She came to America in 1858, and settled in 
Princeton. Her father, Andrew Hurst, died 
in Iowa in 1869. Her mother died in the 
old country. Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman have 
seven children, viz.: Frank, born May 7, 
1863; Sophia, December 2, 1866; Anna, De- 
cember 6, 1868; John, October 16, 1871; 
Mary and Minnie (twins), June 12, 1874, 
and William, February 7, 1882. In politics 
Mr. Hoffman is identified with the Demo- 
cratic party, but is independent. He and his 
family are members of the Lutheran Church. 

GEORGE E. HOFFMAN, Clarion, was 
born September 24, 1851, in Sublette Town- 
ship, Lee Co., 111. He is a son of Henry 
and Margaret A. (Schmidt) Hoffman, natives 
of Hessen Darmstadt, Germany. Henry 
Hoffman came to America in 1845. He came 
direct to Sublette Township, Lee Co., 111., 
where he is now a wealthy farmer, owning 
875 acres of land in Lee County. He came 
to the United States with his parents, George 
and Catharine (Link) Hoffman, who reared a 
family of five children. The mother of our 
subject came to this country accompanied by 
her parents, John and Margaret (Theiss) 
Schmidt, in 1849. She is the mother of ten 
children, viz.: George E., Mary M., Hem-y 
W., Louisa E. (deceased), Philip J., F. 
William, Stephen J., Emma R. (deceased), 
Ezra G. and Julius A. Hoffman. Our sub 
ject was reared in his native county. He 
came to Clarion Township, Bureau County, 
in March, 1877, and here owns 190 acres of 
land, having made farming and stock-raising 
his occupation, and at present has a small 
herd of Short-horn cattle. Mr. Hoffman was 
married September 20, 1876, to Barbara A. 
Guither, a daughter of Henry and Barbara 
(Pope) Guither, who are natives of Germany. 
(See sketch.) Mrs. Hoffman was born July 
26, 1851, in Clarion Township. She is the 
mother of four children, viz.: Daniel H., 
Mary M. , Amanda M. and Laura A. Hoff- 
man. Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman are religiously 
connected with the German Evangelical 
Church. 

H. H. HOGEBOOJM, Fairfield, was born 
November 12, 1845, in Manchester, Vt. His 



552 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



grandparents were Jacob and Fannie (Whit- 
man) Hogeboom. The former was a native 
of Germany, and the latter of Londonderry, 
Vi, and of English extraction. Their son, 
Noah 3. Hogeboom, was born November 22, 
1816, in Bennington County, Vt. He was 
reared in his native State, and was married 
in Manchester September 4, 1842, to Sarah 
M. Esterbrook, born March 29, 1821, in New 
Hampshire. Her parents, Benjamin and 
Sybil Esterbrook, were married March 11, 
1804. Mrs. Sarah M. Hogeboom is the 
mother of four children, viz. : John M., born 
•June 28, 1843; Hiland H., November 12, 
1845; Elvira M. and Fannie A., deceased, 
aged respectively nineteen and twenty-one 
years. Noah J. Hogeboom came from Ver- 
mont to Bureau County, 111., in April, 1854, 
and settled in Fairtield Township. He rented 
nine years, and then bought land on Section 
3. He has now 290 acres of land. He has 
been School Director and Trustee, also filled 
the offices of Collector, Assessor and Super- 
visor. Politically he is a Republican, as is 
also his son, Hiland H. Hogeboom, who was 
reared here. The latter was married Novem- 
ber 21, 1878, in Dorset, Vt., to Ann Jenett 
Sykes, born June 29, 1849, in Dorset, Ben- 
nington Co., Vt., daughter of Norman and 
Maria (Bassett) Sykes. She is the mother of 
three children, viz. : Jennie M., Emma L. 
(deceased) and Edwin S. Hogeboom. 

J. T. HOLBROOK (deceased). This old 
and well-known pioneer was born March, 
1810, in Richmond, N. H. His parents were 
Enos and Elizabeth (Thompson) Holbrook. 
He was married in the East to Mary R. An- 
gier, a native of Fitzwilliam, N. H. Mr. 
Holbrook was a dealer in woodenware in the 
East, and came to Bureau County in July, 
1834, settling in Lamoille, with which place 
he has always been identified, and which he 
helped buihl up, being a merchant in the 
place till 1869. He filled many offices, es- 
pecially Justice of the Peace. He died in 
Lamoille May 10, 1877. Mrs. Mary R. Hol- 
brook is yet living, in Davenport, Iowa. She 
is the mother of the following children: Jo- 
sephine and Lorrin A. are deceased, aged 
thirteen and twenty-eight years, respectively; 
Mrs. Cleora "Woods, of Davenport, la.; My- 
ron A.; Erwin W., of Black Hawk County, 



Iowa, and Eugene P. (deceased), aged four 
years. Of the above children Myron A. Hol- 
brook was born May 29, 1845, in Lamoille, 
where he was reared and educated, and is now 
one of the wide-awake business men. He 
has followed the mercantile career all his 
life. He bought and sold stock for several 
years, and in 1875 opened a grocery store, 
which he has conducted successfully ever 
since, and is also engaged in manufacturing 
enterprises. He takes an interest in political 
and home affairs, supporting the Republican 
party. At present he is School Director and 
Clerk of the City Council. Mr. Holbrook 
was married here March 11, 1869, to Caroline 
Chaddock, a daughter of Richard and Eliz- 
abeth Chaddock. She was born January 9, 
1849, in Jefferson County, Ohio, and is the 
mother of three children, viz.: Nettie B. , 
born January 22, 1870; Dora J., June 19, 
1873, and Clyde A., November 28, 1879. 

LEWIS HOLMES, Macon. Among the 
early settlers of Macon Township who have 
done much toward the improvement of the 
county is the gentleman whose name heads 
this paragraph. He was born in Brooklyn, 
Windham Co., Conn., August 10, 1814. He 
is the son of Thomas and Jerusha (Whitte- 
more) Holmes, both natives of Connecticut, 
and it was in their native State that they 
lived and died. Our subject was the only 
child, and he was raised on the farm, but at 
the age of twenty one years began working 
in woolen factories. He continued in this 
business for about fifteen years, and had fit- 
ted himself so that he could do any part of the 
work in the manufacture of woolen goods. 
However, in 1848, he quit the manufacturing 
business and came to Bureau County, 111., 
and for one year was in the employ of Hon. 
Owen Lovejoy, but in 1849 \\s settled on his 
present farm in Black Walnut Grove in Sec- 
tion 18, and has since been a successful 
farmer. When first settling on his farm, 
there were no improvements, but he erected 
a log-cabin, and began cultivating the soil. 
His first crop of corn was made with a yoke 
of oxen and a fourteen-inch plow. Mr. 
Holmes came to this county with very limited 
means, but by hard work and judicious 
investments he has made an excellent stock 
farm of 600 acres in Macon Township. In 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



563 



his native State in 1838 Mr. Holmes was 
united in marriage to Hannah Lee, who was 
born in Massachusetts. She died in Bureau 
County December 8, 1858, and was the 
mother of seven children, five of whom yet 
survive: Mrs. Mary M. Eaton of Macon; 
William H., of Dakota; Galusha L., of 
Macon; Mrs Hannah M. Anderson of Buda; 
Ellen J. (deceased); Mrs. Emma L. Horton, 
of Macon, and Lewis Benjamin (deceased). 
September 25, 1860, he was married in 
Macon to Sarah Cook, a native of England. 
She is the mother of three sons, viz.: Lewis 
James, at home; Marshal D. (deceased), and 
Greorge W., at home. In early life Mr. 
Holmes was a Whig and Abolitionist, and 
now is an active Republican in political mat- 
ters, and has held some township office the 
greater portion of the time since the township 
was organized. He has always taken an 
interest in the prosperitv of the schools, and 
without intermission has served as a School 
Director since the first district was organized 
in the township in 1851 or 1852. 

JOSEPH C. HOPKINS, Clarion, was 
born March 10, 1842, in Blair County, Penn. 
His father, James J. Hopkins, was born 
February 24, 1815, in Marietta, Penn. He 
was married April 2, 1840, to Jane Cook, 
who was born October 11, 1818, near Har- 
per's Ferry, Va. Her parents were John and 
Jane (Armstrong) Cook, natives of Ireland 
but of Scotch descent. Mrs. Hopkins is 
the mother of the following children: Jo- 
seph C, Lorenzo D. , James K., Mrs. Irene 
Morgan, Mrs. Alice A. Davis, Mrs. Jennie 
T. Shirk and William D. Hopkins. James 
J. Hopkins removed from Pennsylvania to 
Ohio, where he lived six years. In June, 
1853, he came to this county, where he 
farmed till the last few years, when he re- 
moved to Lamoille, and retired from active 
life. Joseph C. Hopkins came here with his 
father. He enlisted in the 100 days' service 
in out late war in Company G, of the One 
Hunflred and Thirty-ninth Regiment Illinois 
Volunteer Infantry. He was joined in mar- 
riage June 30, 1869, to Lydia A. Babson, who 
was born here July 12, 1845. She is the 
mother of five children, viz. : E. Maud, born 
March 18, 1870; J. Dow, June 13, 1874; 
Charles B., June 16, 1876; Jennie P., June 



2, 1878; and Bessie G., October 7, 1882. 
Mr. Hopkins is a Republican, and an A. F, 
& A. M. Mrs. Hopkins is a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. She is a 
daughter of Theodore and Betsey (Emery) 
Babson. The latter was born November 26, 
1804, in Biddeford, Me. She died here 
May 27, 1874. Her father. Haven Emery, 
was a sea captain. Theodore Babson was 
born December 3, 1804. He is yet living 
here, well known and liked by all. He 
came here in October, 1839, and entered 240 
acres of land in Clarion Township. He was 
formerly a baker in Boston. His parents were 
Theodore and Elizabeth (Atkinson) Babson. 
He was a sea captain born in Essex County, 
Mass.; she in Virginia. Both died in Massa- 
chusetts. 

J. K. HOPKINS, Lamoille, was born 
August 9, 1846, in Tyrone, Penn. His 
parents are James J. and Jane (Cook) Hop- 
kins (see preceding sketch). Our subject 
was educated principally in this State. Here 
he farmed till the call for " more troops to 
defend the stars and stripes'' was made. He 
then enlisted, although but seventeen years 
old, in the Fifty-second Regiment, Company 
B, of the Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and 
served two years and five months. He par- 
ticipated in many engagements, and was also 
with Gen. Sherman in his famous march to 
the sea. After returning home Mr. Hopkins 
crossed the plains, and in Nevada became a 
railroad man, which occupation he followed 
for sixteen years in the capacity of conductor, 
rendering valuable service and being very 
fortunate while on the road. In August, 
1883, he returned to Lamoille, where he 
now resides. He was married in Chicago, 
February 19, 1879, to Miss Frances Martin, 
who was horn here June 11, 1852. She is a 
daughter of our old pioneers, William and 
Jane (Moore) Martin, deceased. Politically 
Mr. Hopkins is identified with the Demo- 
cratic party. He is a member of the Blue 
Lodge, Royal Arch and Knight Templars 
fraternities, A. F. & A. M., and also a mem- 
ber of the Order of Railroad Conductors of 
the United States. 

JOHN HOPLER, Selby, was born in 
Baden, Germany, March 10, 1820, a son of 
Louis and Barbara Hopler. In 1837 he went 



S54 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



to Bavaria, where he learned and followed 
the trade of carpenter until 1848, when he 
came to America, and arrived in Bureau 
County, 111., June 28, 1848, and since then 
has made Selby Township his home. For 
about three years he farmed on rented land, 
and also worked at his trade. He then bought 
eighty acres of his present farm and began 
its improvement, moving to his present place 
in May, 1854. Although he had but little 
when he first came here, he now owns 404 
acres of well-improved land, also three lots 
in DePue. His property has all been made 
through his own industry and perseverance. 
In politics he is a Democrat, and has held 
various township offices for several years. 
He has been a member of the Lutheran 
Church all his life, and a liberal contributor 
toward its support. He was first married to 
Barbara Wood, a native of Bavaria; she died 
June 28, 1860, at the age of thirty-three 
years and six months. Mr. Hopler was mar- 
ried October 21, 1862, to Ann Shafer, who 
was born in Bavaria, Germany, December 26, 
1837. She came to this county in 1857 with 
her parents, Chris and Ann Shafer. The 
father died here, but the mother is still liv- 
ing. Mr. Hopler has four children by his 
first wife and six by the second, viz. : George, 
born October 21, 1846, married to Philipina 
Warner (he is now Supervisor of Selby Town 
ship); Elizabeth, born October 25, 1852, mar- 
ried to Christian Shafer; Emma, born Au- 
gust 5, 1854, married to Emil Husser; Lena, 
born March 5, 1857, married to Henry May; 
Louis, born May 19, 1863; Charles, born 
December 22, 1865; John, born, October 21, 
1868; Philipina, born April 28, 1870; Ann, 
born January 10, 1873; Otto, born December 
21, 1878. All are living in Bureau County. 
MARTIN HOPPS, deceased, was born 
September 17, 1813, in St. Davids, Charlotte's 
Co., New Brunswick, where he was reared 
and learned the car]3enter's trade. He was a 
son of John and Martha (Bradford) Hopps. 
The former was of German descent and the 
latter of English, and was a descendant of 
old Gov. Bradford, of Massachusetts. Mar- 
tin Hopps came West about 1836, and for 
a period of three years followed his trade in 
and about Princeton, 111. He then spent one 
winter in his old home in the East, after 



which he returned and followed his trade till 
he bought eighty acres of land of G. Clem- 
ent. He proved himself a successful farmer, 
stockman and thorough business man, and 
added to his farm from time to time till at 
his death he owned 420 acres of land. He 
was in every way a self-made man, and an 
active member of the Baptist Church. His 
demise occurred February 5, 1877. Martin 
Hopps was married twice; his first wife. Mrs. 
Hannah M.Kendall {nee Little), died May 21, 
1868. She was the mother of the following 
children: E. W. Kendall, now a resident of 
Iowa; Herman K. Hopps, who was drowned 
while a theological student at Newport, R. I.; 
A. D. Hopps, a farmer, of Panola, HI., and 
Irwin W. Hopps, who farms the homestead. 
Martin Hopps was married a second time Sep- 
tember 30, 1869. to Mrs. Jemima Boyle {nee 
Mclntyre), who was a daughter of Daniel and 
Margaret (Duncan) Mclntyre, the former a 
native of the Highlands. Mrs. Jemima Hopps 
was born July 5, 1831, in Dairy, Ayrshire, 
Scotland, and came to America in 1857. She 
was the mother of five children. Of these, 
only Mrs. Margaret D. (Boyle) Hopps is now 
living. She was boi-n September 2, 1859, 
and was married October 7, 1878, to Irwin 
W. Hopps, who was born March 4, 1854. 
Two children blessed this union, viz. : Carrie 
L., born November 14, 1880, and Grace G., 
born February 8, 1883. 

ALLEN HORTON, Macon, was born in 
Bedford County, Penn., December 31, 1819. 
He is the son of Septimus and Wealthy (Fos- 
ter) Horton. They were both born and 
reared in Bedford County, Penn., but in 1822 
they moved to Highland County, Ohio, and 
there lived till his death in 1831. In later 
•years the mother moved to Indiana, but in 
1874 or 1875 came to her son, our subject, and 
died here in March, 1882. She was the mother 
of seven children, viz.: David F., Allen, 
Mary, Levi, Alfred,. Cary T. and Foster S. 
All lived to reach maturity, and all except 
Mary and Alfred yet survive. The early life 
of our subject was spent on the farm in Ohio, 
but at the age of nineteen he returned to his 
native State and there learned his trade of 
carpenter. He worked at his trade in Penn- 
sylvania till 1842, when he walked across the 
mountains from Bedford County, Penn., to 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



555 



Licking County, Ohio, carrying a load of 
twenty-five poxmds. December 22. 184:2, he 
was married in Ohio to Margaret Zink, a sis- 
ter of John Zink (see sketch). In the spring 
of 1844 he started on foot in company with 
others to Illinois, and came to Bureau Coun- 
ty, but soon afterward to Fulton County, 
where his wife joined him in the fall of 
1844. They remained in Fulton County till 
the spring of 1847, when they removed to 
Bureau County, and this has been their home 
since, and since 1848 Mr. Horton has been 
engaged in farming. Mr. and Mrs. Horton 
have reared a family of eight children, viz. : 
Catherine W., Mai-y E., Septimus I., Sam- 
uel, Harvey, Alice K., Addie and Lola. Only 
three of the family are now living, viz. : Sep- 
timus, of Buda; Alice, wife of William A. 
Crisman; and Addie. Harvey Horton was 
killed at Nevada, Vernon Co., Mo., by the 
falling in of an embankment while he was at 
work building a bridge. Mr. and Mrs. Hor- 
ton are members of the Baptist Church of 
Buda. In politics he is a stanch Repub- 
lican, and takes an active part in local pol- 
itics. He was the first Supervisor of Macon 
Township, and gave it the name it is now 
known by. 

W. F. HORTON, Princeton. Many years 
ago three brothers. Englishmen by birth, left 
the town of Horton in England, where their 
ancestors had flourished for many years, and 
immigrated to the Massachusetts Colony in 
America, as the Pilgrim Fathers had done in 
1620. William Horton, who was the grand- 
father of W. F. Horton, was a descendant of 
one of the three brothers mentioned above. 
His son Ferdinand was married to Maria B. 
Read, a native of Rhode Island. The result 
of this union was W. F. Horton, whose name 
heads this sketch. He was born July 5, 
1837, in Pawtucket, R. I., and educated in 
Meriden, N. H. He came to Providence, 
Bureau Co., 111., with his parents in 1854. 
Here he was engaged as a farmer and stock 
man, but the last ten years has been a grain 
merchant in Lombard and Bradford, Stark 
Co., 111. He was joined in matrimony No- 
vember 9, 1865, in Princeton, III, to Miss 
Mary Moseley, who was born September 25, 
1845, in Princeton. This union has been 
blessed with the following children; Mary 



M., born August 26, 1866; Kate M., born 
October 1, 1868; Fannie R., born July 22, 
1870; Anna C, born August 2, 1872; Juliet 
G. , born May 1 1, 1876; and Ferdinand, born 
March 4, 1879. Mrs. Mary Horton is a 
daughter of Roland P. and Juliet (Radcliffe) 
Moseley. Roland P. Moseley is well known 
as one of the pioneers of Bureau County. He 
was born in Massachusetts, August 30, 1815, 
and died here April 29, 1850. Mrs. Juliet 
(Radcliffe) Moseley was born June 29, 1822, 
in Wilmington, Clinton Co., Ohio. She is 
yet a bright, wide-awake woman, and resides 
with her daughters Mary S. Horton and Ach- 
sah M. Paddock, of Princeton. Her oldest 
child, George R. Moseley, resides in Iowa. 
The parents of Mrs. Moseley are Daniel and 
Rachel (McManis) Radcliffe. The genealogy 
of the Radcliffe family is given in Mr. George 
M. Radcliffe's sketch. The genealogy of the 
McManis family is as follows: They origi- 
nated in Scotland, as the name indicates, and 
left that country on account of religious per- 
secutions, and fled to the northern part of 
Ireland, where many leading families by that 
name reside. One of these families immigrat- 
ed to the United States, landing in Philadel- 
phia, where a sou was born two hours later. 
This son was afterward known as Judge 
George McManis. He was well known as 
one of the bravest men on the frontiers of 
Kentucky, to which State he had immigrated 
when quite young. There he gained celebri- 
ty by meting out justice to the dusky foe, 
who often made raids into the Blue-grass re- 
gion of his once favorite hunting-grounds, 
and many are the encounters which he had 
with them on the "dark and bloody grounds " 
of Kentucky, after pursuing the Indians 
across the Ohio and re-capturing white pris- 
oners and stolen property. He afterward 
crossed the Ohio himself in search of free- 
dom, which he loved better than life itself. 
This was in 1808, when Kentucky allowed 
slavery. In Ohio he was elected Judge, and 
served for many years. Judge McManis 
married Mary Stewart, a very intelligent 
lady, a native of Virginia. She died in Bu- 
reau County. Her husband died in Ohio. 
Mrs. Mary (Stewart) McManis was the mother 
of eight children, viz. : Mrs. Margaret Sabin, 
airs. Elizabeth Hibben, Mrs. Mary Cole, Mrs. 



556 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



Rachel Radcliife, John, George (who is yet 
living in Holton, Kan.), Mrs. Phebe Trimble, 
a resident of Princeton, and Mrs. Martha 
Hibben. 

JACOB W. HUFFMAN, Ohio, was born 
in Tuscarawas County. Ohio, January 18, 
1838, and is the son of Isaac and Fannie 
Huffman. The father was born in Pennsyl- 
vania, in 1812, and died in Ohio, in 1852. 
The mother was born in Westmoreland Coun- 
ty, Pa., in 1814, and is still living in this 
county. Jacob W. Huffman came to this 
county in 1855, where he remained till Au- 
gust 15. 1862, when he enlisted in Company 
B, Ninety-third Illinois Infantry, in which 
company he served till June 23, 1865, during 
which service he participated in the follow- 
ing battles, viz.: Vicksburg, campaign from 
April 25 to July 4. 1863; Champion Hills, 
May 16, 1863; Mission Ridge, November 25, 
1863; Dalton, Ga., February 25, 1864; Alla- 
toona, Ga., October 5, 1864, and the cam- 
paign against Hood, around Nashville — hav- 
ing left his command at AUatoona previous 
to the "march to the sea" — and rejoined his 
company at Goldsborough, N. C. On April 
27, 1865, Private Huffman was promoted for 
good conduct in the above-named battles. 
September 28, 1865, Mr. Huffman married 
Eliza Jay, who was born November 19, 1845, 
in Clinton County, Ohio, and is the daugh- 
ter of George and Polly Jay, who came from 
Ohio to this county in 1851. The father 
was born August 7, 1804, in Pennsylvania, 
and died in Berlin Township, this county, 
December 26. 1875. The mother was born 
January 30, 1811, in Greene County, Ohio, 
and is still living on the homestead in Berlin 
Township. Mr. Jay had two wives; his first 
wife was Elizabeth Burnsides, by whom he 
raised a family of six children; Andi'ew J. 
Jay, lives in Berlin Township; John F. Jay, 
died in 1852; Barton, lives in Cedar Rapids, 
Iowa; Daniel M., lives in Texas; William 
M. , lives at Princeton, 111.; and Sarah, now 
Mrs. Amos Julien, Iowa. Mr. Jay's second 
wife was Polly Bailiff, the mother of four 
children, as follows: Susan, now Mrs. John 
Harris, Mendota, 111.; Joshua B., killed by 
accidental discharge of gun in Arkansas, No- 
vember, 1870; Margaret, now Mrs. John Ju- 
lien, Arlington, 111., and Eliza, wife of sub- 



ject of this sketch. The grandfather, Josh- 
ua Bailiff, was born in Virginia. The grand- 
mother, Margaret Bailiff, was born in America 
in 1777,but is of German parentage. Mr. Huff- 
man's grandfather on his mother's side, Jacob 
Weible, was born in Holland,but died in this 
State, in 1847. His grandmother, Nancy 
Weible, was born in Pennsylvania, in 1790, 
and is still living in Delphos, Ohio. John 
Jay, the father of George Jay, was a soldier 
in the war of 1812, enlisting in Pennsylva- 
nia. Mr. and Mrs. Huffman are the parents 
of eleven children. All but one are living, 
viz.: Frank L., was born March 21,1866; Amy 
and Allie were born February 18, 1867 (Amy 
died October 28, 1867); George E., was born 
June 5, 1868; Ardilla, born April 7, 1870; 
Isaac D. , born September 4, 1871; Celia E., 
born January 4, 1873; Harry, born August 
7, 1875; Charles E. , born December 3, 1877; 
Leroy, born May 3, 1880; Edna D., born 
April 23, 1883. In politics Mr. H. is Repub- 
lican. 

O. H. HUNTLEY, M. D., Buda, was born 
in Alstead, N. H., July 4, 1834. He is the 
son of Amos and Betsey (Baker) Huntley. 
The parents both lived and died in New 
Hampshire. They were the parents of three 
sons and three daughters, only two now 
surviving: Our subject 'and Mrs. Abbie D. 
Hubbard, wife of George C. Hubbard, of Gil- 
sum, N. H. One son, Isaac W., was a min- 
ister; he died in Manchester, N. H. The 
other son, Osman L. (deceased), was a physi- 
cian in Fitchburg, Mass. Dr. O. H. Huntley's 
early life was spent in attending school and 
in teaching, his education being received 
at the academy of Marlow, N. H., the high 
school of Keene and at Middleton College. 
His first teaching was in West Virginia, but 
he has taught since that time in New Hamp- 
shire, Massachusetts. Illinois and California. 
He first read medicine with Dr. George B. 
Twitchell, of Keene, N. H., and attended 
lectures at Woodstock, Vt., the Tremont 
Medical College, of Boston, and graduated 
from the Jefferson Medical College, of Phila- 
delphia, in the class of 1857. In 1869 he 
also attended a course of lectures in New 
York City, and since his locating at Buda 
has attended lectures for some months in 
Chicago, Philadelphia and New York City. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



557 



In the spring of 1857 Dr. Huntley located at 
Pecatonica, Winnebago Co., III., where he 
practiced medicine till in September, 1801, 
when he entered the service as Captain and 
Surgeon of an independent company of cav 
airy, which company was afterward attached 
to the First Illinois Cavalry. After return- 
ing from the service the Doctor spent one 
year in Nevada, four years in California, 
teaching school, practicing medicine, etc. 
September 26, 1870, he located at Buda, 
where he has since given his attention to his 
profession, and has built up an extensive 
practice, and is Assistant Surgeon for the 
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. He 
is a member of the Masonic and I. O. O. F. 
Lodges of Buda, and also the G. A.. R. Post. 
He is identified with the Republican party. 
In February, 1878, he was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Laura A. Swope, a daughter of 
John W. and Margaret (Templeton) Swope. 
The father was born in Huntingdon County, 
Penn., May 1-t, 1814; and the mother in 
Cumberland County, Penn., January 30, 
1817. They came to this county in 1856, 
and now reside in Macon Township. They 
are the parents of six children, only three of 
whom are now living, viz: James, Mrs. Hunt- 
ley and Edmund J. The Huntley family in 
the United States trace their origin back to 
Huntley Abbey in the North of England. 
\\'illiam Huntley, the grandfather of Dr. O. 
H., settled on the Mohawk River in New 
York at an early date, and from there his 
family scattered, only one son, Amos, going 
to the New England States, the others going 
West. The Baker family is also of English 
descent. Our subject's grandfather, Isaac 
Baker was a physician at Marlow, N. H. , and 
his family all remained in the East. One 
son, O. C Baker, was a Bishop in the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church and resided at Con- 
cord, N. H. 

JOHN IGOU, Lamoille, was born February 
16, 1834, in Huntingdon County, Penn. His 
parents, John and Martha (Glass) Igou, were 
natives of Tennessee, where they died. Our 
subject was reared and educated in his native 
State, where he also learned and then fol- 
lowed the carpenter's trade one year. In 
April, 1855, he came to Clarion Township, 
Bureau Co., 111., where he followed his trade 



one year, and then went to Minnesota and 
Wisconsin. After a sojourn of two years he 
returned to Bureau County, 111., where he 
followed his trade till September, 1801, when 
he obeyed the call of his country to protect 
the stars and stripes, and enlisted in the 
Fifty-second Regiment, Company B, of the 
Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and in this well- 
known regiment served through the war. 
He participated in the battles of Pittsburg 
Landing, Corinth, Town Creek, Alabama, the 
Atlanta Campaign, and when with Gen. Sher- 
man on his famous march to the sea was 
taken prisoner and paroled at Richmond. 
Since the war Mr. Igou has been a wagon- 
maker in Lamoille, 111., where he also sells 
agricultm-al implements and keeps the news 
depot and library. Mr. Igou was married 
February 16, 1858, to Matilda J. Meredith, 
born November 13, 1837, in Blair C ounty 
Penn. She is a daughter of William and 
Jane (McFarland) Meredith, and is the 
mother of Mrs. lona L. Rambo, Mrs. Elfrida 
Roth (both are now residents of Iowa), Ora 
Logan and William M. Igou, now living, and 
Jessie Bell Igou, deceased, aged twelve years. 
Mr. Igou is identified with the Republican 
party. He is also a member of the G. A. R. 
and A. F. & A. M. fraternity. 

H. W. IMMKE, Princeton, was born in 
the province of Hesse, Germany, March 9, 
1839, and is the son of John and Christina 
(Apel) Immke. The father died in 1848; 
the mother now resides in the province of 
Hanover, Germany. In 1855 Mr. H. W. 
Immke came to the United States and settled 
near Peru, 111., where he was engaged in 
farming for about eight years. In 1863 he 
went to Chicago, and began learning pho- 
tography. He remained in Chicago till 
1866, when he came to Princeton, and for 
five months and a half was in partnership 
with William H. Masters, now of Kansas. 
After dissolving partnership with Mr. Mas- 
ters, Mr. Immke opened a gallery in the 
Stoner Block, North Princeton, but the build- 
ing was soon afterward burned and Mr. 
Immke put up a temporary building where 
he remained for three years, and then built 
his present gallery, which is a two-story 
brick building 23 feet 8 inches by 85 feet. He 
has also invested in lands in Kansas and 



558 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



towu lots in Kansas City, Mo. Mr. Imrake ! 
has made a fiaancial success of his profession, ' 
as well as an enviable reputation as an artist. 
He was married in Peru, 111., to Miss Mary 
R. Steinbrook, a native of Ohio, but of Ger- 
man descent. She is the mother of four 
children, viz.: William, Mianetta, Pansy and 
Leroy. 

JAMES INGHAM, Neponset, was born 
January 11, 1835, in Castle Hill, near Stock- 
port, Cheshire, England. His father, John Ing- 
ham, was born in the same place November 2, 
1808; he died September 17, 1854, in Scott 
County, 111., to which he came in the spring 
of the same year. He was a hatter by occu- 
pation. The grandfather of our subject, 
John Ingham, Sr. , was a blacksmith by oc 
cupation; he was the first tenant of the house 
where our subject was born, which is yet in 
the possession of the Ingham family. Our 
subject's mother, Ellen (Frost) Ingham, a 
daughter of James Frost, was born April 1. 
1804, in Grindlow, England. She died here 
March 18, 1883. Our subject was educated 
in his native country, and in Medina Coun- 
ty, Ohio, to which he came with his parents 
in 1847. There he worked on a farm till the 
fall of 1854, when he came to Neponset 
Township, Bureau Co., 111., and bought 
eighty acres of land on Section 30, of which 
section he now owns one-half and also twenty 
acres in Henry County. His farm is called 
" Castle Hill farm," in commemoration of 
his former home. Mr. Ingham visited En- 
gland in 1868, returning the same year. 
While there he met his future wife. Miss 
Julia A. Ingham, whom he subsequently met 
by appointment in 1869, in New York City. 
It was the same old, yet ever new, story and 
they were married in New York, February 
7, 1869. Mrs. Julia A. Ingham is a daughter 
of Thomas and Jane (Foulds) Ingham. She 
was born April 6, 1842, in Castle Hill, En 
gland. She is a member of the Episcojjal 
Church and is the mother of six children, 
viz. : Kate, who was born June 13, 1870; 
John, June 3, 1872; Thomas and William, 
are deceased; James Henry, was born Sep- 
tember 28, 1877, and Ellis F., November 11, 
1880. Our subject owes his success in life 
to industry and perseverance. He has been 
a school officer for six years, and at present 



is School Director. Politically he is a Re- 
publican. 

DANIEL lODER, Arispe, was born De- 
cember 1, 1838, in this county. His father, 
Joseph loder, was born 1805, in Bavaria. 
He died, 1857, in Bureau County, to which he 
came in 1837. At first he rented land and 
then bought forty acres, to which he added 
from time to time till at the time of his 
death he owned 370 acres, the result of his 
industry. He was killed by the cars on a 
railroad crossing near Tiskilwa, 111. The 
mother of our subject, Barbara Albrecht, was 
a daughter of Christian Albrecht. She was 
born 1804 and died in 1878. The family 
name was spelled Yoder in the old country. 
Daniel loder has been a successful farmer; 
he owned forty acres when he started out in 
life, and now has a farm of 470 acres. He 
was married in Tazewell County, 111., to Lena 
Burkey, a daughter of Valentine Bui'key. 
She is the mother of three children, viz. : 
Joseph William, Eddie D. , and Benjamin. 
Mr. loder's family is religiously connected 
with the Mennonite Church. Politically he 
is identified with the Democratic party. He 
has taken an interest in educational matters, 
and has been School Trustee. 

WILLIAM lODER, Arispe, was born 
June 11, 1848, in this county. He is a son 
of Joseph and Barbara (Albrecht) loder. 
Both were natives of Bavaria, and both died 
here. They were among the early settlers of 
this township, and were the parents of the 
following children: Jacob, John (deceased), 
Mrs. Catharine Schertz (deceased), Daniel, 
Caroline (who was drowned), Joseph (also 
deceased), Mrs. Louisa Schertz and William 
loder, our subject. The latter received a 
common school education in this county, 
where he has devoted all his attention to 
farming and stock-raising. Has now some 
fine blooded horses. He started in life with 
160 acres of land, but through industry and 
perseverance he is now the possessor of 587 
acres of land. Mr. loder was married here, 
March 4, 1873, to Fannie Stauffer, who was 
born March 4, 1849, in Alsace. She is a 
daughter of Josejph and Anna (Schantz) 
Stauffer, who were natives of the same place. 
Mrs. loder is the mother of six children, viz. : 
Elmer J., Julius E., William O., Laura L., 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



559 



Mary E. and Fannie M. Mr. and Mrs. loder 
are members of the Mennonite Church. 
Politically, Mr. loder is a Democrat. He 
has filled several minor offices. Financially, 
Mr. loder has been a very successful man. 

WILLIAM L. ISAAC, Maiden, was born 
in Bureau County. 111., July 7, 1834, the 
son of Elias and Mary (Black) Isaac. His 
father was born near Raleigh, N. C, January 
20, 1804. His parents were poor people, of 
Scotch and Welsh descent. He was early 
left an orphan, and had to make his own way 
in life. While yet a young man he worked 
his way from his native State to Kentucky, 
and learned the tanner's trade He after 
ward went to Salem, Ind., and was there 
married. His wife was born in Greenup 
County, Ky., in 1805. Some time before 
1830 he removed to Paris, 111., following his 
trade until 1831, when he went to Putnam 
County, some distance from Hennepin, and 
there established a tanyard. He continued 
in the business until 1833, when he came 
across the river into Bureau County, and 
located a claim in Selby Township, which is 
now known as the Seaton farm. About two 
years later he settled on Section 5, Berlin 
Township, where he and his wife still reside. 
Since coming to this county he has given his 
attention to farming. Mr. and Mrs. Isaac 
are the parents of ten children, seven of 
whom are still living, but all reached matu- 
rity: Allen B. (lives near Humboldt, Kan.), 
Ardilla (wife of Aaron Stevenson, of La- 
moille), Mahala J. (widow of John Winans, 
of Carson, Iowa), William L. (of Maiden), 
Milton A. (died while acting Surgeon in the 
Fifty-seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry), 
Martin V. (a school-teacher, died in this 
county), Mary (widow of John Cass, of La- 
moille), Nancy (^deceased, was wife of Marion 
Hite), James W. (lives near York, Neb.), 
William L. Isaac was reared and received his 
education in this county. He first started in 
life as a farmer, and that has been his occu- 
pation most of the time. His farm lies in 
Sections 8 and 9. In 1882 he removed from 
the farm to Maiden, and has since been 
engaged in the grain business in connection 
with his farming. Mr. Isaac's first vote was 
for John C. Fremont, but in later years he 
has been strictly independent. He is a mem- 



ber of I. O. G. T. Lodge of Maiden. Decem- 
ber 25, 1856, he was married to Lucretia J. 
Winans. She was born in Canada April 1, 
1836, a daughter of John and Mary Winans, 
who removed from New York State to Canada. 
Mr. and Mrs. Isaac have three children, viz. : 
Roena, Bertha and Leoan. 

ROSWELL D. JACOB, Selby, was born 
in Mifflin County, Penn., October 19, 1822, 
a son of Joseph and Rachel (Mc Vey) Jacob, 
both natives of Pennsylvania. They died 
when their son Roswell was an infant, leav- 
ing two daughters besides, both of whom are 
now dead. Mr. Jacob spent his early life in 
a store, but after reaching maturity he 
engaged in farming in his native county, on 
a farm which his father had owned. He 
came to Bureau County, in 1855, and settled 
on his present farm, where he has since 
resided, in 1856. He now owns 170 acres of 
well-improved land in Selby Township Feb- 
ruary 14, 1860, he was united in marriage to 
Martha M. Laughlin, who was born in Mif- 
flin County, Penn., October 5, 1840. Her 
parents, John and Rebecca (Glasco) Laugh- 
lin, came to this county in the fall of 1855, 
and both died in Berlin Township. Mr. and 
Mrs. Jacob have three children, viz. : Robert 
N., born February 3, 1861; Samuel L., born 
April 6, 1863, Rebecca B., born December 
21, 1866. Mr. Jacob is a Democrat in poli- 
tics. He and his wife are members of the 
Presbyterian Church of Maiden. He has 
belonged to the church since 1837, and his 
wife for most of her life. 

JOHN JACOBSON, Bureau Junction. 
The gentleman whose name heads this sketch 
was born in Denmark, September 9, 1832. 
He is the son of Jacob and Anna (Wilson) 
Hanson. The father, whose occupation was 
that of a farmer, died in about 1852, aged 
sixty years, but his wife survived him till 
1880, and died at the age of eighty- four years. 
Our subject was educated in the free schools 
of his native land till he was fourteen years 
of age, and then was put to work. In 1854 
he came to America, and in order to learn 
more thoroughly the English language, he 
attended school at Peoria, 111., for some time, 
but his'home has been Bureau County since 
first coming to America in 1854. For two 
years he was engaged at farm work, and then 



560 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



for two years worked in the Sheffield eat- 
ing-house. In 1858 Johnson & Nash 
built the Bureau House at Bureau Junction, 
a house which contains thirty-eight rooms, 
but shortly after it was built it fell into the 
hands of the Rock Island Railroad Company, 
but the same year, 1858, Mr. Jacobson, in 
partnership with a Mr. Ramsey, took charge 
of the house, and continued together till 
1880, since which time Mr. Jacobson has had 
entire charge, and has proven himself to be 
one of the most successful hotel men on the 
line. He was married in March, 1874, at 
Sheffield, to Miss Minerva Kemp, who was 
born in this county. Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson 
have one child, viz.: Lillian May, born Sep- 
tember 17, 1881. 

S. J. JOBLING, Indiantown, farmer and 
mining inspector of Bureau County, was 
born February 21, 1829, in Newcastle-upon- 
Tyne, England. His father, Lancelot Job- 
ling, was an underviewer of mines by occu- 
pation, and died there. The grandfather of 
our subject, William Jobling, was a master 
shifter of mines in England. Mr. Jobling's 
mother, Margaret (Fryar) Jobling, was the 
mother of twelve children; of these our sub- 
ject is the only one now living in the United 
States. At seven years old he commenced to 
work in the mines; when he was ten years 
old he studied one year, and then commenced 
to study for a civil mining engineer. He 
mined with his father till 1851, when he 
came to New York. He sank mines one year 
in Schuylkill County, Penn., and then went 
to Richmond, Va. , where he was a gas boss 
for two years; after this he worked in the 
mines at Hartford City, W. Va., till he came 
to St. Louis, Mo. In the summer of 1862 
he enlisted in Company C, of the Eightieth 
Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. 
He served first as Sergeant, but at the close 
of the war received a commission as Lieu- 
tenant. He participated in the battles of 
Terryville, Murphreysboro, Mission Ridge, 
Franklin, Nashville, etc. He was in sixteen 
engagements, and was wounded at Dalton. 
After the war he mined. In 1867 he came to 
Bureau County, and here mined till within 
the last two years, when he was appointed 
mining inspector. Mr. Jobling is married 
to Mary E. Simpson, a native of Ohio. She 



is the mother of Ruby F. Jobling. Mr. 
Jobling has a daughter by a former marriage 
— Mrs. Margaret Smith, living in England. 
He is a Republican and an A. F. & A. M. 

HIRAM JOHNSON, Clarion, was born 
September 3, 1802, in Hardwick, Mass. He 
is a son of Cyrus and Celia (Howard) John- 
son, who were both natives of Massachusetts, 
where they died. They were the parents of 
seven boys, viz. : Cyrus N. and Alanson, are 
deceased; Hiram, our subject; Gardner, who 
died in New Orleans; Howard, of Mendota; 
Ranslure, of Barre, Mass. ; Theodore, of Wor- 
cester, Mass. The Johnson family is of 
English extraction. Our subject learned the 
mason's trade in Boston. In Amherst, Mass., 
he built the north wing of the famous col- 
lege, the President's house, and the great 
brick "Thair" Block in the city. After a 
residence of ten years in Amherst, he re- 
moved, in the fall of 1836, to Bureau County, 
111., where he bought a large claim of Joseph 
Fassett, in Lamoille Township. Previous to 
this he had roamed over the country, and 
entered large tracts of land in Henry and 
Stark Counties in partnership with Col. 
Cyrus Kingman, whom he afterward bought 
out. After the land sales of Dixon and 
Galena, he found himself the owner of sev- 
eral thousand acres of land, which he sold 
from time to time. On account of the bank- 
ing trouble which existed at that time under 
the Democratic rule, Mr. Johnson's venture 
did not prove as successful as his enterprising 
spirit deserved. He yet owns 160 acres of 
land in this county. Our subject was mar- 
ried twice. His first wife, Mary Northam, 
died in Massachusetts. She was the mother 
of Hiram N. Johnson, who was accidentally 
shot in Massachusetts, aged seventeen years. 
He was married here a second time to Sarah 
Little, a native of Vermont. She died here 
in December, 1878, aged seventy two years. 
She was the mother of Mrs. Sarah M. Smith 
and Mrs. Laura V. Porter. Mr. Johnson is 
one of our oldest settlers. He is a member 
of the Baptist Church, and politically a Re- 
publican. His son-in-law, Capt. Dewitt C. 
Smith, was born May 28, 1839, in Putnam 
County, 111. He is a son of Alonzo and Re- 
becca (Sheldon) Smith, who are old settlers. 
Mi% Smith enlisted September 17, 1861, in 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



561 



the Fifty-seoond Regiment Illinois Volun- 
teer Infantry, Company B, as a private, but 
was appointed First Sergeant, and afterward 
promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant, 
and afterward Captain of his company. He 
fought through the whole war, and partici- 
pated in the battles of Pittsburg Landing, 
Fort Donaldson, battle and siege of Corinth, 
luca and Atlanta campaign. He was with 
Gen. Sherman in his famous "march to the 
sea,'" and closed with the grand review at 
Washington, i). C. The military career of 
Capt. Smith was a brilliant one. He was 
wounded at Shiloh and receives a pension, 
and before leaving the service received, as a 
special distinction, a Major's commission. 
Since the war Capt. Smith has been a farmer. 
He was married here to Sarah M. Johnson, 
who was born January 16, 1841, and who is 
the mother of the following childi-en: Ed- 
mond S.. Louis D. and Louisa (are twins), 
Ella, Lydia and Hiram Smith. Mr. and 
Mrs. Capt. Smith and daughter Louisa are 
members of the Baptist Church. Politically 
he is a stanch Republican, and a member of 
the G. A. R. 

HUGH JOHNSON, Ohio, was born in 
April, 1829, at Dundalk, Louth Co., Ireland, 
and is the only child of Arthur and Mary 
Johnson. The father was born about 181)0, 
and immigrated to America in 1849. The 
mother was born about 1795, and with the 
son followed the husband to this county in 
1850, where they settled on Section 15, in 
Ohio Township. Both died in this county. 
After immigrating to this county, for the tirst 
two seasons Hugh worked for Dr. R. J. 
Woodruf on the farm now owned by Dr. 
William Winters. In March, 1853, he bought 
eighty acres of Section 19, Ohio Township, 
of John H. Bryant, for which he agreed to 
pay S5.25 per acre, though he had not a cent 
to pay down. On this eighty, which he still 
owns, he built a log-cabin in 1856, into 
which he moved with his first wife, Mary 
McEnney, to whom he was married Novem- 
ber 1, 1855. Mary McEnney was born in 
Monaghan County, Ireland, in 1835, and was 
the daughter of Philip anci Ann Janet 
McEnney, who came to America in 1851, and 
settled in Illinois in 1852. Of this marriage 
there is a family of four children, three of 



whom are now living, as follows: Arthur P. 
Johnson was born August 7, 1856, and is now 
a bridge builder in Kansas; Thomas H. 
Johnson, was born May 19, 1858 (he mar- 
ried Mary B. Fleming, of Lee County, and 
is now living at Columbus, Kan.); Nicholas 
Johnson, was born February 20, 1861. Mrs. 
Johnson died April 4, 1861. In 1862, No- 
vember 8, Mr. Johnson married his present 
wife, Lucinda Baumgartner, who was born 
May 2, 1844, at Berne, Switzerland, and is 
the daughter of Christopher and Julia 
Baumgartner. The father was a native of 
Switzerland, and the mother of France, and 
is of pure French parentage. Mrs. Johnson 
came to this country in 1854. Of this last 
marriage there is a family of ten children, all 
living, which probably gives to Mr. Johnson 
the largest living family in Ohio Township. 
Mary A. was born January 8, 1864; Henry 
R.. September 11, 1865; Julia E., February 

26, 1868; Emma C, December 9, 1870; 
John, October 7, 1872; Hugh, Jr., September 

27, 1874; Annie, October 30, 1876; Hettie 
K., December 17, 1878; Francis J., Decem- 
ber 1, 1880; Lillian, July 5, 1883. Mr. 
Johnson owns 516 acres in Ohio, and thirty- 
seven acres in Walnut Township, all being 
well improved. Mr. Johnson probably has 
the largest cistern in Bureau County, it 
being 36x13x13, and serves as a reservoir for 
stock water, which is conveyed to various 
parts of the premises through over one- 
fourth of a mile of pipe. In politics Mr. 
.J. is Democratic, and a member of the Ro- 
man Catholic Church. 

W. A. JOHNSON, Princeton, was born 
December 16, 1857, near Aurora, Ind. He 
is a son of James J. Johnson, who was also 
a native of Indiana. He was born May 29, 
1828. He came to Bureau County before 
the late war, and has been engaged in farm- 
ing. His father was James Johnson, a na- 
tive of England, where he was born Febru- 
ary 14, 1798. He died April, 1884, in Dills- 
boro, Ind. In early life he was a millwright 
and later a farmer by occupation. Our sub- 
ject is one of a family of eleven children, 
viz.: John C James H., William H., Watts 
A., Mary, Nora, Maggie, Florence, Alice, 
Nettie and Herbert A. Mr. Johnson received 
his primary education in Bureau County. 



562 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



He also attended the University of Cliicago 
one and one-half years, after which he read 
Law with Richard M. Skinner more than one 
year, and then entered the Union College of 
Law in Chicago, where he graduated in June, 
1882. Upon his return to Princeton he 
once more entered Mr. Skinner's law office, 
where he continued to study till Decem- 
ber, 1883, when he opened an office near the 
depot, and has been conducting a success- 
ful law and real estate business ever since. 
Mr. Johnson was joined in matrimony, Jan- 
uary 2, 1884, in Somonauk, 111., to Miss Jen- 
nie Buckingham, who was born December 3, 
1861, in DeKalb County, 111. She is a 
daughter of Almus Buckingham. 

DANIEL JONES, Ohio, was born in 
Greene County, Ohio, September 1, 1823, and 
is the son of Abram and Mary Jones. The 
father was born September 5, 1801. The 
mother was bqrn March 18, 1802, both being 
of American parentage, and the parents of 
eleven children, eight of whom grew to man 
and womanhood. The subject of this sketch 
is the eldest son, and was raised on a farm 
till 1831, when he came to this State with 
his parents, and settled in Putnam County, 
near where Wenona now stands. The family 
remained there till 1833, when they removed 
to where Princeton now stands, and settled 
on the farm just north of William Knox's 
farm. At that time there was not a house 
on the present site of Princeton, though the 
town plat was staked out. Here the Jones 
family remained till the subject of this 
sketch was twenty-four years of age, when 
he married Mary Ellis, the daughter of Peter 
and Urania Ellis, of Ohio, who came to this 
County in 1830, and settled on Bureau 
Creek, in Dover Township. Subsequent to 
his marriage Mr. Jones settled on West 
Bureau Creek, where he remained till 1853. 
He then removed to Lamoille Township, and 
settled on Section 30, where he remained 
till 1861, when he moved to Ohio Township, 
and settled on the farm which he now occu- 
pies, being 194 acres of Section 24. (See 
sketch of Marion Hite.) Mr. and Mrs. 
Jones are the parents of live children, two of 
whom are now living: Urania, born March 
1, 1849, died March 5, 1849; Orange V., 
born April 2, 1850, died May 31, 1850; Mary 



E., born May 2, 1851, now Mrs. William 
TurnbuU, Van Orin, 111. ; Abram L., born 
May 1, 1854, married Ida Shifflet; Austin B., 
born February 14, 1862, died March 4, 1862. 
Mr. Jones' experiences in early pioneer life 
were varied and severe, he being in Putnam 
County during the Black Hawk war. He 
still retains a vivid recollection of early 
scenes and incidents during the early days 
of what is now Bureau County. Mr. Jones 
was formerly a Whig, and is now a Repub- 
lican and member of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church. 

DR. DANIEL JONES, deceased. The 
subject of the following biography was a 
man of more than ordinary talents and his 
character as a man and physician was well 
known to the citizens of the northeastern 
part of Bureau County. He was born Sep- 
tember 21, 1805, in Salisbury, Vt. His 
father, Abiel Jones, was a minister of the 
Congregational Church. He was born July 
24, 1761, in Connecticut, and died February, 
1829, in Tunbridge, Vt. In early life he 
chose the medical profession, and fitted him- 
self for that vocation. But about this time 
he became converted and joined the Congre- 
gational Church. Being a man of great 
conviction, he was not content until he 
entered Dartmouth College. New Hampshire, 
where he prepared himself for the min- 
istry and after graduating studied theology 
some time with the Rev. Dr. Backus, a cele- 
brated divine of the Congregational Church. 
He preached a few years in Massachusetts, and 
then in 1812 was sent to Farmington, in the 
Western Reserve, of Ohio, where he labored 
the remainder of his active life, till his fail- 
ing health compelled him to go Vermont, 
where he only lived a short time. The 
mother of Dr. Jones was Rebecca Rix, who 
was born May 10, 1773. She died in Sep- 
tember, 1838. She was the mother of eight 
children, who are all dead now; tliree of 
them were physicians. Dr. Daniel Jones 
received his primary education in Ohio, 
where he also taught school, till his parents 
returned to the East, when he commenced the 
study of medicine in Dartmouth College, 
New Hampshire, where he graduated. He 
practiced two years in Plymouth, and then 
sixteen vears in Ludlow, Vt. In 1854 he 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



563 



came to Bureau County, 111., locating in La- 
moille, where he practiced sixteen years with 
marked success. In April, 1870, he moved 
to Princeton, where he died January 11, the 
following year. Shortly after the Doctor 
came to Lamoille he formed a partnei'ship with 
his younger brother, Joseph R. Jones, M. D., 
also a graduate of Dartmouth, with whom 
he was associated for live years. The Doctor 
was married April 13, 1847, in Mount Holly, 
Vt., to Miss Mary A. Barrett, a native of 
Ashby, Mass., but reai-ed and educated in 
Vermont. She was born August 15, 1822, 
and is a daughter of Joel and Sarah (How- 
ard) Barrett, natives of Ashby, Mass. Her 
grandfather, Daniel Howard, was a native of 
Massachusetts, but of English descent. He 
came to Ashby when he was only eighteen 
years old, and was one of the founders of 
that town. Mrs. Dr. Jones yet resides in 
Princeton, and is the mother of four chil- 
dren, viz, : Charles A, a farmer and stock- 
man; Eliza, wife of Henry Porter; George 
W., who is also a farmer, and S. Louisa. 
The first three children are living in Butler 
County, Iowa. By a former marriage Dr. 
Jones had a son named Norman D., who died 
when he was nearly twenty-three years old. 
Dr. Jones was well known as a physician 
and surgeon; he was also a good financier, 
and owned large tracts of land in this and 
adjoining States. His memory will be 
cherished by all who had the pleasure of 
knowing him. 

DAVID A. JONES, Wyanet, was born in 
Denbighshire, North Wales, January 9, 1818. 
He is the son of Rev. David Jones, who was 
a clergyman in the Church of England, and 
died when our subject was about eight years 
old. His wife, Elizabeth Waring, died in 
1856. They were the parents of five chil- 
dren, only two of whom are now living, viz. : 
David and the youngest daughter, Mary Anne, 
of North Wales. At the age of sixteen years 
our subject went to sea. When twenty-one 
years of age he came to America, but con- 
tinued to follow the sea for many years, 
visiting all the ports of any importance on 
the W'estern Continent. He experienced all 
the incidents of a sailor's life, beginning at 
the forecastle and passing through all grades 
— second mate, first mate — and at the time 



he left the sea owned a small vessel of which 
he was captain. After leaving the sea he 
went to California, and from 1852 to 1857 

i was in the mountains engaged in mining. In 
September, 1857, he came to Bureau County 
and bought the farm first settled by the 
French trader, Bourbonnais. He still owns 
this farm, but in March, 1882, he removed 

: to Wyanet and retired from active life. Mr. 

' Jones was married June 5, 1849, to Miss 
Lydia Davis, born in North Dighton, Bristol 
Co., Mass., May 15, 1823. Her parents, 
Peter and Mary (Corey) Davis, were both 
natives of the same county. They were the 
parents of thirteen childi'en, only three of 
whom are living — Mrs. Jones and two sisters, 
who reside in Taunton, Mass. Mr. and Mrs. 
Jones have two sons: David A., Jr., was 
born July 29, 1850 (he is now in the mercan- 
tile business in Anuawan, Henry Co., 111.); 
William A., born September 9, 1859, (he is a 
teacher of short-hand in the Geneseo Normal 
School; was a graduate of AVesleyan Uni- 
versity, of Bloomington, in 1882). Mr. Jones 
and family are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. During his wanderings 
Mr. Jones, has made quite a collection of 
curiosities, for which he was given first prize 
at the Princeton fair in 1883. Among other 
things he has a piece of native gold which 
was found on his farm. 

JOSEPH F. JONES, Princeton, was born 
October 28, 1830, in Springfield, N. H. He 
is a son of Saml^el Jones, who was a native 
of New Hampshire, and a bricklayer and 
farmer by occupation. He came to Bureau 
County in the fall of 1837, settling south of 
town. The next year he removed to Prince- 
ton, where he resided till his death, which 
occurred in the summer of 1847. His father 
was Josiah Jones, who was a soldier in the 
Revolutionary war. He was also a farmer 
and mason by occupation. The mother of 
our subject was Mariam Fellows, who was 
born in New Hampshire. She died May 13, 
1880, in Greene County, Iowa. She was the 
daughter of Joseph Fellows, and was the 
mother of eight children, viz.: Joseph F., 
Josiah, Esther, Mary A., Mrs. Almena Phil- 
lips, Mrs. Henrietta Sayers, Ann M. and 
Enoch are both deceased. Mr. Jones was 
married May 18, 1855, to Aroxa E. Water- 



564 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



man, 'who was born February 8, 1836, in 
Perrysburg, N. Y. She is a daughter of 
Elijah and Polly (Bai-nhart) Waterman, the 
former a native of Vermont, and the latter of 
New York. Mr. and Mrs. Jones are the 
parents of two children now living, viz. : 
Ellen, born March 15, 1857, who married 
Albert Lamb; and Frank M., born August 
25, 1858. Mr. Jones has followed the occu- 
pation of a plasterer and mason since he was i 
fourteen years old, and is the builder of 
numerous fine structures in Bureau County, j 
In 1860 he crossed the plains and mined one 
season at Pike's Peak, returning to Princeton 
the same year. Just before the breaking out ! 
of our late war he again crossed the plains, 
this time going to Oalifornia, where he fol- 
lowed his trade, returning to Princeton Au- 
gust 3, 1866. Here he has lived ever since 
with the exception of eight years, when he 
resided in the country. Politically Mr. Jones 
is connected with the Democratic party. 

JOHN S. KASBEER, Ohio, was born De- 
cember 28, 1818, in Wayne County, Ohio, 
and is the son of Samuel and Mary Kasbeer. 
The father was born February 4, 1794, in 
New Jersey. The mother was born January 
22, 1799, in Pennsylvania. They were the 
parents of twelve chileren, the eldest of whom 
is the subject of this sketch. He lived on a 
farm in his native county till he came to this 
State and settled at East Grove, in Lee Coun- 
ty, in the fall of 1846. He lived there one sea- 
son, when he removed to Ohio Township, and 
settled on the land which he now owns. 
March 6, 1842, Mr. Kasbeer married Hannah 
Ross, the daughter of Rev. William and Jane 
(Whitaker) Ross (see sketch of James Ross), 
who was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, 
February 12, 1825, and lived in her native 
State till she came to this State in 1846. Mr. 
and Mrs. Kasbeer are the parents of twelve 
children, eight of whom are now living: 
Mary Jane, born July 5, 1843, died August 
29, 1844; Rachel, born August 16, 1845, died 
March 14, 1858; Margaret R., now Mrs. T. 
D. Mercer, Ohio, 111., born March 19, 1848; 
Mildred, born August 7, 1850, died Septem- 
ber 10, 1852; Asa W., farmer, Ohio, 111., 
born December 28, 1852; Ira, farmer and 
land agent,Colony, Kan., born May 13, 1855; 
Joab, teacher and farmer, Ohio, 111., born 



August 24, 1857; Sumner, farmer, Bel ton, 
Mo., born February 12, 1860; Melissa, Ohio, 
111., born May 26, 1862; Alice, Ohio, 111., born 
March 3, 1865; Hattie, born August 29. 1867, 
died January 9, 1868; John W., Ohio, 111., 
born March 28, 1869. Mr. Kasbeer owns 806 
acres of laud i n Ohio Township, and 3,600 
acres in Allen and Anderson Counties, Kan., 
also 640 acres in Nebraska. In the improve- 
ments of this county Mr. Kasbeer has for 
thirty-seven years taken a very active part, 
and in that time he has probably planted 
more forest trees than any other man in Bu- 
reau County; and the large groves and long 
lines of Cottonwood, walnut, hard and soft 
maple, and other varieties of forest tree8,some 
of which are three feet in diameter, are tower- 
ing monuments and living witneses of his 
patient and unceasing toil. In politics Mr. 
K. was formerly a Whig, and is now a Re- 
publican, and a member of the M. P. Church. 

NATHAN J. KEEL, Berlin, was born in 
Stark County, Ohio, Februai-y-t, 1836. When 
he was six months old his parents moved to 
Hancock County, Ohio, and it was there and 
in Putman County that he was reared. His 
father, John W. Keel, was of German de- 
scent, born in Pennsylvania, January 12, 
1810. His wife, Rosanna Siffirt, died when 
our subject was seven years old, and his fa- 
ther afterward married Barbara Briden- 
baugh. They came to this county in 1852, 
and are now residents of Dover, 111. Nathan 
J. Keel is the second of a family of seven 
children, three of whom were by the first 
marriage. All are living. He came to this 
county in 1852, and has been engaged in 
farming most of his life, excepting eight 
years that he was engaged in the hardware 
business. He now resides on his farm of 
160 acres in Sections 21 and 22. He was 
married October 6, 1857, to Angeline Wells, 
a native of New Jersey, daughter of Charles 
and Sarah (Park) Wells. Mr. and Mrs. Keel 
have three children: Clara F., wife of 
George Smith; Charles W., May Belle. In 
politics he is identified with the Republican 
party. 

M. W. KEIGLEY, Tiskilwa. The sub- 
ject of this biography was born January 7, 
1851, in Monongalia County, W. Va. His 
father, Nathaniel P. Keigley, was a native of 



BIOGRAPHICAI. SKETCHES. 



565 



Pennsylvania, and a mprchant by occupation. 
He diod in Tiskilwa in 1874, aged tifty-six 
years. The grandfather of our subject, 
George Keigley, was born in Pennsylvania. 
The great-grandfather was of German and 
the great-grandmother of Irish descent. The 
mother of our subject was born in Ohio. She 
is yet living in Tiskilwa at the home of our 
subject, who was educated in the public 
schools of Tiskilwa, to which place he came 
with his parents in 1865. At the age of 
eighteen he commenced to clerk for Sidney 
Perkins. After about five years he formed a 
partnership with his father and J. W. Lea. 
Afterward he formed a partnership with O. 
Wilkinson, which exists to the present day. 
They keep a general store. Mr. Keigley was 
married October 28, 1873, to Miss Emma G. 
Kitterman, a daughter of Michael Kitterman, 
the old pioneer. Mrs. Keigley was born 
January 1, 1852, in Bureau County, 111. 
Mr. Keigley is a member of the A. F. & A. 
M. fraternity, Sharron Lodge, No. 550. 
Politically Mr. Keigley is identified with the 
Democratic party. 

MILO KENDALL, Princeton, was born 
in Waterford, Caledonia Co., Vt, April 1, 
1819. His father, Jerreb Kendall, was born 
May 30, 1782, in Springfield, Mass. His 
occupation was that of a farmer and proprie- 
tor of a public house. He died in March, 

1855. His parents, William and (Day) 

Kendall, were descendants of early settlers 
in America, and William Kendall par- 
ticipated in the battle of '. Bunker Hill. 
Jerreb Kendall was married at Barnet, 
Vt, to Lucy Woods, who was born at that 
place August 12, 1786, a daughter of John 
and Abigail (Ely) Woods. Her father was 
also engaged in the fight at Bunker Hill. 
Jerreb and Lucy Kendall were the parents of 
eleven sons and one daughter, viz. : Jerreb, 
born January 2, 1804; John, July 22, 1805; 
George W., July 13, 1807; James E., June 
15, 1809; Larnard L., March 25, 1811; Ly- 
man, December 20, 1813; Alonzo R., April 
2], 1815; Lorenzo, April 16. 1817; Milo, 
April 1, 1819; Chester, May 22. 1821; Will 
iam W., August 19, 1824, and Lucy C. De- 
cember 23, 1826. Of the family all reached 
maturity except one sou, and the following 
are now living: Larnard, of St. Johnsbury, 



Vt; Alonzo R. and Milo, of Princeton, 111., 
and Mrs. Lucy Robinson, of Newport, Vt. 
Dr. John Kendall came to Bureau County in 
1833 or 1834, and with Tracy Reeve laid out 
the town of Greenfield, now Lamoille. He 
died September, 1847. James came to this 
county at a later day, and died at Princeton 
in the fall of 1869. The oldest son, Jerreb, 
came to Bureau County in 1835, and died 
here August 17, 1839. William W. was in 
this county a short time, and died in .\pril, 
1876. Lyman and Alonzo came to the coun- 
1y in 1836, coming from Vermont with a 
horse and chaise. Lyman died near La- 
moille, November, 1839. Milo Kendall re- 
mained on the farm in Vermont until he was 
eighteen years of age, and then attended the 
academies at Newbury and Lyndon, Vt., 
teaching school to pay his way. At the age 
of twenty-three years he began the study of 
law at Lyndon under the instruction of Bart- 
lett & Fletcher, remaining in their office three 
years. In the fall of 1845 he came to Knox- 
ville, 111., where he remained till the follow- 
ing spring, and during that time was admit- 
ted to the bar in Illinois. In 1846 he came 
to Princeton, and has since been engaged in 
practicing law. In 1857 he formed a part- 
nership with Mr. George O. Ide, now of 
Chicago. This partnership continued for 
fourteen years. Since 1873 Mr. Kendall has 
had as a partner Mr. O. G. Lovejoy. Dui'- 
ing the construction of the Chicago, Burling- 
ton & Quincy Railroad Mr. Kendall was 
Examiner of Titles, and procured deeds for 
right of way from Mendota to Galesburg, 
and has since been local attorney for the 
road. He was married at Potsdam, St Law- 
rence Co., N. Y., September 13, 1848, to 
! Miss Orpha Ide. She was born in 1818, and 
is the daughter of Rev. John Ide, who was a 
minister in the Baptist Church. Mr. and 
Mrs. Kendall have two children: William I., 
born October 14, 1855, and Nellie, April 19, 
1858. The son is a ffirmer, and is married 
to Alia Kaull, daughter of Dr. William M. 
Kaull, of Dakota. Mr. Kendall is an active 
Democrat, but has never entered upon a 
political life. 

ALONZO R. KENDALL, Princeton, was 
born in Caledonia County, Vt. , April 21, 
1815. He is the son of Jerreb and Lucy 



568 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



(Woods) Kendall. Our subject's early 
life was spent on his father's farm, and 
in attending the schools of the district. 
In 1836 he came to Bureau County, 
111., and has since made this county his 
home, and has been closely identified with 
the development of the county from its wild 
state, as the country was but slightly 
improved nor were the Indians yet removed 
when Mr. K. first built his cabin of logs, with 
its puncheon floor and its furniture consisting 
of a table of hewn " lumber" and a bedstead 
with one leg. But Mr. Kendall began the 
cultivation of the soil, and with his large 
capital of energy to assist him, he made a 
financial succe.ss of life, so that in 1865 he 
sold his farm and retired from business, and 
has since resided in Princeton. February 
22, 1843, he was married in his native 
county in Vermont to Miss Persis A. Ford. 
She was born on Grand Island in Lake 
Champlain. Mr. and Mrs. Kendall have two 
sons: JeromeF., a resident of California, and 
Robert C. , a book-keeper in the Citizen's 
National Bank, of Princeton, 111., of which 
bank his father is a director. Mr. Kendall 
is a believer in, and a supporter of churches, 
but is independent in his views of creed. In 
politics he is identified with the Democratic 
party. 

LORENZO J. KENDALL, Lamoille, was 
born May 15, 1857, in St. Johnsbury, Vt. He 
is a son of Lorenzo Kendall, who was a son of 
Jerreb Kendall. Lorenzo Kendall was born in 
April, 1817, in Vermont. He came to Lamoille 
in an early day, but soon retiu'ned to his native 
State. He came here a second time and went 
to farming. In 1849 he went to California, 
returning the next year to Lamoille, and the 
following year to Vermont, where he was 
married, March 24, 1852, to Rosina Lang- 
maid, a native of Danville, Vt. She was a 
daughter of Samuel and Hannah (Ho}t) 
Langmaid, of Welsh descent. His father 
and mother were Shakers, whose creed is no 
armor against Cupid, and so they left the 
society and were married. Samuel Lang- 
maid was the father of five children, viz. : 
Betsey, wife of George Kendall, who is yet 
living in Vermont; Mary, wife of Benjamin 
Swett; Warren, who was killed in Australia; 
Mrs. Rosina Kendall, and Augusta, wife of 



Timothy Carr, of Vermont. Lorenzo Ken- 
dall and wife returned to this county soon 
after their marriage and here they farmed 
four years, and then went back to Vermont, 
where Mr. Kendall died, November 9, 1857. 
Mrs. Rosina Kendall returned to Bureau 
County in 1860. Here she managed the 
home farm of 160 acres herself for seven 
years and ttien rented it for nine years. Five 
years of this time she lived in Lamoille and 
the other four in Princeton, where her two 
children graduated. After this she returned 
to Lamoille, where she yet resides. The 
names of her children are: Emma A., who is a 
teacher in Omaha, and Lorenzo J., who man- 
ages the home' farm, and foi' the last five 
years has been a teacher in the Lamoille 
school, of which he has been Principal the 
last three years. 

CAPT. MICHAEL KENNEDY, deceased, 
was a native of West Meath, Ireland, where 
he was reared and liberally educated. He 
was a descendant of an old Irish noble fami- 
ly, and in the old country was married to 
Bridget Harrington, who eventually came to 
America and died in Somerset, Perry Co., 
Ohio. She was the mother of three children, 
viz. : Philip Kennedy, who was a physician 
in Somerset, Ohio; Mrs. Catharine Gaynor, 
deceased; and Michael Kennedy, Jr., de- 
ceased. Capt. Kennedy was an expert en- 
gineer and mathematician, and soon after he 
came to the United States made the acquaint- 
ance of Daniel Webster, whose son caused 
him to enter tbe land around Lost Grove, in 
Bureau County, which amounted to over 
1,500 acres. Capt. Kennedy was an engineer 
and Superintendent of the Illinois and Mich- 
igan Canal and also a contractor of the Peru 
& Galena Railroad, which were profitable 
enterprises. He entered his land about 1840, 
but never improved it a great deal. He just 
grew up with the country and delighted to 
follow the hounds for days, as was customary 
in the old country. He lived like the old 
style Irish gentleman, and will be remem- 
bered by our older citizens as a genial, hale 
fellow well met, who knew how to entertain 
and cater to the wants of his friends. He 
was his own worst enemy, and altogether a 
remarkable character. He died December 
30, 1865, aged nearly four score years. His 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



667 



son, Michael Kennedy, managed the home- 
stead till he died, January 30, 1872, aged 
forty eight years. He married in Buffalo, N. 
Y., September, 1867, Emily M. Fitzpatrick, 
a native of Queens County, Ireland, a daugh- 
ter of John and Margaret (Kelly) Fitzpat- 
ricjf, who died in Onedia County, N. Y. 
Mrs. Kennedy was educated at the Sacred 
Heart Convent, in Albany, N. Y., and is the 
mother of Michael Kennedy and John J. 
Kennedy, the latter deceased, aged Hfteen 
months. She settled the Kennedy estate and 
is now successfully managing the home farm. 
JOHN CASPER KESSLER, Ohio, was 
born at Gesdungshausen, November 26, 1840, 
and is the son of Andrew and Kunigunda 
Kessler, who were born in Coburg, Germany. 
The father was born April 25, 1815, and the 
mother about 1820. They came to this coun- 
try in 1848, and settled in May Township, 
Lee County, Section 33, which Mr. Kessler 
bought from the Government. The family 
has remained upon the old homestead from 
the settlement to the present time. In 1861, 
in September, the subject of this sketch went 
into the service, enlisting September, 17, 
1861, in Company B, Fifty-second Illinois 
Volunteer Infantry, in which company and 
regiment he served until July, 1862, when he 
was discharged by reason of Surgeon's certi- 
ficate of disability from gunshot wounds re- 
ceived at the battle of Shiloh or Pittsburg 
Landing. Mr. and Mrs. Kessler are the 
parents of twelve children, eight of whom 
are now living, the subject of this sketch be- 
ing the oldest of the family. The parents 
are still living, and both are hale and hearty. 
In 1871, July 16, the subject of this sketch 
married Annie Strasburger, who was born in 
Delaware County, Ohio, May 15, 1845, and 
is the daughter of Rev. William and Abigail 
Strasburger. The father was born in Ger- 
many, and came to this country when a boy. 
The mother was born in Ohio, and is of 
American parentage, her great grandfather 
coming from England. John Casper and 
Annie Kessler are the parents of four chil- 
dren, three of whom are living: William E., 
born January 6, 1873, died June 5, 1880; 
Lillie, born March 29, 1875; Grace K. A., 
born October 24, 1877; Edmund Chester, 
born January 25, 1881. Mr. Kessler came 



to Ohio Village in February 22, 1871, where 
he built the first elevator in the town, and 
went into business as a grain buyer and ship, 
per and stock buyer, and he is still engaged 
in the former business. He is a Republican 
in politics and a member of the Evangelical 
Church. Owns 400 acres in Lee County and 
640 acres in Nebraska, besides residence 
property, two elevators, and several resi- 
dence and business lots in the village of Ohio. 
MARION S. KISER, Ohio, was born in 
Ohio Township, Bureau Co., 111., Febru- 
ary 16, 1857, and is the son of George W. 
and Sarah A. Kiser. The father was born 
in Pennsylvania, February 16, 1827, and 
came to this county in 1843, where he lived 
until his death, February 16, 1870. The 
mother was born July 13, 1829, in Belmont 
County, Ohio, and came to this county in 
the spring of 1858, with the family of Will- 
iam Martin, of thiscounty. Mrs. Kiser' a maid- 
en name was Marshall. Her mother was 
born in Ohio and died when the daughter 
was but three years old. The subject of this 
sketch is the second son in a family of five 
sons and one daughter, as follows: Erwin F. 
Kiser, Ohio, 111., born September 22, 1852, 
married Frances Corbin, has one child; Mar- 
ion S. (subject of this sketch); George F. Ki- 
ser was born April 29, 1860, married Laura 
Burress, Ohio, 111.; Charles H. Kiser was 
born September 22, 1862, married Bertha 
Garis, has one child; Emma E. Kiser was 
born July 16, 1865, Ohio, 111. ; Benjamin F. 
Kiser was born August 1, 1868, Ohio, 111. 
February 6, 1878, the subject of this sketch 
was married to Eliza J. Wilson, the daugh- 
ter of Joseph G. and Sarah A. Wilson. 
Mrs. Kiser was born in Ohio Township, 
Bureau County, 111. The father was born 
in Belmont County, Ohio, August 20, 1833, 
and came to this county in 1837, where he 
was raised and lived till the time of his 
death, May 3, 1884. (See sketch of William 
S. Wilson.) The mother was born in Knox 
County, Ohio, March 19, 1839, and is the 
daughter of Bazel and Sarah Young, former- 
ly from Ohio, who came to this county in 
1847. Mrs. Wilson is one of a family 
of eleven children, nine boys and two girls. 
Four of the brothers were in the Union 
Army during the late war. Mrs. Wilson is 



568 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



the mother of seven children, of whom Eliza 
J. Kiser is the oldest, born May 26, 1858; Nel- 
lie R. Wilson, July 1, 1859; Sarah A. Wil- 
son, December 6, 1863; Mary B. Wilson, 
April 7, 1866; William W. Wilson, March 2, 
1868; Hattie E. Wilson, November 11, 1871; 
Joseph S. Wilson, June 22, 1883. Mr. and 
Mrs. Kiser are the parents of three children: 
Edith M. Kiser veas born January 3, 1879; 
Joseph W. Kiser v^as born February 3, 1880; 
Bert Kiser was born July 29, 1883. 

H. KITTERMAN, Indiantown, was born 
June 19, 1833, in Arispe Township, Bureau 
Co., 111. He is a son of Michael Kitterman. 
He was reared in this county, which he never 
left till he was thirty years old. His school 
days were principally spent in the log school- 
houses, some of the schools being conducted 
on the old subscription plan, where the schol - 
ars were made acquainted with the rudiments 
of an education and as frequently with the 
teacher's rod, Mr. Kitterman has made farm- 
ing, rearing fine horses and dealing in stock 
his occupation, and has a farm of 300 acres. 
He was married to Virginia Lockwood, May 
13, 1857. She was a native of Olean, N. Y., 
and died here. She was the mother of five 
children, viz. : Frederick L. (deceased), Mrs. 
Bell M. Bloom, Michael D., Irving L., and 
Merton W. Kitterman. Our subject was mar- 
ried a second time to Estella Howard, a na- 
tive of Bureau County. Politically he is 
identified with the Greenback party, and has 
been School Director for eighteen years. He 
has traveled over a great part of the United 
States in search of health. 

WILLIAM KITTERMAN, Indiantown, 
was born February 9, 1839, in Bureau Coun- 
ty, 111. He is also a son of Michael Kitter- 
man. (See General History.) He is a very 
successful farmer and stockman, and has 
about 620 acres in Bureau County, and a 
one-third interest in a farm of 320 acres in 
Clinton County, Iowa. His main success 
was during the war. Mr. Kitterman was 
married January 16, 1872, to Elizabeth M. 
Stipp, who was born May 16, 1850. She is 
a daughter of Judge G. AV. Stipp, and is the 
mother of Frank R. Kitterman, who was born 
September 3, 1874. Politically Mr. Kitter- 
man is independent, having formerly been 
identified with the Democratic party. 



C. KITTERMAN. Indiantown, was born 
November 15, 1837, in Bureau County. He 
is another son of Michael Kitterman. He 
was reared and educated here, and has been 
a very successful farmer all his life. His 
home farm, with fine improvements, consists 
of 300 acres. He has also a one-third inter- 
est in 500 acres in Princeton Township and 
320 acres in Iowa, besides owning 1,440 acres 
in Nebraska. Mr. Kitterman was married 
here April 1, 1875, to Miss Ella Holman, a 
daughter of Adam Holman. She was born 
November 10, 1851, in Pennsylvania, and 
died here October 23, 1881. She was an 
excellent wife and a fond mother, and her 
influence for good was felt by all who came 
in contact with her, and who will honor her 
memory. She was the mother of three chil- 
dren, viz. : Freddy R., was born January 19, 
1876; Marcus, was born May 2, 1878 (he died 
July 3, 1881); and Edith, who was born Oc- 
tober 2, 1880. Mr. Kitterman is an vinos- 
tentatious man, and politically is identified 
with the Republican party. 

N. J. KNIPPLE, Buda, was born in Hun- 
tington, Huntington Co., Ind., September 5, 
1846. He is the son of Robert and Alice 
(Schenck) Knipple, both of whom were born 
in Ohio, he December 23, 1814, she Novem- 
ber 27, 1820. In 1838 they removed to In- 
diana, where they resided till 1852, when 
they removed to Michigan, and in 1863 to 
Henry County, III, but since 1866 they have 
resided in 13ureau County. They are the 
parents of eleven children, only three of 
whom are in Bureau County, viz. : Our sub- 
ject, Mrs. J. G. Murphey and Mrs. B. F. 
Chambers. In January, 1864, our subject 
enlisted in Company D, One Hundred and 
Twelfth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and re- 
mained in the service till September, 1865, 
when he received his discharge. The regi- 
ment was with Thomas at Nashville, Tenn., 
and afterward joined Sherman in North 
Carolina. Mr. Knipple, during most of his 
service, was in the Commissary Department. 
After returning from the army Mr. Knipple 
attended the Bryant & Stratton Business 
College of Chicago, and for some years was 
engaged in various occupations, teaching, 
clerking, etc. In 1874 he, in partnership 
with Mr. H. C. Smith, engaged in the hard- 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



569 



ware business in Buda. They carry a com- 
plete stock of goods, which varies in value 
from |4,000 to $5,000. October 16, 1873, 
he was united in marriage to Miss Eunice 
Foster, daughter of S. H. Foster, of Macon 
Township. (See sketch.) She was born Oc- 
tober 25, 1848. She is the mother of one 
daughter, Maud, born May 23, 1875. Mr. 
Knipple is a member of Emery Post, G. A. 
R., No. 198, and Buda Lodge, A. F. & A. 
M. , No. 399. He is a member of the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church, and is Republican in 
politics. 

J. B. KNOWLTON, Fairfield, was born 
May 11, 1843, in Broom County, N. Y. He 
is a son of William and Mary A. (Barney) 
Knowlton. The former was a native of Penn- 
sylvania. He died 1844, aged thirty-two 
years, in Milwaukee, while on his way to 
Stark County, 111., to which place the mother 
went with her father, John Barney, M. D. , a 
native of Canada, and her five children, viz. : 
Mrs. Hannah A. Smith, of Iowa; John, of 
Missoui'i; Mrs. Sarah M. Wright (deceased), 
Jacob B. (our subject), and Louis Knowlton 
(deceased). Mrs. Mary A. Knowlton died 
August, 1849, in LaSalle County, 111, of the 
cholera. The grandfather of our subject was 
of Scotch and German descent, and died in 
Luzerne County, Penn. The subject of this 
biography, Jacob B. Knowlton, was reared in 
Stai'k County, except four years, which he 
spent in Iowa. He came to Bureau County 
to live in 1857, and in July, 1861, he enlisted 
in the Twelfth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
Company I, as private, and was promoted to 
Sergeant. He participated in the battles of 
Forts Henry and Donelsou, at which latter 
place he was wounded in the foot. He also 
participated in the battle of Shiloh, siege 
of Corinth, battles of Booneville and Corinth. 
He was also in the campaign from Chatta- 
nooga to Atlanta, and fought in all the bat- 
tles except the last, being shot iu the head, 
and remained in the Marietta Hospital till 
he recovered sufficiently to come home. He 
returned to his regiment by rail in time to 
ride right into the battle of Allatoona Pass, 
after which he was appointed Orderly by ; 
John M. Corse as one of his body-guard, and 
was with Gen. Sherman in his famous 
"march to the sea," participating in the 



engagements Lynch Creek and Bentonville. 
After the war Mr. Knowlton returned to 
Bureau County and engaged in farming, 
and now has a farm of 200 acres in Fair- 
field Township, where he resides. He was 
married here February 7, 1866, to Miss 
Mary M. Cooper, born December 5, 1842, in 
LaGrange County, Ind., daughter of George 
and Lucinda (Spencer) Cooper, the former 
a native of Vermont, and the latter of New 
York. To Mr. and Mrs. Knowlton four chil- 
dren were born, viz.: William S., born 
August 25, 1867; George C, (deceased), aged 
eleven years; Herbert B., April 3, 1872, and 
Clara E., January 16, 1875. Mrs. Knowl- 
ton is a member of the Church of God. Mr. 
Knowlton is a member of the A. F &. A. M. 
fraternity. Politically he is in favor of the 
Greenback principles. He has held town- 
ship offices, and is now a Justice of the 
Peace. 

JUDGE S. M. KNOX, Princeton, was born 
in Juniata Coxinty, Penn., November 11, 
1826. He is the son of John and Eunice 
(Pauling) Knox. The father was born in 
Lancaster, Penn., and was the son of Hugh 
Knox, a native of Scotland. The Judge's 
mother is a descendant of the Jennings fam- 
ily, who came from England to Philadelphia 
with the Penn colony. Judge Knox's early 
life was spent on his father's farm in his 
native county. In youth he attended the 
Tuscarora Academy in Juniata County. In 
1848 he began the study of medicine and con- 
tinued reading for two years, but means being 
exhausted he started out with the intention 
of making money sufficient to carry him 
through a complete course, and came to Bu- 
reau County, 111,, in 1850. For three years 
he was engaged in different localities selling 
the German History of the United States, 
and iu this way accumulated some money 
with which he intended to complete his med- 
ical education, but a little incident changed 
the entire current of his life. He had loaned 
money to parties living near Pond Creek 
Station, and when the notes were due they 
persuaded him to take pay in corn at 25 cents 
per bushel. When he svished to ship the 
corn he could not obtain cars in any other 
way than by bringing loaded cars here. So 
he looked around and saw that he could dis- 



570 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



pose of lumber, and then went to Chicago, 
purchased two car loads, which he shipped to 
Pond Creek. But then he could not get his 
own corn delivered, so something had to be 
done, and Mr. Knox, never lacking in ingen- 
uity, began buying corn from farmers as 
they were on their way to Tiskilwa, and soon 
had his cars loaded and shipped. He then 
figured up the profits on his lumber and the 
corn he had bought, and finding the profits 
excellent, he engaged in the lumber and 
grain business at Pond Creek for some time, 
but later moved to Wyanet, where he con- 
tinued in the same business, and also kept a 
general store, and was the first Postmaster 
of the village. In 1858 or 1859 he sold out 
his business in Wyanet and gave his atten- 
tion more to the study of law, which he had 
begun in 1857, reading under Charles Barry. 
In 1861 he removed to Princeton and read 
law with Milton T. Peters till he was admit- 
ted in the fall of the same year. For a term 
of four years — from 1861 to 1865 — be 
served as County Judge. In 1860 he was 
the Democratic candidate for the State Legis- 
lature from this district, but was defeated by 
Joseph Harris, the Republican nominee. 
Judge Knox continued in the practice of law 
till 1876, since which time he has given his 
entire attention to the land agency business. 
Previous to that he had dealt as agent 
for the Baltimore & Missouri Railroad in 
real estate. He was agent for the lands 
of the Baltimore & Missouri Railroad for 
about ten years. Since 1880 he has been 
selling the lands of the Union Pacific Rail- 
road in Nebraska, and stands at the head of 
all the Eastern agents. He also has invested 
in lands for himself, in Kansas and Nebraska, 
till now he has over 20,000 acres. De- 
cember 31, 1854, he was married at Wyanet 
to Miss H. H. Weaver, a daughter of Obadiah 
Weaver, who came from AUentown, Penn., 
to Bureau County in 18-14, and is yet living 
at Wyanet. Mrs. Knox is the mother of two 
sons and two daughters, viz. : Anson H. , 
born October 8, 1855; Mary K., June 10, 
1857, wife of J. M. Stevens; Ada L., July 
31, 1861; Frank, August 8, 1863. The sons 
are associated with their father in the land 
business. In 1867, on account of failing 
health, he had to leave his office, and in com- 



pany with Mr. Joseph Taylor made the tour 
of Europe, remaining abroad one year. 
Judge Knox is far advanced in Masonry, 
having taken all degrees up to the Scottish 
Rite, the thirty-second degree. 

ISAAC KURTZ, JR., Walnut, was born in 
Montgomery County, Penn., August 14, 1832, 
but from the age of eight years he was reared 
in Juniata County, Penn. In 1861 he came to 
Bureau Coiinty, 111., and in 1864 engaged in 
farming and shipping stock. At the age of 
nineteen years he had begun, while in Penn- 
sylvania, shipping stock on his own account. 
He continued in the stock business and farm- 
ing till 1875, since which time he has given 
his entire attention to stock, but still retains 
his farm, which contains 336 acres, in Bu- 
reau and Walnut Townships. For some 
years Mr. Kurtz has had as a partner, Mr. A. 
L. Wilson, of Walnut, and they have done 
an extensive business. Dui'ing the years 1883 
and 1884 they shipped each year about 400 
head of horses to Juniata and Snyder Coun- 
ties, Penn., where they sold mostly at public 
sale. They have also made a number of 
piiblic sales of cattle in Bureau County, and 
in this way, during the summer of 1884, dis- 
posed of about 800 head of cattle, many of 
which were of the Jersey breed. Mr. Kurtz 
was married in this county to Mary J. Ross, 
only daughter of Jacob Ross, of Princeton. 
She is the mother of four children, viz. : Ai- 
de, Jennie, John and Jay. In politics he is 
identified with the Democratic party. 

ABRAHAM S. LANCE, Hall, was born 
November 28, 1831, in Warren County, N. 
J. The family is of German descent 
and the name was formerly written Lantz, 
and is still by some of the descendants. The 
great-grandparents are supposed to have 
come from the old country. The grandfather, 
George Lantz, was a farmer, and lived and 
died in Warren County, N. J. He reared 
a family of eight children, viz.: Michael, 
Martha, George, Abraham, John, Mrs. 
Anna Shoemaker, Mrs. Susan Ciphers and 
Mrs. Elizabeth Thatcher. Of these Abraham 
Lance married Mary Mixell, a native of New 
Jersey, where they both died. They had nine 
children who reached maturity, viz. : George, 
Mrs. Rebecca A. Vroom, Maria, Elizabeth, 
Catherine, Samantha, Mahala and Abraham 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



571 



S. (twins), and Caroline. Abraham S. Lance 
was reared in New Jersey, and came to Bu- 
reau County in May, 1854. He worked by 
the month for two years, then bought eighty 
acres of land in Westfield Township, and 
nine acres of timber in Hall Township, where 
he has now 133 acres of well-improved land. 
He also owns 1,920 acres in Nebraska. Much 
of his successful life he owes to his thorough 
and systematic business habits. March 2(3, 
1861, Mr. Lance was married, in this county, 
to Margaret Martin, who was born June 12, 

1836, in Warren County, N. J. Her 
parents, Henry and Mary (Brown) Martin, 
were natives of New Jersey, and came to this 
county in 1855, where he died; but his widow 
still survives, and is the mother of nine chil- 
dren. Mr. and Mrs. Lance have one daugh- 
ter, Olivia, born May 22, 1867. Mr. Lance 
is a member of the Bureau Baptist Church, 
and his wife of the Methodist. Politically 
he is a Democrat. 

FKANK LANGWORTHY, Ohio, was born 
in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., November 
20, 1836, and is the son of George and Lou- 
ise Langworthy. The father was born in 
Vermont in December, 1803. The mother 
was born in New York in August, 1808. 
They were married in 1829, and were the par- 
ents of eight children, as follows: James J., 
Harvey, Amanda, Laura and Phebe A. are 
dead; Frank, John E. and Mary are those now 
living. The subject of this sketch first came 
to this county with his parents in the fall of 

1837, and settled in what is now Arispe 
Township, where they remained till 1846. 
He then removed with his parents to New 
Hampshire, where his parents died, the 
mother in 1852, the father in 1853. Frank 
remained in New Hampshire till 1851, when 
he went to York County, Me., and remained 
till 1855, when he returned to this county 
and settled in Ohio Township. In 1860, 
November 29, Mr. Langworthy married Re- 
becca Lesher, who was born in Wayne Coun- 
ty, Ohio, August 15, 1836, and is the daugh- 
ter of Daniel and Fannie Lesher. The father 
was born in Pennsylvania, the mother in 
Virginia. Both died in Ohio. The mother 
died in 1863. Mr. and Mrs. Langworthy 
are the parents of five children, four living: 
Albert D. was born November 12, 1861; Mary 



E., January 1, 1864; Martha A., February 
19, 1865; John E., May 12, 1866; Laura L., 
August 17, 1870, died March 17, 1871. 
Cyrus Langworthy, an uncle of the subject 
of this sketch, was the first Sheriff of Biu'eau 
County, and was elected on the first Monday 
in June, 1837. His nephew is still in pos- 
session of many thrilling incidents connected 
with the uncle's service during his years of 
oifice. The Langworthy family is of Scotch 
origin, and Mr. Langworthy has in his family 
a fine cut of the coat-of-arms of his Scotch 
ancestry. The Lesher family is of English 
and German origin. Martha A. Langworthy 
is a teacher in the public schools of this 
county. Mr. Langworthy is the owner of 
120 acres in Ohio Township, 640 acres in 
Texas, and 160 in Dakota. In politics is a 
Republican, and a member of the Methodist 
Protestant Church. 

P. G. LARSON, Princeton. A. P. Larson, 
father of the gentleman whose name heads 
this sketch, is a native of Sweden, born May 
28, 1816. At the age of eighteen he began 
learning the trade of joiner and cabinet- 
maker, and for years followed his trade suc- 
cessfully in the old country, at one time 
employing nine men to assist him in the 
shop. He was also the owner of a good 
farm, but lost all his property by being se- 
curity for his brother. He was married in 
Sweden in 1843 to Anna C. Carlson, born 
August 17, 1815. To them one son and three 
daughters have been born. One daughter 
was born in America and died here. The 
eldest daughter is now the wife of S. O. 
Josephson, a skilled mechanic of Princeton. 
The youngest daughter is the wife of John 
A. Stem, a prominent grocer of Princeton. 
In 1852 Mr. Larson came to America, and 
settled at Princeton, bringing with him his 
wife and oldest daughter. For some time 
he worked for other parties, but as soon as he 
had a small capital he invested in business 
for himself, gradually increasing it as his 
capital increased. May 1, 1870, the build- 
ing he occupied was burned, but part of his 
stock of goods was saved, and this he moved 
into a temporary building, and immediately 
began the construction of his present brick 
business house. He and his son now carry a 
complete stock of furniture and undertaking 



573 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



goods, valued at about $4,000. His son, P. 
Gr. Larson, was born in Sweden, in the city 
of Wadstena, July 19, 1845. His early life 
was spent in his native town attending school. 
In 1858 he and his younger sister joined 
their parents in Princeton, where he attended 
school for some time. At the age of nineteen 
he began learning the trade of cabinet- maker, 
completing it in 1866 in Chicago, 111., with 
Ulricks Alexander, now A. H. Andrews & Co., 
manufacturers of desks, etc. He continued 
to follow his trade until 1S80, since which 
time he has given his attention to undertak- 
ing and upholstering. He is a member of 
the Undertakers' Association of the State. 
April 29, 1869, Mr. Larson was married to 
Matilda U. Stem, who was born March 24, 
1847. She died July 25, 1876, leaving two 
daughters: Minnie E., born June 9, 1870, 
and Evelyne M., July 19, 1872. December 
7, 1882, Mr. Larson was united in marriage 
in Princeton to Miss Jennie Paul, who was 
born in Bedford County, Penn., December 9, 
1855. She is the daughter of David and 
Susan (Earnest) Paul, who are now residents 
of Princeton, having moved here during Mrs. 
Larson's infancy. 

WATSON F. LAWTON, Sheffield, was 
born in Windham County, Vt. , Decem- 
ber 29, 1828. He is the son of Israel and 
Malissa (Freeman) Lawton. Israel Lawton 
was born January 9, 1798, and died January 
11, 1860. His wi'fe was born August 27, 1801, 
and yet resides on the old homestead in Ver- 
mont. She is the mother of seven children, 
viz. : Mrs. Eveline Sargent, of Wilmington, 
Vt. ; Mrs. Sarah B. Adams, of Brooklyn, N. 
Y.; Watson F., of Sheffield, 111.; Augusta L. 
Lawton, of Brooklyn, N .Y.; Orsamus B , on 
the old homestead; Oscar M., in New Yoik 
City; and Cyren B., who was a Lieutenant in 
the Civil war in the Sixteenth Vermont Reg 
iment, and was killed July 3, 1863, at the 
battle of Gettysburg. Our subject was reared 
on a farm, and had but little opportunity for 
attending school, only a few weeks in the 
winter time, but in his contact with the world 
he has imbibed the practical part of all edu- 
cation. In May, 1852, Mr. Lawton landed 
in Bureau County, 111., and till 1854 he re- 
mained at Perkins Grove, in Clarion Town- 
ship, but in 1854 located at the then new vil- 



lage of Sheffield, and the following year, af- 
ter erecting a store room, he in partnership 
with E. F. Pulsifer opened a general stock of 
merchandise, but after continuing in this bus- 
iness for nine years Mr. Lawton sold his in- 
terests, but soon after embarked in the same 
business in partnership with William Wilson, 
but in 1873 he retired from the mercantile 
life entirely in order to give his attention 
more to the stock business. In 1857 Mr. 
Lawton began buying and shipping stock, 
when it was carried by attaching the stock 
cars to the night passenger train. He has 
dealt quite extensively in stock until later 
years, during which time he has given most 
of his attention to his farms'. Mr. Lawton 
came to this county with comparatively noth- 
■ iug, and borrowed money to start in business, 
but his has been an industrious life, and sac- 
cess has rewarded his industry. He now owns 
about 1,600 acres of land in Bureau County. 
In politics he is an active Republican. From 
1865 to 1875, with the exception of two 
years, he was the member of the Board of 
Supervisors from this township, and during 
that time he was a member of the Drainage 
Committee, and except the first year was its 
Chairman, and to him this county owes much 
for its present drainage system. During his 
terms of office he paid for work for drainage 
about $140,00(). He is a member of the Ames 
, Lodge, No. 142, A. F. & A. M., of Sheffield. 
I January 30, 1856, he returned to his native 
I county in Vermont and was united in mar- 
' riage to Miss Carrie T. Estabrook, who was 
born June 27, 1830. She is the mother of two 
children, viz. : Alice C, born December 25, 
1856, and now the wife of Henry Howard, of 
Sheffield, and Edwin W., born August 30, 
I 1864. Mrs. Lawton is the daughter of Hen- 
ry and Hannah S. (Clapp) Estabrook. The 
mother was born in 1800, and died April 10, 
• 1883. They were the parents of six children, 
I viz.: Mrs. Harriet Haynes, of Council Bluffs, 
Iowa; Mrs. Minerva Harris, of Mineral, 111.; 
Wells Estabrook, deceased; Mrs. Maryett 
Ward, who died in Putney, Vt. ; Mrs. Carrie 
T. Lawton, of Sheffield; and William Esta- 
brook, deceased. 

DR. F. W. LEE, Tiskilwa, was born June 
10, 1834, in Guilford, New Haven Co., 
Conn. His parents, Frederick W. and Re- 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



573 



becca (Richards) Lee, were natives of Con- 
necticut, where the former was a carriage- 
maker. He is yet living with oiar subject, 
aged nearly eighty-seven years. His father, 
Timothy Lee, was a native of Connecticut, 
but of English descent. In regard to the 
genealogy of the Lee family, it is known 
that four brothers came to America from 
England in an early day. One settled in 
the South, and was the progenitor of Gen. 
Robert E. Lee. Oui- subject was educated 
in New Haven, Conn. In 1857 he came to 
DeKalb County, 111., where Dr. Merriam was 
his preceptor in the study of medicine. In 
1859, at the death of his mother, our subject 
returned to Connecticut, where he resided 
till 1861, when he enlisted as a private in 
the Tenth Regiment of Connecticut Volun- 
teers. After the expiration of his term he 
re enlisted in the Twentieth Regiment, and 
was appointed Hospital Steward, serving till 
the fall of 1864, when he was taken sick and 
returned home. In the summer of 1865 he 
attended a course of lectures at Yale College, 
graduating the same year, and then removed 
to Aurora, Kane Co., 111. He followed his 
profession there for two years, and then went 
to Lee County, where he practiced till 1880, 
when he came to Tiskilwa, where he now 
follows his profession with marked success. 
Dr. Lee was married in October, 1856, in 
Connecticut, to Lucy A. Abell, born July, 
1839, in Middlesex County, Conn. She is 
a daughter of J. L. and Sarah (Young) 
Abell, and is the mother of six children now 
living, viz.: Mrs. Gracie M. Fitch, of 
Chicago, Mrs. Addie A. Benson, Charles F., 
Ernest, Mary D. and Kittie C. Dr. and 
Mrs. Lee are members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. He is an A. F. & A. M. 
and a Republican. 

H. B. LEEPEK, Princeton, was born 
April 16, 1821, in Bond County, 111. He is 
a son of Judge John Leeper, who was a 
native of Bedford County, Penn., whore he 
was born August 23, 1786. He died Decem- 
ber 14, 1835, in Leepertown Township, 
Bureau Co. , 111. Judge Leeper was educated 
in his native county. He was a man of ster- 
ling qualities, such as have oftea character- 
ized our Illinois frontier men — a man 
suited to the times, and a pioneer in the true 



sense of the word, but of that superior qual- 
ity which could build up and further any 
good enterprise. It may truly be said that 
he was a leader in every community where 
he lived. He took a special interest in 
chiu'ch matters, and assisted in the building 
of different edifices. Early in life he moved 
to Georgia with his parents, and there 
became a farmer. (See General History. ) 
He moved to Jacksonville in Morgan County 
in November 2, 1823. While there he was 
elected a member of the Legislature, and 
was also County Judge of that county. Oc- 
tober 10, 1831, he came to Putnam County, 
where he lived two years near Hennepin, and 
then crossed the Illinois River and settled in 
what is now known as Leepertown Township, 
Bureau County. The township was named 
after him. Here, in 1834, he erected a very 
fine water-mill at a cost of nearly 113,000, a 
big sum in those days. It had a carding 
and saw-mill attached, and in those days 
when even a horse-mill was considered quite 
a convenience this water-mill was considered 
a blessing, and when it burnt to the ground 
in 1838 it was considered a great calamity. 
For a distance of thirty miles in all direc- 
tions, even as far as the Rock River country, 
the people would patronize this mill. In 
the neighborhood of the mill the Judge 
owned 900 acres of land. His main occupa- 
tion, even in this county, was farming, and 
on his farm he died. His home was ever 
open to the stranger, to the poor and needy, 
none appealing to him in vain. His home 
was the resort of the minister, who often 
held meetings in it, the Judge being an 
Elder of the Presbyterian Church. Judge 
Leeper was married in 1806 to Fidillis 
McCord. who was born December 22, 1790, 
in North Carolina. She died May 14, 1840, 
in Putnam County, 111., and with her hus- 
band lies buried in the Princeton cemetery. 
She was a daughter of Robert and Fannie 
(Black) McCord. She was one of a family 
of eighteen children, and was herself the 
mother of fourteen children, of whom five 
are now living, viz. : James, a resident of Cali- 
fornia; Charles, a resident of Ford County, 
111.: Mrs. Mary Stuart, of Philadelphia; 
William H., of Page County, Neb., and 
Harvey B. , whose name heads this sketch. 



574 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



James Leeper, the father of Judge Leeper, 
was a native of Ireland, where he was born 
February 28, 1743. He died April 14, 1811, 
in Bedford County, Tenn. He was also a 
farmer, and came to the United States with 
his parents, Allen and Elizabeth (Cummings) 
Leeper, who were of Scotch descent. James 
Leeper married Mary Blair, a native of 
Down County, Ireland, who died March 29, 
1828. She was a daughter of Hugh and 
Mary (Dawson) Blair, both natives of Ire- 
land. A sister of James Leeper married 
Thomas Ewing. Gen. Ewing, who is a 
brother-in-law of Gen. Sherman, is of this 
family. Harvey B. Leeper was twelve years 
old when he came to this county. He re 
ceived a limited education in a log school- 
house in Putnam County, to which place he 
had moved in 1839. Here he farmed; then 
followed the carpenter's trade three years, 
after which he taught school for a number of 
years, especially in the winter, farming in 
the summer. In 1860 he was elected Sheriff 
of Putnam County, serving one term, and 
then bought and sold land for a number of 
years. In the fall of 1864 he removed to 
Normal, 111., where he dealt in real estate. 
While there he was elected and served as 
President of the Soldiers' Orphan Home. 
In the fall of 1874 he came to Princeton, 
where he now resides. In 1843, November 
23, he was married to Mary A. Laughlin, 
who was born April 15, 1823, in Bond 
County, 111. She is a daughter of Samuel 
D. and Rebecca (Dunlavy) Laughlin. Mr. 
and Mrs. Leeper are members of the Congre- 
gational Church, in which he is a Deacon. 
In political matters he is a Kepublican. 

F. J. LEIBIGER, Princeton, was born in 
Easton, Northampton Co., Penn., March 7, 
1843. He is the son of M. and C. Leibiger, 
who were born in Baden-Baden, Germany, 
but came to the United States in 1837. By 
trade the father was a stone mason; he died 
December, 1881. The mother yet resides at 
the old home in Pennsylvania. She is the 
mother of four sons and two daughters, all 
of whom are living and are married. The 
subject of this sketch remained at home till 
he was fourteen years of age, and then was 
apprenticed to a jeweler in Philadelphia for 
five years ; this jeweler was an Englishman, 



and had learned his trade in London. After 
remaining for tive years with him, Mr. Leibi- 
ger went to work with some jewelers who had 
learned their trade in Switzerland. With 
these he remained for two years and three 
months. After this he worked as a journey- 
man watchaiaker for about three years. He 
then went to Wamego, Pottawatomie Co., 
Kan., in 1869, having nothing but his tools, 
but he opened a shop and continued till 
1873, when he came to Princeton, bringing 
about $2,000 with him, which he had made 
in Wamego. This money he applied on a 
stock of goods which he opened in North 
Princeton. He has continued in the business 
since, and has been remarkably successful ; 
his stock of goods and fixtures reach at least 
$8,000 in value. One secret of Mr. Leibi- 
ger's success is the thoroughness with which 
he does his work. His long years of appren- 
ticeship gave him a skill which few possess 
— there being scarcely any kind of intricate 
work which he cannot do. He was married 
in Princeton, January, 1874, to Miss Sophia 
M. Richards, who was born in May, 1845, 
and is the daughter of Franklin Richards, a 
retired farmer of Princeton. To Mr. and 
Mrs. Leibiger one son was born — Henry N., 
born October, 1874. In politics Mr. L. is 
identified with the Republican party. 

ALBERT LEWIS, Ohio, was born Sep- 
tember 16, 1827, in Belmont County, Ohio, 
and is the son of Thomas and Lydia Lewis, 
of Pennsylvania, who came to Ohio at an 
early day, and settled in the county where 
the subject of this sketch was born. He re- 
sided in his native county until 1849, when 
he went to Johnson County, Ind. , and re- 
mained there till 1850. He then returned to 
Ohio, where he resided till 1852, when he 
came to this county, arriving at Princeton 
March 12. He located in Ohio Township, 
where he worked on a farm till May 24, 1855, 
when he married Annie M. Kiser. She is 
the daughter of George and Magdalene 
Kiser, formerly of Pennsylvania, and was 
born November 3, 1831, at Allegheny, Penn. 
The father was born November 20, 1799. 
The mother was born February 17, 1800, and 
died in this county October 2, 1879. Mr. 
and Mrs. Kiser removed from Pennsylvania 
to Ohio in 1833, where they remained till 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



575 



1843, when they came to this county and set- 
tled on Government land. Of Mr. Riser's 
family there were ten children, six of whom 
are now living, as follows: Lewis Riser is 
farming in Nebraska; Daniel is living in 
Sedgwick, Ran.; David is at Newton, Iowa; 
James is at State Center, Iowa; Annie M. 
Lewis has a pleasant home with the subject 
of this sketch atOhio, 111. ; Caroline Mead 
lives on a farm near Edenville, Iowa; Lewis, 
Aaron and Benjamin F. were all members of 
Company B, Ninety third Illinois Infantry 
during the late war. Aaron died at Mem- 
phis, Tenn., March 3, 1863; Benjamin F. died 
at Centerville, Ga., October 9, 1864, of 
wounds received at the battle of Allatoona 
Pass. Mr. Lewis first settled after his mar- 
riage at Princeton in 1855, where he re- 
mained till March, 1857. He then settled in 
Ohio Township on the farm now occupied by 
S. B. Tower, where he remained a year, when 
he removed to the farm on which he now 
lives, being the north one half of southeast 
quarter Section 14. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis 
are the parents of live children, three of 
whom are now living, as follows: Herman 
E. Lewis was born June 27, 1856, and is now 
married and living on his own farm in 
Iowa; Harry W. Lewis was born May 29, 
1861, and died August 29, 1862; Geuve 
A. Lewis was born May 18, 1863; Albert 
E. Lewis and Delbert E. Lewis were born 
March 2, 1869; Delbert E. Lewis died March 
11, 1870. Mr. Lewis owns besides his farm 
in Ohio Township 320 acres in Brown Coun- 
ty, Dak. In politics was formerly a Whig, 
and is now a Republican. 

JOSEPH W. LEWIS, Arlington, was born 
July 25, 1810, in Fayette County, Penn. He 
is a son of Noah Lewis, a farmer by occupa- 
tion, who was born March 28, 1767, near 
New York City. He died November 6, 1825, 
in Fayette County, Penn. Noah Lewis mar- 
ried Esther Woodmansee, who was born 
March 16, 1788, in Redstone Township, Fay- 
ette Co., Penn. She was a daughter of Joseph 
and Ann (Rodgers) Woodmansee, who were 
good old-fashioned Quakers. Mrs. Esther 
Lewis died March 27, 1868. She was the 
mother of the following children: Eliza, Jo- 
seph W. (our subject), George, Mary A., John 
W. , James, Nancy, Alfred and Noah Lewis. 



Of the above, Mrs. Nancy Winters, Joseph 
W., James aud Alfred Lewis are yet living. 
Our subject was reared in his native State, 
where he also learned the carpenters' trade. 
In the fall of 1831, after reaching his major- 
ity, he went to Belmont County, Ohio, where 
he followed his trade till 1851, when he re- 
moved to Lamoille Township, Bureau Co., 111., 
where he bought a farm of 177 acres, which 
he yet owns. He farmed a little, but worked 
at his trade most of the time. He came to 
Arlington in 1856, and has made that town 
his home ever since. Here he is living a re- 
tired life. He supported his aged mother 
for years, and is universally liked, and better 
known by the name of " Uncle Joe." Relig- 
iously Mr. Lewis is connected with the Pres- 
byterian Church. Politically he is now a Re- 
publican, and was formerly a W^hig. 

M. A. LEWIS, deceased. Of the men in 
Bureau County who have made Neponset 
Township their home, and who have always 
striven to make themselves useful to the com- 
munity where they resided, and whose influ- 
ence for good was felt by all who came in 
contact with them, we know of none who de- 
serve more credit than the subject of this 
biography, Morgan A. Lewis, who was born 
October 27, 1833, in Carlisle, Penn. His grand- 
parents, Morgan A., and Rachel (Hudson) 
Lewis, were of Welsh descent, and were 
born near Philadelphia, Penn. The former 
had a good education, and was a teacher by 
occupation. They reared a family of six 
children, and died in Pottsville, Schuylkill 
Co., Penn. The parents of M. A. Lewis were 
Amos H. and Mary (Pleam) Lewis, both na- 
tives of Pennsylvania. The former died in 
Burlington, Iowa, and the latter in Bureau 
County, 111. They were farmers by occupa- 
tion and came to Hickory Grove, Neponset 
Town8hip,BureauCo.,Ill.,in 1850. They were 
the parents of eight children, viz.: Levi; 
Christian P., of Decatur, Iowa; Mrs. Evelina 
Chalander, Mrs. Mary A. Akin, Cyrus B., 
Morgan A. deceased; Mrs. Rachel Ring, of 
Chicago, and Mrs. Susan Osburn, of Prince- 
ton. Morgan A. Lewis was reared in Penn- 
sylvania, and there received the benefits of a 
common school education. He came here 
with his parents in 1850, making farming his 
occupation. He was married here November 



576 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



2, 1854, to Miss Emma J. Blackburn, who 
survives him. She was born January 26, 
1836, near Leeds, in Yorkshire, England. 
Her parents. George and Susan (Hodgson) 
Blackburn, were natives of England. They 
died in Kewanee, 111. Mrs. Lewis came to this 
country with her parents in 1842. She is yet 
residing on the homestead left her by her in- 
dustrious husband. She is the mother of 
four children, viz. : Charles H., born March 
14, 1856; Mrs. Ella M. Bennett, born May 26, 
1858 (she is the mother of two children, viz.: 
Clyde L. and Clarence S.); George W., born 
September 2, 1862; and Florence L., born 
July 6, 1870. Morgan A. Lewis was a man 
of considerable influence in Neponset Town- 
ship, where he filled different offices with 
tact and ability. Politically he was a Green- 
backer the last years of his life, but always 
voted for the best man. For many years he 
was the Master of the A. F. & A. M. frater- 
nity. He was a friend of the poor, a good 
neighbor and ever willing to support a good 
cause. He took a deep interest in the afi'airs 
of the soldiers, the decoration of their graves, 
and in the AV. S. Bryan Post of the G. A. R. 
He was justly called the " soldier's friend," 
and as an evidence of their esteem the Post 
made him a present of a handsome gold-head- 
ed cane. This friend of the poor, of the sol- 
dier and of humanity died March 1, 1884. 

SWAN LINN, Princeton, was born in 
1852 in Skaraborg, Wester Gotlan, Sweden. 
In 1869 he left his native land and came to 
Princeton, which he has since made his 
home. He landed here with nothing, and 
for five years worked on a farm, then clerked 
for two years in the store of Swan Bros., 
after which he, in partnership with Andrew 
Johnson, bought out the store of Swan Bros. 
The firm of Linn & Johnson continued for 
two years, when Mr. Johnson bought the 
entire stock, and Mr. Linn returned to Swe- 
den for six months; but he again came to 
Princeton and opened a stock of goods under 
Immke's photograph gallery. After three 
years in that stand he bought Nelson's gro- 
cery store, and moved into the room then 
occupied by Nelson; but this soon proved to 
be too small for his ever increasing stock of 
goods, so he opened his present double store 
rooms, one occupied by groceries, and the 



other by dry goods, the entire stock averaging 
in value about 18,000 or $10,000. Mr. Swan 
Linn is a thoroughgoing business man, who 
is ever ready to invest where there is a good 
opening, and so has bought out several stocks 
of goods since first starting in business. For 
nine months in 1883 he owned a store in 
Chicago, but it was run by a partner till they 
sold out. Sivan Linn & Co. have built up 
one of the largest businesses in Princeton, 
and have a trade not surpassed by any. Mr. 
Linn is a member of the Swedish Mission 
Church. In politics he is Republican. 

AUGUST LIPKE, Hall, was born April 6, 
1833, in Neubarnum, Brandenburg, Ger- 
many. His parents, William and Helena 
(Lauersdorf) Lipke, were natives of the 
same place, and the father died there. The 
mother came to America in the fall of 1847 
with her children, William, Charles, Ferdi- 
nand, Henry, August and Lena. They set- 
tled in Dodge County, Wis., where the 
mother died. In 1849 August Lipke went to 
Chicago, where he learned the blacksmith's 
trade, and worked at that for four years. In 
1853 he came to Peru and followed his trade 
until 1869, when he moved onto his farm in 
Hall Township, Bureau County, where he 
now resides. He began with a farm of 160 
acres, and has through energy and industry 
added to it, till he now owns 400 acres in 
this county, and 2,052 acres in Nebraska, 
near Sioux City Mr. Lipke was married, 
September 1, 1855, in Peru, to Johanna 
Fienhold, born August 19, 1834, in Weisen- 
see, Saxony, Germany, a daughter of John 
and Mary Fienhold. Mrs. Lipke is the 
mother of eight children now living, viz.: 
Lena, Rieka, Frederick William, Anna, 
Augusta, Minnie, William C. and Henry F. 
C. Mr. and Mrs. Lipke are members of the 
German Evangelical Church. Politically he 
is a Republican. 

ELIJAH LITTLE, Westfield, was born 
May 23, 1823, in Warren County, N. J. He 
is a son of William and Sarah (Ayers) Little, 
natives of New Jei'sey, where they died. 
They were the parents of ten children who 
reached maturity. Elijah Little farmed in 
New Jersey till June, 1847, when he came 
West by water and stage and settled in 
Westfield Township, Bureau County, 111. He 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



(577 



was fascinated by the Western wilds, espe- 
cially the gentle sloping prairie south of 
Lost Grove, where he bought 160 acres of 
land at $1.25 per acre. Mr. Little has been 
an industrious and successful farmer, and 
now owns 672 acres of land. He has served 
the people faithfully in the capacity of Justice 
of the Peace for a period of eight years. He 
was married, June 11, 1856, to Elizabeth 
Smith, also a native of Warren County, N. 
J., born February 23, ISS-l. Her parents, 
Joseph and Anna (Oliver) Smith, were also 
natives of New Jersey. The former was of 
French and Scotch and the latter of German 
extraction. Mr. and Mrs. Little are among 
the old settlers of Westlield Township, 
whose prairies they helped to convert into 
blooming and fertile fields. They are the 
parents of the following children: Mrs. 
Sarah A. Mercer, Mrs. Lucinda Wright, 
Mary, John W. (of Nebraska), Mrs. Emma 
Weir (of Calaveras County, Gal.), Mrs. 
Isabel Trimmer (of Stark County, 111.), 
Amanda B., Charles R., Mattie J. and Estella 
E. Little. 

THOMAS J. LOCKWOOD, Buda, was 
born in Cattaraugus County, N. Y., April 16, 
1827. He is the son of Thomas and Fanny 
(Frantz) Lockwood. He was born in W^est- 
chester Conn., January 8, 1802, but she 
was born in Chestnut Hill, Penn., November 
30, 1806. They were married in Hinsdale, 
N. Y., in November, 1825. He died October 
24, 1862, in Hinsdale, N. Y.. but she died in 
this county September 29, 1881. She was 
the mother of elevea children, of whom our 
subject is the eldest. Eight of the family 
are yet living. The following are the mem- 
bers of the family: Thomas J., of Buda; 
Sarah A., of this county, wife of Josiah 
Baty; James M., of Hinsdale, N. Y.; Mar- 
garet F. Baum, of Lenox, Iowa, wife of 
Henry Baum; Mrs. Virginia E. Kitterman, 
died in this county, September 1, 1881; 
Catherine A., wife of Ransom McNall, of 
Des Moines, Iowa; Charles F., of Port Jer- 
vis, N. Y. ; George, of Des Moines, Iowa; 
Mrs. Fanny Howe, died in San Jose, Cal., 
December 5. 1863; Francis P., and Mary R., 
who died September 17, 1874, at Buda. The 
early life of Thomas J. Lockwood was that 
of a lumberman; but in 1855 he came to Bu- 



reau County, 111. In August, 1862, he 
answered at the country's call for 600,000 
men, and enlisted in Company C, Ninety-third 
Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He served as Sec- 
ond Lieutenant till at the battle of Champion 
Hills he received a gun-shot wound which 
entirely destroyed his sight. He was dis- 
charged January, 1864, and now receives a 
pension of 172 per month. After returning 
from the service he engaged in various oc- 
cupations till about 1870, when he began 
dealing in agricultural implements, which 
business he still carries on successfully. In 
1880 he built the Lockwood Block in Buda, 
which is a large substantial brick building 
with storerooms below, and a commodious 
hall above. January 3, 1873, he was married 
in New Bedford. Hi. , to Mrs. A. E. Gibson. 
She was born in New York, and is the daugh- 
ter of E. H. and Mary Ann Baxter, both na- 
tives of the State of New York, but came to 
Bureau County, 111., in 1857, and Mrs. Bax- 
ter yet lives here, but her husband died in 
Iowa. Mrs. Lockwood is a member of the 
Baptist Chiu'ch. Mr. L. is identified with 
the Republican party in politics, and is a 
member of the G. A. R. Post of Buda. 

MRS. HARRIET N. LOYD, Princeton, 
was born July 7, 1829, in Northampton, Mass. 
Her parents were Charles and Mary (Strong) 
Phelps; both were natives of Massachusetts, 
and both died here. He was a son of Eben- 
ezer Phelps. The complete genealogy of 
that family appears in another part of this 
work. Mrs Loyd has been married twice. 
Her first husband was Isaac Carpenter, a 
native of New York. He died here. In 
early life he was a wagon-maker by occupa- 
tion, but his last years were spent on the 
farm. He was the father of two children, 
viz. : Mary W. and Charles W. Her second 
husband was John S. Loyd, a native of New 
York State. He died in 1862, while a soldier 
in our late war. Charles W. Carpenter was 
married to Miss Estella Clapp, a native of 
Princeton, 111. She died in February, 1883. 
Mr. Charles W. Carpenter is engaged in 
farming. He and his mother and sister are 
living together. He is a member of the 
Congregational Church, but his mother and 
sister belong to the Christian Church. 

NATHAN C. MANROSE, Wyanet, was 



578 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



born in Cortland County, N. Y.,May 1, 1816. 
His father, David H. Manrose, was a native of 
Massachusetts, and moved with his wife, 
Anna Gary, to New York, where he was 
engaged in farming until his death. They 
were the parents of fourteen children, of 
whom only two are living, our subject and 
a sister, Betsey E. Hammond, of Cortland 
County, N. Y. Nathan C. Manrose was 
reared on a farm and educated in the com- 
mon schools. His occupation in life has 
been chiefly that of farming. In 1842 he 
came to Bureau County, and settled in 
Wyanet Township in the Centre Grove neigh- 
borhood, where he lived for seven years, and 
then removed to Wyanet. He was engaged 
in the drug business for five years, but has 
now retired from active life. August 21, 
1842, he was married in New York, to 
Sarah Jane Newton, born in Long Island, 
N. Y., June 27, 1820. Her parents, Caleb 
and Maiy (Tuttle) Newton, were natives of 
Long Island, and in 1824 removed to Cort- 
land County, and resided in that part of 
the State til) their deaths. They were the 
parents of six children, four of whom are 
now living: Charity E. (deceased), wife of 
Philip G. Norwood; Nancy K., wife of 
ErastuH Johnson, of Broom County, N. Y. ; 
Mrs. N. C. Manrose, Sylvester S., of Wyanet; 
John W. , died at the age of twenty-two; 
Francis E., of Lincoln, Neb. Mr. and Mrs. 
Manrose have four children: Mary, wife of 
George Furgeson, of Glidden, Iowa: Hattie 
C, at home; Newton, a farmer of Wyanet 
Township; Emma, wife of Edward Golding, 
of Glidden, Iowa. In politics Mr. Manrose 
is Republican. His wife is a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. 

ANDEEW MARPLB, Sheffield. David 
Marple was born in Frederick County, Va., 
August 15, 1810, but about 1829 emigi-ated 
from Virginia to Belmont County, Ohio, 
where he was married March 12, 1830, to 
Elizabeth Watkins, who was born in that 
county January 21, 1813. In 1837 they 
removed to Bureau County, 111., and settled 
on Bureau Creek, near where Wyanet now is, 
but in later years lived in Selby Township, 
and then in Gold, where Mr. Marple was the 
second settler. In 1858 they removed to 
Sheffield, where they have since continv.pd to 



reside. His leading occupation during life 
has been that of farming, but for some years 
after coming here was engaged in coopering 
also. They are the parents of ten children, 
seven of whom yet survive, viz. : Andrew, 
William F,., Joseph, Lucinda, Richard S., 
George and Jane. Lucinda is the wife of 
J. M. Parke, of Woodson County, Kan. 
Jane is the wife of Thomas Masters, of Shef- 
field. Two of the sons, William and George, 
are merchants in Osage City, Kan., but the 
other sons are merchants in Sheffield. Mr. 
and Mrs. Marple also have twenty-nine 
grandchildren and twelve greatgrandchil- 
dren. Andrew Marple was born in Bel- 
mont County, Ohio, January 26, 1831, came 
to this county with his parents in 1837, and 
followed farming till 1880, when he came to 
Sheffield, but still owns his farm of 306 
acres in Concord Township. In the fall of 
1882 he began dealing in agricultural imple- 
ments in Sheffield, in partnership with 
George M. Peterson. October 28, 1852, he 
was married to Susannah Hollingshead, a 
native of the same county as Mr. Marple. 
She died January 29, 1871, and was the 
mother of five children, viz. : Hannah E. , 
Martha J., Rachel A., David H. and Lucinda. 
December 25, 1871, he was married to Han- 
nah Conklin, who was born in Greene County, 
Penn. In politics Mr. Marple is identified 
with the Republican party, and has tilled 
various township offices. He is a member of 
Ames Lodge, No. 142, A. F. & A. M., of 
Sheffield, and also of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. 

JOHN MARRIOTT, Lamoille, who is the 
subject of the following biography, was born 
November 15, 1827, in Nottinghamshire, 
England. His parents, William and Jane 
(Talbott) Marriott, were natives of the above 
place, where they died. They were the par- 
ents of the following children: Mary (de- 
ceased), Fannie (deceased), William, John, 
Elizabeth, Jane, Henry and Anna Marriott, 
all of whom came to the United Stales ex- 
cept Fannie. In June, 1850, Mr. Mamott 
immigrated and came direct to Lamoille, 111., 
and was afterward followed by his brothers 
and sisters. At first he worked by the month, 
at $11 per month, but as soon as he got a lit- 
tle monev ahead he got a horse and with a 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



579 



small borrowed capital purchased a meat 
market. Although this was a small be- 
ginaing, yet it was the corner-stone to our 
subject's present prosperity. Mr. Marriott 
soon conceived the idea of feeding stock, and 
picking up a few practical lessons about the 
business, and gaining the friendship of Isaac 
H. Norris, another prominent Bureau County 
stockman, which friendship yet exists, he em- 
barked in the enterprise with true English 
integrity. At first his lots of stock were 
small, but he became ambitious to own 100 
head of cattle and soon afterward realized his 
wish, and of this drove he sold eighty head 
at one time for $10,000 which created quite 
a stir at that time and is yet remembered by 
stockmen, but little stock being fed in this 
county at the time. For a period of about 
eight years he was in partnership with I. H. 
Norris in the shipping business. To day Mr. 
Marriott is at the head of the cattle business 
in Bureau County, and is only second in the 
State of Illinois, the report "John Marriott 
has again topped the market," appearing quite 
frequently in our dailies. At first he rented 
pasture, but now owns about 200 acres of 
land lying mostly in the town corporation 
and valued at about $110 per acre. He pre- 
pares all his cattle for the market and has 
probably the best facilities for feeding in the 
State, having fine natui-al springs in the past- 
ures, and feeding on an average 600 head 
of cattle per annum. Mr. Marriott has been 
instrumental in the introduction of oil cake 
feeding, the 3 per cent rule, and other things 
pertaining to the stock business. Mr. Marri- 
ott was joined in marriage to Elizabeth Mc- 
Climent, a native of New Brunswick, and of 
Scotch descent. She is the mother of five 
children, viz. : Joseph, Mrs. Nellie J. Steven- 
son, Mrs. Laura Betz, of Chicago, Isaac N. 
and John McCliment Marriott. Mr. Marri- 
ott takes a deep interest in home afi'airs, and 
though rather neutral in political matters has 
been identified with the Republican party. 

M. M. MARTIN, Selby, was born in War- 
ren County, N. J., Februarj' 10, 1836. 
His parents, Henry and Mary A. (Brown) 
Martin, were both natives of Warren County, 
N. J. The father was born in 1803, and 
the mother in 1808. His father, James 
Martin, was a Revolutionary soldier. Henry 



Martin was a farmer, and in 1856 settled 
with his family in Selby Township, Bureau 
County, two miles north of De Pue. He died 
in Maiden, in 1877, where he had removed 
two years before. His widow still resides 
there. Mrs. Martin has two older sisters liv- 
ing: Mrs. Nancy Mucklow is ninety three 
years of age and lives in Warren County, 
N. J. ; the other, Mrs. Sally Slack, is 
eighty-two years of age, and lives at Wash- 
ington, D. C. During the war she was in 
Virginia on her farm between Manassas and 
Bull Run, and although both armies camped 
on her farm at different times yet she man- 
aged to save her house. Mrs. Martin has one 
brother, James Brown, now living in Michi- 
gan. She is the mother of nine children, viz.: 
Margaret, wife of A. Lance, of Westfield 
Township; Harriet, wife of M. K. Callinan, 
of Selby; Matthew M., our subject; Peter A., 
of Selby Township; John D., a twin brother, 
was killed in the war, Company B, Ninety- 
third Volunteer Infantry, at Allatoona Ga.-, 
Rachel, wife of George Barr, of Berlin Town- 
ship; Ann O., died in girlhood; Maria, wife 
of F. A. Long, Benton County, Iowa; Lizzie; 
wife of Harrison Strong, of Benton County, 
Iowa. M. M. Martin was reared in W'arren 
County, N. J., and educated in the 
schools of his native State and also in this 
county. His occupation has always been that 
of farming in Selby Township, where he 
now resides in Section 16. He and his wife 
own nearly 500 acres. The original Shabbona 
Schoolhouse is still standing on his farm, a 
house which all the early preachers of the 
county have occupied at various times. June 
13, 1867, he was married to Maria L. Hall, 
who was born November 16, 1847, and is a 
daughter of Ransom Hall, and grand-daugh- 
ter of John Hall. Mr. and Mrs. Martin have 
one child, Mary Cecil, born October 24, 1877. 
Mr. Martin is identified with the Greenback 
party. For three years he was a member of 
the County Board of Supervisors, and has 
also held other township offices. He is a 
member of Bureau Lodge, A. F. & A. M., 
No. 112, of Princeton. He and his wife are 
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
of Maiden. 

WILLIAM MARTIN (deceased). This 
old pioneer was a native of Winchester, Va. 



680 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



His parents, Snowden and Elizabeth (Thorn 
burg) Martin, were natives of Virginia. The 
latter died at Mendota, 111. She was the 
mother of the following children: William, 
John S., Isabelle, Jane and Mary. Of the 
above John S. was killed in 1852, while on 
his way to California. Snowden Martin was 
a staff officer under Gon. Jackson, and died 
of yellow fever while in the service. He was 
the owner of a large plantation in Virginia, 
and owned many slaves which he freed dur- 
ing his life, thus setting a glorious example 
which only a few followed. William Martin 
was reared in Ohio, to which he came with 
his parents in 1817. About the year 1830 
he traveled through the northern part of 
Illinois to the Mississippi Eiver, and then 
conceived the idea of settling in Elkhorn 
Grove. In April, 1838, he started for the 
above place from Ohio, but when he got to 
Princeton, 111., he had only $1.05, and re- 
solved to make Bureau County his home. He 
lived one year north of Dover, and then 
rented a farm in Lamoille Township. In 
1840 he took up a claim in the northwest 
quarter of Section 21, which he afterward 
entered. He was warned by his friends not 
to settle on the prairie, as he would never 
have any neighbors, nor have a chance to 
send his children to school. His advisers 
found afterward that it was their mistake. 
Mr. Martin encountered many obstacles when 
he first settled here, and was sick with the 
ague one year; yet he overcame all, and 
though small in stature, was a hard worker, 
and acquired a farm of 600 acres. He died 
on his homestead December 7, 1877, at a good 
old age. William Martin was married in 
Ohio to Jane Moore, who was born October 
5, 1811. She died here September 18, 1875. 
She was the mother of nine children, viz.: 
Isabelle, Eliza, Amanda, Snowden J., Isaac 
M., Mary E., W. Scott, Z. Taylor and S. 
Frances. Of the above Eliza and Isaac M. 
are deceased. W. Scott Martin was born 
December 3, 1846. He was married here to 
Mildred E. Pierce, who was born October 5, 
1849, in Berlin Township, of which her 
parents, James and Esther (Green) Pierce, 
were early settlers. 

CYRUS P. MASON, Concord. John 
Mason was born in Deerfield, N. H. , Janu- 



ary 7, 1798. When he was but four years 
of age his father died, and three years later 
he lost his mother also. He had but one 
sister, Anna Erwen Mason, who was born 
May 24, 1795, and died in 1883 in Concord, 
N. H. , and left one daughter, now Mrs. 
Mary Blake, of Concord, N. H. In early 
life John Mason was bound to Edmund Stev- 
ens, to learn the tanner and currier's trade, 
and his life was such that he had but small 
opportunities for an education; however, he 
learned to read and write, and then to 
cipher, using the hides in the tannery for his 
slate. After serving his time of apprentice- 
ship, he never afterward followed his trade, 
but engaged in different occupations. In 
1835 he removed from his then home in 
Pittsfield, N. H., to Illinois, and landed 
at Pekin June 15, 1835; and five of the fam- 
ily of seven had to be carried off the boat to 
the shore, on account of sickness. His first 
settlement was at Black Partridge Point, in 
what is now Woodford County, and the fol- 
lowing year, 1836, the town of Metamora 
was laid out on land adjoining his farm. In 
1841 he came to Bureau County, and settled 
at French Grove. That year he made brick, 
and the following year built a two-story 
brick house, which was the first house erect- 
ed on the present site of Buda, and yet re- 
mains. In 1844 he sold this, and the fol- 
lowing year settled the farm now owned by 
his son, Cyrus P. . and it was there he met his 
death. May 5, 1860. He was crushed by the 
falling of a large stone he was trying to bury 
in the field. He was married in Canterbury, 
N. H. , March 7, 1820, to Abigail Robey, who 
was born at Pittsfield, N. H., December 17, 
1793, and died in this county November 20, 
1865. She was the mother of the following 
named children: William H. , born August 
13, 1821; Abigail, born February 22, 1823; 
John W., born May 27, 1825; Stephen R., 
born June 18, 1827, and Cyrus P., born 
August 13, 1831. William H. now resides 
in Macon Township, where he settled No- 
vember 10, 1847. He was married January 
24, 1844, to Phebe A. Drawyer. She died 
in October, 1852. By his present wife, 
Mehitable Kaime Mason, to whom he was 
married June 27, 1853; he has one son, 
William K. Abigail A. was married May 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



581 



4, 1843, to Benjamin Rowell, who resides iu 
this county, and has live children living. 
John W. married Achsah M. Brainard, 
March 16, 1847, by whom he has five chil- 
dren living; he died November 21, 1866. 
Stephen R. Mason was married to Mary A. 
Brainard June 10, 185'2, and also has five 
children living: he is a practicing physi- 
cian at Deval's Bluff, Ark. Cyrus P. Mason 
was united in marriage January 8, 1860, to 
Sarah J. Noyes, who was born in Springfield, 
N. H., February 25, 1833, and is the mother 
of two sons, viz.: Parker N., born October 
4, 1862, and Orris W., born June 21, 1864. 
Mrs. Mason is the daughter of James and 
Sally (Philbrick) Noyes. The father was 
born July 20, 1789, and died September 10, 
1842. The mother was born July 29, 1798, 
and yet survives. They were the parents of 
five daughters, viz. : Mrs. Ursula Durham, 
of Lee County, 111. ; Mrs. Caroline P. Lov- 
erin, of Princeton, 111.; Milly M. , who died 
in her twenty-second year; Sarah E., who 
died young, and Mrs. Sarah J. Mason. 

MARSHAL MASON, deceased, was born 
January 1, 1809, in Union County, Ky. He 
died November 12, 1857, on his farm in 
Bureau County, 111., to which he came in 
June, 1834, settling on Section 16, in Dover 
Township, on the north side of Bureau Creek. 
There he entered 160 acres of land, and on 
it built the first cabin north of Bureau Creek 
in this county. He improved his land and 
was a successful farmer: afterward he bought 
eighty acres more. Marshal Mason was a 
man of excellent qualities, and the old pio- 
neers of Bureau County remember him as a 
good neighbor and stanch friend. He was 
married, July 31, 1832, iu Kentucky, to Ann 
E. Barker, who was one of a family of ten 
children. She was born June 26, 1813, in 
Union County, Ky. Her parents were Thomas 
and Sarah (Lay) Barker, who were natives of 
Virginia, but reared in Fayette County, Ky., 
where they resided till they were married, 
and then moved to Union County, Ky., where 
they both died. Mrs. Mason is the mother 
of ten children, viz.: Sarah, Dorcas, John, 
Elma, Thomas B., Oscar, Amanda, Darius, 
Mary and Marshal. Of the above Dorcas is 
the only one now living. John Mason mar- 
ried Ann Gray. Their son, John M. Mason, 



was born August 2, 1868; he is yet living. 
His father died October 4, 1836; his mother 
is now the wife of William Dunlap. Thomas 
B. Mason served as a soldier in our late war 
in Company B of the Ninety-third Regiment 
Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was taken 
prisoner at the battle of Lookout Mountain, 
and died at Andersonville prison, May 3, 
1864, aged twenty-four years. Mrs. Mason 
and her daughter Dorcas removed to Prince- 
ton in 1877, where they have resided ever 
since She yet owns the old home place, 
which she has managed with great success 
since her husband's death. 

JOHN MASTERS, Leepertown. Rich- 
ard C. Masters, father of the above-named 
gentleman, was born in New York State, 
where he spent his youth. He was married 
in Virginia to Agnes Cochran, a native of 
thai State. About foui- years later, in 1810, 
they removed to Kentucky, where they resid- 
ed until 1826, when they came to Illinois and 
settled at Springfield. In 1833 he came to 
Bureau County and built a house, and the 
following year brought his family, settling 
three miles north of Dover. By trade he was 
a wagon-maker, and had followed that until 
he came to Bureau County, when he invested 
in land, and afterward gave his attention to 
farming. He resided here until a short time 
before his death, when he went to live with 
his son Robert, in Minnesota, and died there 
in 1872, at the age of eighty-seven years. 
His wife died in this county about three 
yeai's previous, at the age of seventy two 
years. They were the parents of five sons 
and one daughter: Robert C, of Northfield, 
Minn.; John, of Bureau County; Elvina, 
wife of Thomas Cole, died in 1882; James, 
of Nebraska City, Neb. ; A. Campbell, died 
in 1878 in this county, and William, of 
Fort Scott, Kan. John Masters was born 
May 1, 1811, in Warren County, Ky., near 
Bowling Green, coming with his parents to 
this county in 1834. His occupation has 
been that of farming and milling. In 1839 
he built a saw-mill, and for the last twenty 
years has been in the grist-mill business, most 
of the time on the present site, which was 
first built upon by James Peters in 1833, lo- 
cated on Big Bureau, Section 18. He was 
married March 4, 1841, to Maria Belknap, 



582 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



born in New York State, August 19, 1822. She 
came to this county from Ohio, and died April 
26, 1878. She was the mother of live sons 
and one daughter, viz.: Arzy, Miles, both at 
the Red Mill; Edgar and Oren, at Farming- 
ton, Iowa; Parker, of Council Bluffs, Iowa; 
Lillie, wife of Charles A.verill, of Leepertown 
Township. All of the sons are millers. Miles 
Masters, born December 4, 1846, in Dover 
Township, was married February 6, 1868, to 
Lana A. Rhodes. She was born in Pennsyl- 
vania, July 12, 1849. They have five children, 
viz.: Lewis G. , born November 23, 1868; 
Nettie M., September 12, 1870; Alford P., 
May 9, 1874; Ora D., October 5, 1876; Lil- 
lia M.. July 13, 1881. He was in the service 
in Company A, One Hundred and Forty- 
eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, for about 
live months at the close of the war. 

C. H. MASTERS. Princeton, was born in 
Bureau County, 111., February 4, 1843. His 
early life was spent in this county till 1852, 
when he went to Missouri and Kansas with 
his father, and resided in different places till 
1861, when he enlisted in Company B, Tenth 
Kansas Volunteer Infantry, and served in the 
army till September 30, 1865, when he 
received his discharge. His service was ren- 
dered mostly on the frontier. In 1861 he 
was in Gen. Lane's famous brigade, but most 
of the time was under the command of Gen. 
Blunt, but was under Gen. Thomas at the bat- 
tle of Nashville, December 15, 1864, at which 
battle he was wounded, and was confined to 
the hospital for six months, but returned to 
his regiment as soon as able, and served till 
its discharge. During his service he did 
provost duty in St. Louis for nine months, 
while Gen. Rosecrans was commander of the 
department. In 1866 Mr. Masters came 
again to Princeton, and began learning pho- 
tography with hia uncle, W. H. Masters. In 
1869 he started a gallery for himself, and 
with the exception of a short intermission has 
continued in the business ever since, and has 
met with the success he so evidently deserves. 
In politics he is identified with the Repul)- 
lican party. He is a member of the Ferris 
Post, No. 309, G. A. R. He was married, in 
Princeton, 111., September 3, 1867, to Miss 
Mary Mathews, a native of Vermont, and a 
daughter of Henry Mathews, deceased. Our 



subject's father, A. C. Masters, was one of 
the early settlers of Bureau County. (See 
sketch of his brother, John Masters.) By 
trade he was a cabinet-maker, but most of 
his life in this county was spent on the farm. 
He died in Buda, about 1878. 

E. M. MATSON, Dover. Peter Matson, 
father of the gentleman whose name heads 
this sketch, was born in Virginia in 1802. 
He was married when about nineteen years 
of age to Jane Dawson, who was born in 
Pennsylvania in 1800. Both bad removed 
with their parents to Ohio when children, and 
there grew to maturity. In 1845, with their 
ten children, they came to Illinois, and landed 
at Hennepin, after having come down the 
Ohio and up the Mississippi and Illinois Riv- 
ers, spending their first night in the ware- 
house by the river. They then settled in 
Dover Township, and it was here that Mr. 
Matson died in 1854; his wife, however, sur- 
vived him many years. Our subject, E. M. 
Matson, is the oldest of the family of ten 
children, and was born October 28, 1822. 
One son, John, was shot on the battle-field at 
Missionary Ridge during the Civil war. The 
remainder of the family except one daughter 
still survive. Mr. Matson has lived in this 
county since 1845. When they landed here 
he had the only $5 the family possessed, and 
that he gave to his mother and went to work 
by the month, but soon began farming for 
himself. He pre-empted a farm of eighty 
acres, traded for a log-cabin which he moved 
to his land, and then began its improvement. 
He has since continued adding to his farm, 
until he now owns 557 acres. Most of his 
attention has been given to stock-raising, and 
he is now, one of the largest growers of hogs 
in the county. When twenty-four years old 
he was married to Nancy Clark, a sister of 
George Clark, of Dover Township. Eleven 
years after their marriage his wife died, leav- 
ing two sons — Milton and George C, both 
living in Ohio Township. In 1858 Mr. Mat- 
son was married to Helen Westbrook, daugh- 
ter of Thomas Westbrook, a native of Penn- 
sylvania. Mr, and Mrs. Matson have seven 
children, all at home, viz.: Leroy, Marion, 
Charles, Oscar, Cora B., Ida and Effie. In 
politics Mr. Matson has been identified with 
the Republican party since its organization. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



583 



He and his wife are members of the Meth- 
odist Protestant Church of Limerick. 

NEHEMIAH MATSON (deceased) was 
born July 19, 1816, in Belmont County, Ohio. 
He was a son of Enos Matson, who was a 
native of Pennsylvania; born April 19, 1784. 
N. Matson spent his early life on a farm. His 
opportunities for gaining an education were 
somewhat limited, but he made some advance 
in the sciences, especially mathematics. In 
the spring of 1836 he came to Bureau 
County with his parents and worked on his 
father's farm until his marriage to Electa 
Mead, in 1841. She is a daughter of Sam- 
uel and Polly (Potter) Mead, natives of Mas- 
sachusetts. The father was born November 
13, 1793. His occupation has been that of 
farming, and for twenty years was Justice of 
the Peace. He came to Bureau County in 
1851, and is now living in New York, at an 
advanced age. His wife, Polly Mead, was 
born August 13, 1793, and died here in May, 
1867. She was the mother of eight chil- 
dren, three of whom are now living, viz., 
Mrs. Electa Matson, Mrs. Dorcas Fish and 
Mrs. Lorinda Pilkins. After his marriage 
Mr. Matson settled on his own farm, five 
miles north of Princeton, on the old Dixon 
road. In later years he resided in Prince- 
ton, and gave his attention to his business 
interests. He was a diligent writer, and al- 
though he labored under great disadvan- 
tages, much credit is due to him for the 
work he accomplished. He was one of the 
pioneers of the county, and took an active 
interest in all that pertained to the settle- 
ment not only of the county but of the State, 
also. As a result of his research in this di- 
rection we have his "Reminiscenses of Bu- 
reau County," from which many quotations 
will be found in the general history; also 
"The Pioneers of Illinois," "French and In- 
dians of the Illinois River," and "Memories 
of Shaubena. '' Besides these, he also pub- 
lished a map, an atlas and sketches of Bu- 
reau County. "Beyond the Atlantic" is a 
description, in his own peculiar way, of 
what he observed while on a visit to the Old 
World. He also wrote a novel entitled "Ra- 
conter." Mr. Matson was a successful busi- 
ness man, and at his death, which occurred 
October 3, 1883, he left quite a large fund 



for establishing a public library in Prince- 
ton. A magnificent granite monument is 
erected to his memory in Oakland Cemetery, 
at Princeton. 

NEAL McARTHUR, Wyanet, was born in 
Argyleshire,Campbelltown, Scotland, in 1820. 
He is a son of Daniel and Flora McArthur. 
His father died in Scotland, but his mother, 
two brothers and three sisters came to this 
country. One brother, James, lives in Kan- 
sas, the other, David, in Missouri; the sisters 
reside in this county. Neal McArthur, our 
subject, came to America in 1839. For about 
one year he lived at Ottawa, 111., then came 
to Bureau Coiinty and has since made his 
home here. When he first started in this 
county he had nothing, but through his own 
industry he now owns the farm on which he 
resides, consisting of 326J acres, lying in 
Wyanet and Princeton Townships. He was 
married December 18, 1846, to Ruth Galer, 
a sister of A. T. Galer (see sketch). She was 
the mother of seven children, five of whom 
are living: David, born January 17, 1848; 
Amzy, born December 17, 1850; Adam, born 
November 6, 1853; Daniel, born November 
18, 1855; Agnes, born May 6, 1858. Mr. 
McArthur having lost his first wife, was 
married again May 6, 1862, to Eva Mary 
Wertz. She has one child living, Laura, 
born March 11, 1870. In politics Mr. Mc- 
Arthur is a Republican. He is a member of 
the Protestant Methodist Church of Prince- 
ton. Of his family David lives in Griswold, 
Cass Co., Iowa, and all the others live at 
home on the old farm. All the sons are 
married. Amzy McAj-thur was married Oc- 
tober 16, 1879, to Celia A. Thompson, born 
in Morgan County, Ohio, August 27, 1860. 
She is a daughter of John and Sarah (Mc- 
Daniels) Thompson. The mother is dead, but 
the father is still a resident of this county. 
Amzy was reared on the farm, and attended 
the schools in the country and also at Prince- 
ton. He is a Republican in politics. 

ALEXANDER McCALL, Princeton, was 
born in Belmont County, Ohio, April 28, 
1818. He is the son of Matthew and Nancy 
(Sharp) McCall. The father was a native of 
Scotland and the mother of Ireland. They 
were among the early settlers of Belmont 
County, Ohio, where they were married, and 



584 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



cleared a farm in the woods, on which they 
lived till their deaths. Our subject was 
reared on the farm, and educated in the log 
schoolhouse of his native county. When 
twenty-two years of age he went to Greene 
County, Ohio, but six years later returned to 
Belmont County, where he remained until 
1853, when he came to Bureau County, 111., 
and settled on his farm in Sections 10 and 
11, in Dover Township, where he continued 
to reside until March, 1880, when he came 
to Princeton. He still retains part of his 
farm, which lies in Section 11, Dover Town- 
ship. His occupation has always been that of 
farming. He was married in Greene County, 
Ohio, October 9, 1845, to Mary Vickrey, who 
was born in Greene County, Ohio, June 26, 
1825. She is the daughter of Christopher 
and Mary (Arey) Vickrey. The mother was 
of German descent, and was reared in Green - 
briar County, Va. The father, who was of 
Irish descent, was a native of North Carolina, 
where he lived until he was eighteen years 
of age and then went to Greene County, Ohio, 
where he engaged in farming until his fami- 
ly was grown, and then came to Bureau 
County. Both died in Dover Township. 
Mr. and Mrs. McCall have six children living 
and four dead, viz. : John, born July 13, 
1848, of Dover Township; Mary J., born 
April 9, 1850, wife of Samuel Lawrence of 
Antelope County, Neb. ; Agnes, born October 
23, 1857, wife of Louis Archer of Cherry 
County, Neb.; Martha, born January 10, 
1858, of Ai-lington; Joseph, born October 
23, 1860, of Dover Township; Margaret, 
born March 16, 1864, of Maiden; Thomas, 
born August 1, 1846, died May 23, 1872; 
Matthew, born January 10, 1854, died Sep- 
tember 3, 1855; Maggie, born April 28, 1856, 
died May 19, 1856; Amanda A., born August 
16, 1862, died July 30, 1881. In politics 
Mr. McCall has always been a Democrat. 

McCONIHE FAMILY. The earliest au- 
thentic account of the family of McConihe, 
McConchy or Maconochie, and otherwise 
spelled, in Scotland, reaches back to the year 
1349. The account taken in 1850 from the 
diploma (of the coat armorial) and papers 
in the Scottish office of the Lord Lion, King- 
at-Arms, now in the Charter chest of the 
family, is furnished by Lord Meadowbank, 



residing at Kirknewton, near Edinburgh. 
Lord Meadowbank's name became famous 
by being the first to proclaim to the world 
the real author of the Waverly novels. An 
account of this promulgation can be found 
in Scott's Chronicles of the Canongate, in the 
Introduction. In the year 1349 Sir Neil 
Campbell, of Lockawe, Argyleshire, Scotland, 
who was the Chief of the powerful clan of 
Campbell, married for his first wife a sister 
of Robert Bruce, and from them the Camp- 
bells of Argyleshire sprang. By his second 
wife, a daughter of Sir John Cameron, he 
had a son, Duncan, who was the father of 
Dougal, so called from the mother's family. 
Duncan, the son of Dougal, received, accord- 
ing to the Celtic custom, the patronymic 
McDowill Vic Conachie, which, shortened 
into McConachie, came to be applied to each 
succeeding chieftain of the Inverawe family, 
while the cadets bore the name of Campbell. 
The present representative of the line is 
Alexander Maconochie, before mentioned, 
who succeeded to the title of Lord Meadow- 
bank on the death of his father, Allan Macon- 
ochie, a Judge of ability and attainments. 
The Meadowbanjj seat was purchased by the 
Chief of the clan immediately after the En- 
glish revolution of 1688, with the money paid 
by the Government in lieu of a former estate. 
He had been second in command of the Duke 
of Argyles' army in the struggle of the Cove- 
nanters with the Royalists, and his estate 
had been forfeited to the crown on the resto- 
ration of Charles II. The different branches 
of the family, some of which had still further 
shortened the name into McConachy and 
McConihe, suffered during that reign. When 
the law against conventicles was enacted un- 
der the administration of Lauderdale, the 
progenitor of the house of McConihe in 
America was a Presbyterian, of Argyleshire. 
The measure proving ineffectual, Lauderdale 
took advantage of an expression in the statute 
in which conventicles were designated as 
seminaries of rebellion. The western coun- 
ties abounded in conventicles, and in 1678, 
in a time of profound peace, these counties 
were declared in rebellion and troops were 
quartered upon the people. Rapine and out- 
rage ensued. Among those who crossed the 
channel for conscience's sake were John 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



585 



McConihe and Samuel Campbell, the pater- 
nal and maternal ancestors of the present 
McConihes in America. They took up their 
abode in Londonderry, Ireland. John 
McConihe was born in Argyleshire, Scotland, 
December 22, 1669, and removed at the age 
of nine years with his parents to London- 
derry. But they were disappointed in their 
expectations, as they found that the laws 
against dissenters and in favor of Church 
and State were continually growing more and 
more oppressive. Nothing could make them 
yield their adherence to the Presbyterian 
Church, and they suffered extremely from 
persecution, as did all the Protestants dur- 
ing the reigns of Charles I and James II. 
In addition to this they had to pay tithes, 
being one-tenth of their increase, for the 
support of the Established Church, and they 
could only hold their lands by lease, and not 
as proprietors of the soil. Ardently desiring 
the full enjoyment of civil and religious lib- 
erty, they looked to America, and in the sum- 
mer of 1718 a large number, with their fam 
ilies and foui- Presbyterian ministers, em- 
barked in iive ships and arrived at Boston 
the 4th of August. On landing they 
united in solemn acts of devotion and 
sang the 137th Psalm. John ISIcConihe with 
fifteen others and their families formed a 
company and established a settlement called 
Nutlield, afterward Londonderry, N. H. Dur- 
ing their first season they cultivated a field 
in common, known to this day as Common 
Field, on the bank of West Running Brook, 
which field was afterward allotted to John 
McConihe, who was the oldest of the com- 
pany. The original deed recorded February 
9, 1722, per John Goffe, Town Clerk, is still 
in the possession of the family. John 
McConihe moved to Bedford, N. H. , in 1751. 
He died there the last of October, 1760, and 
was buried by the side of his wife, Mary, in 
the old burying ground. While in Ireland, 
he (with two of his brothers, who were slain,) 
was engaged with the Protestants in the 
famous siege of Londonderry, and acted as 
Quartermaster in dealing out provisions. He 
had four brothers and three sisters. He was 
married in Ireland and had two sons — John 
and Samuel — and three daughters. John 
McConihe, second, was born in Londonderry 



October 10, 17-10, and removed with his par- 
ents in 1751 to Bedford (now Merrimack), 
where he died April 18, 1815. He took active 
part in the old French war for several years. 
He married, in 1773, Sarah Campbell, oldest 
daughter of Deacon Samuel Campbell, who 
was ruling Elder in the Presbyterian Church at 
Windham, N. H. , for thirty-four years. She 
was born July 2-1, 1745, and was a member 
of the aforesaid church for the remarkable 
period of seventy-one years. She died No- 
vember 28, 1836. John and Sarah McConihe 
had eight children, three of whom died in 
infancy. Of those who lived to maturity 
were: Mary Ann, born February 2, 1777, 
married David Washburn, and settled in 
Lebanon, N. Y. ; Samuel, born September 
16, 1778, died June 14, 1853, (five children, 
two of whom died in infancy); Sarah, born 
September 15, 1783, married James Campbell, 
of Livermore, Me.; Isaac, born August 22, 
1787, died November 1, 1817, (twelve chil- 
dren, four died in infancy); John McConihe, 
third, born in Merrimack, October 10, 1785, 
and died September 14, 1840. His death 
was occasioned by a fall from the great beam 
in his barn. He was married to Ruth Noyes, 
in Atkinson, by Rev. Stephen Peabody, April 
30, 1812. Ruth Noyes, daughter of James 
Noyes, was born in Atkinson, N. H. , August 
6, 1786, and died in Manchester, N. H., Au- 
gust 16, 1860. The children of John and 
Ruth McConihe are: Hannah Noyes, born 
February 8, 1813, married John Brown, May 
27, 1832, settled in Buda, 111., (seven chil- 
dren); Mary Ann, born October 10, 1814. 
died December 31, 1817; Perkins Woodbury, 
born June 2, 1816, died December 29, 1817; 
Mary Ann, born January 30, 1818, died No- 
vember 6, 1881, married Horace Johnson, 
settled in Manchester, N. H. (four children); 
Lurena, born November 18, 1819, married 
Justus Stevens, settled in Princeton, 111., 
(eight children); Mandana, born April 14, 
1822, married James Thomson, settled in 
Princeton, 111. (two daughters); Eliza Jane, 
born January 7, 1824, married Rev. Lucien 
Farnham, who was the first Congregational 
minister at Princeton. Settled in Newark, 
111., where he died July, 1874 (one daughter). 
LUCIEN HARPER McCONIHE was born 
at Merrimack, N. H., October 10, 1825. He 



586 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



was educated at Francestown Academy, and 
at Appleton Academy, New Ipswich, N. H. ; 
came to Princeton in September 18, 1845; 
was encraged in the mercantile business for 
several years in partnership with his brother 
Massillon and Justus Stevens, after which 
they carried on extensive farming in the 
townships of Bureau and Walnut. In the 
spring of 1880 he went to Wyoming Terri- 
tory, where he remained for about three 
years. He now resides in Osage, Iowa, 
where he is engaged in farming with his son. 
He was married in Princeton, May 6, 1851, 
to Mrs. Isabella Bubach Wilson, who was 
born in Lancaster, Penn. They had two 
daughters — Euthelia Belle and Elizabeth 
Harper — and one son. Ruthelia Belle was 
married to Harry Cooper, of Aurora, 111., 
May 18, 1876; died March 10, 1880. She left 
one daughter. The son, Lucien Forrest Mc- 
Conihe, was born March 5, 1858, and is the 
last and only male representative in this 
generation of John McConihe, third. 

JOHN MASSILLON McCONIHE was 
born at Merrimack, N. H. , September 21, 
1827; was educated at Amherst, N. H. , and 
at Francestown Academy; came to Princeton 
in September, 1848; was engaged extensively 
in mercantile business and farming with his 
brother and Justus Stevens. During Bu- 
chanan's administration he was appointed 
Postmaster of Princeton. In politics the 
McConihes have always acted with the 
Democratic party. Mr. McConihe is now 
Chairman of the County Democratic Central 
Committee and is a member of the State 
Democratic Central Committee, and was a 
delegate to the National Democratic Conven- 
tion at Chicago in 1884. He was elected 
Marshal of Princeton in 1879, and held tiiat 
office till 1884. June 30, 1853, he married 
Miss Caroline L. Moseley, who was born in 
Princeton, and is the daughter of Roland 
Moseley, who came from Westfield, Mass. , in 
1831. 

MORRIS McDonald, Westfield, was born 
May 28, 1833, near Albany, N. Y. His' par- 
ents, Morris and Johanna (Manning) Mc- 
Donald, were natives of County Kerry, Ire- 
land. They came to the United States in 
1831, and lived near Albany, N. Y., about 
five years, and then removed to Fall River, 



Mass., where they resided nearly fourteen 
years. In 1849 Morris McDonald, Sr., came 
to Bureau County, 111., and bought 120 
acres of land. The family came the follow- 
ing year. The parents died on their home- 
stead in Westfield Township. They had ten 
children, of whom seven came to Bureau 
County, 111., but only two of them are now 
living here, viz. : Mrs. Hannanora Coughlin 
'and Morris McDonald, Jr., our subject. 
Morris McDonald was reared here and has 
made farming his occupation, in which he 
has been successful. He has now a farm of 
120 acres. Religiously he is a member of 
the Catholic Church, and politically is con- 
nected with the Democratic party. 

W. McFARLAND, Neponset,was born De- 
cember 29, 1823, in Berkeley County, Va. He 
is a son of John McFarland,who was born De- 
cember 3, 1793, in Loudoun County, Va. He 
died April, 1857, in Sheffield, to which he 
came in 1856. He was a shoe maker by oc- 
cupation. The grandfather of our subject, 
William McFarland, Sr. , was a native of 
Scotland. He came to America with Lord 
Dunmore, the Governor of Virginia, as a 
British soldier. He was an excellent swords- 
man, and fought with Gen. Wolfe in the 
French and Indian war, and was also at the 
battle of Quebec. He was one of a family 
of twelve children, and after the war settled 
in Virginia, where he died. His wife, Nancy 
Kingore, was born in the United States. Her 
parents were natives of Ireland, but of Scotch 
descent. She was the mother of six children, 
viz. : Robert, William. Landers, John, Nancy 
and Katie The mother of our subject, 
Elizabeth (Bailey) McFarland, was born, 1787 
in Berkeley County, Va. She died, 1854, in 
Miami County, Ind. Her father, John Bailey, 
was of English descent. She had seven 
children, viz.: Landreth, John B., Robert, 
Jeremiah, William, Hannah and James. Mr. 
McFarland was educated in Ohio. At the 
age of sixteen he went to Miami County, 
Ind.. where he taught school for ten years. 
In 1856 he came to Sheffield, Bureau Co., 
Ill, where he taught school. In 1860 he 
went to Atchison County, Kan., where he 
also taught school. In August, 1862, he en- 
listed in Company K, of the Thirteenth Kan- 
sas Volunteer Infantry. He served till the 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



587 



close of the war, and was mustered out June 
26, 1865. He participated in the engage- 
ments of Cane Hill, Prairie Grove and Web- 
er Falls, and draws a pension. After the 
war our subject rejoined his family, who had 
returned to Bureau County in the fall of 
1862. Here he taught school for eleven 
years. He was married in Indiana to Anna 
V. Donaldson, born 1832 in Ohio. Her father, 
"William H. Donaldson, was formerly a resi- 
dent of Bureau County. She is the mother 
of four children, who are all married, viz. . 
Sarah E., Mary J., Elizabeth A. and Anna. 
Mr. McFarland is a member of the William 
S. Bryan Post, No. 284. G. A. R. Politi- 
cally he is a Democrat. He is an able corre- 
spondent of the Bureau County Tribune, and 
under the nom de plume of "Wayside," is 
known and appreciated far and wide. 

EZRA McINTIRE, Neponset, was born Feb- 
ruary 2, 1831, in Bloomfield, now called Skow 
began, Somerset Co., Me. His father, Ezra 
Mclntire, Sr., was born September 9, 1793, in 
the above place, where he died January 8, 
1868. He was a shoe-maker in early life, 
and afterward a farmer, and for over forty 
years was a member of the Baptist Church. 
The grandfather of our subject, Phinoas 
Mclntire, was born in 1753 in Andover, Mass 
He was a farmer and a Revolutionary soldier 
till 1779, serving out two enlistments. He 
was in the battles of Harlem Heights and 
Brandy wine, and was also with the army 
during the memorable winter at Valley 
Forge. After the war he married Lydia 
Heywood, who was a daughter of Oliver 
Heywood, one of the first and largest pro- 
prietors of Skowhegan. She was born in 1779 
in Westford, Mass., and survived her hus- 
band, who died March 4, 1837. Phineas 
Mclntire removed to Skowhegan in 1783. 
He was the father of seven children, viz. : 
Lydia, Lucy, Joel, Ezra, Auzubia, Levi and 
Alvin. The great-grandfather of our sub- 
ject, Jacob Mclntire, was of Scotch descent. 
He was a soldier in the French and Indian 
war. After an honorable discharge he re- 
turned to Andover, Mass., where he died in 
his forty-third year. He left a family of 
five children, viz.: Perley, Jacob Jr., Phin- 
eas, Sarah and Lucy. Of the above Perley 
and Phineas were soldiers in the Revolu- 



tionary war; the former served as Quarter- 
master. The mother of our subject, Clarina 
P. Stinchfield, was born December 25, 1795, 
in New Gloucester, Me. She died June 20, 
1880, in Skowhegan. She was a daughter 
of William Stinchfield, and was the mother 
of eleven children, of whom eight reached 
maturity, viz. : Mary, Lorenzo, Erastus, 
Clara, Susan, Albion, Ezra and Elizabeth. 
Our subject was educated in Somerset Coun- 
ty, Me. , where he was a teacher by occupa- 
tion. In 1851 he went to California, via 
Panama, and worked in the gold mines near- 
ly two years, returning East in 1853. He 
visited Bureau County, 111., in 1854; from 
here he went to Fond du Lac County, Wis., 
whei'e he taught one term of school, and then 
returned East. He came to Neponset Town- 
ship, Bureau Co., 111., April 12, 1856, and 
here bought 160 acres of land. At present 
he owns 120 acres of choice land. August 
14, 1862, Mr. Mclntire enlisted in Company 
H, of the Ninety-third Regiment Illinois 
Volunteer Infantry, and served till the close 
of the war. He participated in the battles 
of Jackson, Champion Hill, Vicksburg, Mis- 
sion Ridge, Allatoona and the taking of 
Savannah. After the war he farmed. He 
was married here February 2, 1858, to 
Thankful C. Wells, who was born Septem- 
ber 17, 1834, in Clinton, Me. She is a 
daughter of Richard and Louisa (Cain) 
Wells, both natives of Maine. Mrs. Mclntire 
is the mother of seven children, viz. : Ezra 
E., Nellie L.,MaryE., Richard E., Merton 
P., Florence A., and Adelaide V. Mr. and 
Mrs. Mclntire are members of the Baptist 
Church. He is also a member of the G. A. 
R., and a Republican in politics. 

H. M. McKEE, Princeton. Among the 
young men of Princeton who have laid the 
foundation for a successful future in their 
life's work is the gentleman whose name 
heads this paragraph. He was born near 
Princeton, September 26, 1863, and his en- 
tire life has been spent here, and many of 
the friends made in youth have given him the 
preference when professional services were 
required. In 1879 he began the study of 
dentistry with Dr. J. S. Scott, with whom he 
remained till 1881, when he bought Dr. 
Scott's business, and has since been alone in 



688 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



the practice of his profession, and although 
a young man has built up a practice which 
few could have obtained after many years' 
struggle. Dr. McKee is the youngest son of 
Alfred and Hannah (Gibons) McKee, both 
natives of Lehigh County, Penn., where they 
were married. They came to Bureau Coun- 
ty, 111., about 1851, and here Mrs. McKee 
died in 1866. She was the mother of the 
following named children: Charles J., Sallie 
F., Alfred, Mrs. Blanche Stevens and Herbert 
M. Alfred is a resident of Sheffield, 111., 
and Herbert M. of Princeton, but the other 
members of the family reside in Nebraska. 
In 1882 the father returned to Pennsylvania, 
where he now resides. In politics Dr. Mc- 
Kee is identified with the Democratic party. 
O. W. McKENZIE, Fairfield, was born 
March 8, 1825, in Essex County, N. Y. His 
great-grandfather came from Scotland, and 
settled in eastern New York. He reared a 
family of seven children, viz. : Alexander, 
Robert, Crosby, Ethel, John, Sally M. and 
Thomas McKenzie. All of the boys were 
soldiers in the war of 1812. John McKen- 
zie, the father of our subject, participated in 
the battle of Plattsburg. He was born 
August 6, 1794, and died here July 3, 1857. 
He was married February 23, 1815, to Betsy 
Havens, and reared a family of nine chil- 
dren, viz.: Hiram, Eliza, John M., Oliver 
W., De Lafayette, Lyman W., Lomira C, 
Robert and Chancy D. McKenzie. Mrs. 
Betsy McKenzie was born February 9, 1796; 
she died March 5, 1854. Mr. and Mrs. John 
McKenzie and children came to Bureau 
County in the spring of 1840. The first 
summer they rented a farm, and that fall the 
family built a log-house, with a board roof, 
on Section 7, where a claim was made, and 
the first year hauled the water used in the 
house in barrels from Woodward Bluif, in 
Whiteside County, a distance of six miles. 
Such were the privations our Bureau County 
pioneers had to undergo to prepare the way 
for posterity. Two years after the Jog house 
was built John McKenzie hauled lumber from 
Chicago, then their grain market, although a 
mere village, and built a frame house, in 
which he and his wife died. O. W. McKen- 
zie came here with his parents, and made a 
claim on Section 7 of 160 acres, of which he 



afterward entered one-half, his brother John 
entering the other half. They broke the first 
prairie where Yorktown now stands, hiring a 
two-yoke ox team of Joseph Arnett, at 15 
cents per day. Oliver McKenzie afterward 
bought the oxen at $10 per head. He im- 
proved his eighty acres, and moved a pole- 
house onto it, which he bought for $5. He 
was married March 20, 1850, in Princeton, 
to Emily Dow, eldest daughter of Whitcher 
and Eunice (Bump) Dow, former residents of 
Cayuga County, N. Y., who came to this 
county in 1847, and settled on Section 6. 
She was a nurse, and an excellent woman, 
known and loved by all. She was born De- 
cember 17, 1806, in Mount Holly, Rutland 
Co., Vt. She died here November 30, 1877. 
She was married January 27, 1828, and lived 
nearly fifty years with her husband, who was 
born October 13, 1804, in Danville, Vt. He 
died May 30, 1882. They were the parents 
of eight children, viz.: Mrs. Emily McKen- 
zie, Mrs. Emeline McKenzie, Benjamin F., 
Thomas, Edward W., Henry H, Mrs. Albina 
A. Greenman and Clay Q. Dow. Of the 
above Mrs. Emily McKenzie was born March 
5, 1829, in Cataraugus County, N. Y. She 
is the mother of the following children: 
Eliza E., Julia A., Raymond H., Willie E., 
Oliver W. and an infant son. Of these only 
Eliza E. and Raymond H. are yet living. 
The former was born February 3, 1851. She 
married Mortimer W. Brooks, and is the 
mother of three children, viz.: Clinton, Glen 
E. and Blanche M. Brooks. The latter, Ray- 
mond H., was born November 30, 1854, and 
is married to Lovina West. Our subject has 
been a successful farmer and stock-raiser, 
and has a farm of 580 acres. He was the 
first blacksmith and storekeeper in Yorktown, 
and some of his patronage came from a dis- 
tance of ten miles. He was the first Con- 
stable and Assessor in Fairfield Township, 
holding the former office thirteen years. Mr. 
and Mrs. McKenzie have both been hard 
working people, and earned their financial 
success in life. 

ROBERT McKENZIE, Fairfield, was born 
December 4, 1835, in Orleans County, N. Y. 
He is a son of John and Betsy McKenzie. 
(See preceding sketch. ) Mr. McKenzie came 
to this county with his parents, and was 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



589 



married here January 7, 1857, in Princeton, 
to Miss Julia A. Wroten, born November 26, 
1837, in Ross County, Ohio, daughter of 
Thomas and Margaret (Adams) Wroton, who 
came here about forty three years ago, and 
settled on Greenriver Prairie. Mr. and Mrs. 
McKenzie are the parents of live children, 
viz.: Estella M., born April 21, 1859, wife 
of Alvin L. Pierce, and the mother of one 
child — Mack Pierce; Eobert E., born August 
8, 1861; Clai-a E., born April 26, 1863; 
Nellie B., born July 24, 1868, and Maude, 
born June 1, 1870. Mr. McKenzie is a 
Republican, and has been Assessor and Col- 
lector. He has a farm of 130 acres in Sec- 
tion 7, Fairfield Township, and is a member 
of the A. F. & A. M. fraternity. 

CHA.RLES McKUNE, Manlius, was born 
in Oakland, Susquehanna Co., Penn., July 
10, 1817. His early life was spent in farm- 
ing and lumbering. When about twenty- 
one years old he went on to the Susquehanna 
River, and floated lumber down the river 
during the freshets. The next spring he 
became a pilot, and continued for thirteen 
years, being successful in conducting the 
rafts down the river, without loss. He was 
also engaged in the lumber business for him- 
self, but lost everything he had during a 
freshet, the lumber being carried away and 
lost. Two years later he had managed to 
save $500, and with that started West, reach- 
ing Bureau County in 1846. In the fall of 
the same year he came to Manlius Township, 
being one of the first settlers. He built the 
first fence in the township. He now owns 
450 acres of land, part of which he entered 
from the Government. He has always given 
his attention to farming, in which he has 
been very successful. Mr. McKune was 
married in his native county at the age of 
twenty-eight years to Elizabeth Bachelor, 
who died in this county. She was the 
mother of six children, viz. : Frances A., now 
of Indian Territory, and for several years a 
teacher in the schools there; Lovina, wife of 
David Barber, of Iowa; Josephine, wife of 
Dr. S. B. Waldin, of Michigan; Sarah, wife 
of Walter Lyons, of New Mexico; Ella, 
wife of Arthur Walker, of Wyanet. Marion, 
on the home farm, married to Ada Bastian. 
Mr. McKune was again married to Miranda 



Chapman, of Henry County, 111. She has 
one child — Joseph, born September, 1874. 
In politics Mr. McKune votes with the Re- 
publican party. He is a member of the 
Free Methodist Church. 

GEORGE S. McLEAN, Princeton, was 
born in Drakestown, Morris Co., N. J., Oc- 
tober 16, 1842. He is the son of Nicholas 
and Elizabeth (Walk) StcLean. The father 
was born September 25, 1797, and died 
March 25, 1864. His trade was that of a. 
wheelwright. The mother was born Decem- 
ber 4, 1805, and is yet living. She is the 
mother of ten children, eight of whom are 
now living. The subject of this sketch re- 
mained at home till December 4, 1859, when 
he began a three years' apprenticeship to a 
carriage-maker in Hackettstown, N. J. Dur- 
ing the summer of 1864 he worked at his 
trade in New York City, and in the spring 
of 1805 came to Illinois, but worked on a 
farm for one year near Canton, Fulton 
County. In 1866 he worked for a stockman 
near Bushnell, but the 1st of January, 1867, 
he returned to his native State, and again 
began working at carriage-making, continued 
for different parties till 1870, when he went 
into the employ of the carriage manufactur- 
ing firm of McLean & Co. , and remained in 
the employ of that firm till March, 1873. A 
month later he came to Princeton, 111., where 
he opened a carriage repository, and has 
continued to sell carriages till the present 
lime. His main business, however, is that 
of an undertaker, in which he engaged in 
the spring of 1878. In October, 1880, he 
also added a livery stable to his other busi- 
ness. In 1875 he first invested in property 
here, and has since erected his buildings 
— the house in 1877, and barns later. 
In Hackettstown, N. J., January 14, 1874, he 
was married to Miss Alice S. Grimes. She 
was born December 4, 1853, in Hackettstown. 
Her mother died when she was small, and 
Mrs. McLean was reared in the family of 
Casper Jones. Her father, Richard Grimes, 
is of English descent, and yet survives. To 
Mr. and Mrs. McLean the following named 
children have been born: Myrtle May, 
Charles Raymond, Mary Minnette, George 
LeRoy and Nellie Elizabeth. In 1870 Mr. 
McLean became a member of the I. 0. O. F., 



590 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Musconnetcong Lodge, No. 81, of Hacketts- 
town, N. J. 

JOHN McNALLY, Westfield, was born 
November 23, 1829, in Bradford Counfcy, Penn. 
His parents, James and Margaret (Dolan) 
McNally, natives of County Meath, Ireland, 
came to America in 1820, and settled in Penn- 
sylvania. In 1836 they came to LaSalle 
County, 111., and both died in Peru. They 
were the parents of eight children, of whom 
only our subject and his sister Mrs. Mary 
Tracy, of Harrison County, Iowa, survive. 
John McNally was reared and educated in 
LaSalle County, where he was also married, 
September 31, 185-1, in Ottawa, to Miss Alice 
Dobbins, born August 15, 1835, daughter to 
Patrick and Margaret (O'Donnell) Dobbins, 
natives of Tipperary County, Ireland. The 
former died in St. Louis, and the latter in 
Ottawa, 111. Mr. and Mrs. McNally are the 
parents of eight children, viz. : Mrs. Bridget 
Minehan, a resident of Linn County, Iowa. 
James J. , Mary A. , Margaret A., Alice, Joseph- 
ine, Mark and Martha. The McNally family 
is religiously connected with the Catholic 
Church. Politically Mr. McNally is a Dem- 
ocrat. He owns a farm of 160 acres in Har- 
rison County, Iowa, and another 160 acres 
in Westtield Township, Bureau Co., III., 
where he now resides. 

JOHN F. MEIER, Clarion, was born Oc- 
tober 25, 1819, in Hille, Westphalia, Ger- 
many. He was a son of Johann F. and Ma- 
ria L. (Burmeister) Meier, who died in Ger- 
many. They were the parents of four chil- 
dren, viz. : Caroline, Mary, Henry and John 
F. ,our subject, who came to the United 
States in November, 1844. He landed at 
Charleston, S. C, where he worked till July, 
1847, when he became dissatisfied with the 
state of affairs existing there on account of 
slavery, and immigrated to Lamoille, 111., 
where he worked three years for Martin 
Hopps, and then moved onto his farm of for- 
ty acres, which he had bought in September, 
1849. This he improved and added to from 
time to time, the land now belonging to 
his children. Mr. Meier was married, Au- 
gust 18, 1850, to Eva B. Geuther, who was 
born June 26, 1824, in Germany. She died 
here June 24, 1866. She was the mother of 
seven children, viz.: John C, Henry H., 



Frederick and William (twins, the former de- 
ceased), Harman, Bertha (deceased), and Jus- 
tina, wife of Henry Grothen (they have two 
children, viz.: Marj^ and Diederich). Mr. 
Meier is one of the oldest German settlers in 
Clarion. He has always been a hard worker 
and had long contemplated a trip to Europe 
to visit his old friends and retetives, of which 
he found but few. He started June 15, 1884, 
and returned September 7, the same year. 
He traveled around considerably while in the 
old countr}', but found no place so good as 
old " Bureau." Religiously Mr. Meier is a 
member of the Lutheran Church. 

JOHN MEISENHEIMER. Bureau, was 
born on the banks of the River Rhine, in 
Hesse- Darmstadt, Germany, June 7, 1823. 
He is the son of Christopher and Mary 
Meisenheimer, who lived and died in their 
native country. They were the parents of 
eleven children, of whom four are living, 
three in this country: Joho, Christopher, of 
Galesburg, 111., and Mary, of Creston, 
Iowa. John Meisenheimer was reared in his 
native land, and in 1852 came to America 
and directly to Bureau County. He worked 
iu the brickyard at Princeton for nearly a 
year and then began farming for J. Al- 
brecht for half. His first farm he purchased 
of Col. J. F. Thompson in 1854, paying 
$5 per acre. In 1861 he sold his farm and 
returned to his native land, where he re- 
mained nearly three years, and then again 
came to Bureau County. In 1865 he moved 
onto his present fai'm of 400 acres, where he 
has since resided. He has given his atten- 
tion chiefly to the growing of hogs and corn, 
raising about 150 acres of corn per year, and 
rotating so that he plants on new ground the 
most of the time, and has been very success- 
ful in his farming. He was married in his 
native place, January, 1863, to Elizabeth 
Anspach, who was born February 18, 1836, 
in the village adjoining her husband's 
birthplace. They are the parents of ten chil- 
dren, of whom four sons and four daughters 
are living, viz.: Mary, Jacob, Minnie, 
Martha, John, Frederick, Henry and Lottie. 
Mr. Meisenheimer is independent in poli- 
tics, in which he takes but little part. He is 
a member of A. F. & A. M., No. 627, of 
Walnut, and of the German Lodge, No. 428, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



591 



I. O. O. F., of Princeton, and carries an in- 
surance in this order. 

JACOB A. MELICK, Milo, was born 
January 5, 1843, in Hunterdon County, N. 
J. The graudfather of our subject, Nicho- 
las E. Melick, was a native of New Jersey, 
where he died. He was of German descent, 
and was married to Miss Backer, who was 
the mother of nine children. One of these, 
John W. Melick, married Ann E. Apgar, who 
was also a native of New Jersey. She is the 
mother of the following children yet living: 
Jacob A. (our subject), Mrs. Mai-y Bennett, 
Mrs. Frances Barnford, Peter, William, Ida 
and Senaca T. Melick. John W. Melick re- 
moved to this county in 1854. He farmed 
here till the fall of 1867, when he removed 
to Washington County, Iowa, where he died, 
but where his widow yet resides. Our sub- 
ject was educated principally in Henry, Mar- 
shall Co., 111. He has made farming and 
stock-raising his occupation, and on his 
farm of 217 acres makes raising sheep and 
Norman horses a specialty. In August, 1861, 
Mr. Melick enlisted in the Forty-seventh 
Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
Company D, serving three years and two 
months. He was promoted to Sergeant, and 
participated in twenty-one engagements, 
among others that of Island No. 10, Farm- 
ington, siege and battle of Corinth, luca, 
Vicksburg, Red River expedition, battle of 
Pleasant Hill, etc. After he came home he 
resumed fanning, and was married in Prince- 
ton, September 22, 1867, to Ella E. Clark, 
who was born September 22, 1847, in La- 
Salle County, 111. She is a daughter of John 
N. and Rachel Clark, who were natives of New 
England. Mrs. Melick is the mother of two 
children, viz.: Elmer, born September 5, 
1868, and Annie, born March 11, 1874. Mr. 
Melick is one of Milo's most wide-awake and 
successful farmers, and politically is identi- 
fied with the Republican party. 

E. K. MERCER, Princeton, was born on the 
farm of his grandfather, Ellis Mercer, in Cen- 
ter Grove, Wyanet Township, in Bureau Coun- 
ty, 111., on the 27th of Npvember, 1844. He 
was the first-born of William B. Mercer and 
his wife, whose maiden name was Rebecca 
Frankeberger. His father, William B., came 
to Illinois with his parents from Belmont 



County, Ohio, in 1835, and died in Prince- 
ton, ill., in 1850, at the age of twenty-nine 
years. His mother also came to Illinois with 
her parents from Ohio, and at an early day, 
1835 or 1836. Her father was William 
Frankeberger, who died at Wyanet in the 
spring of 1884 in the eighty-fifth year of his 
age. Mr. Mercer resided with his grand- 
parents from childhood; accompanied them 
to Webster County, Iowa, in 1855; returned 
to Illinois in the spring of 1861, and in the 
following spring, at the age of seventeen, en- 
listed in Capt. Lash's company of sixty-day 
men to guard prisoners at Camp Douglas, 
and on the next morning after his arrival at 
the camp re enlisted for three years in Bat- 
tery M, First Illinois Light Artillery. He 
accompanied his battery to Louisville in 
October, 1862, and being stricken with ty- 
phoid fever a week after his arrival there lay 
unconscious u^aon a sand knoll back of Louis- 
ville, while his company was chasing John 
Morgan over Kentucky. He joined his com- 
pany in the advance on Nashville in the 
spring of 1863, participated in the Shelby - 
ville campaign, and in the succeeding Chat- 
tanooga campaign, closing with the battle of 
Chickamauga, where he received a wound 
which disabled him until the next spring. 
He rejoined his battery a few days before 
the beginning of the Atlanta campaign, into 
which he was initiated by being hauled with 
his gun-squad and gun between midnight 
and daylight of the 5th of May, 1864, up the 
precipitous side of Rocky-faced Ridge to try 
the effect of his ten-jjound rifled Rodman on 
the famous "Buzzards' Roost." He con- 
tinued in this campaign, which ended with 
the fall of Atlanta, and participated in all 
of its great battles and its continuous fight- 
ing — continuous, because from the 5th of 
May until the close of the campaign at Love- 
joy's Station on the 15th of the following 
October, he and his battery were engaged 
with the enemy, some time during the day or 
night of every day but five. After the close 
of the Atlanta campaign, by a general order 
of Maj.-Geu. George H. Thomas, command- 
ing the Army of the Cumberland, Battery M, 
First Illinois Light Artillery was relieved 
from all further active duty during the re 
maining term of its enlistment (six months) 



592 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



as a reward for nueritorious service in the 
field. The remaining term of his service was 
spont in garrison duty, and he was mustered 
out with his company at Chicago in August, 
1865. After his discharge ho spent a term 
or two at school; followed book keeping, 
school teaching, grain buying and insurance, 
and then became a commercial traveler, which 
business he quit July 1, 1872, to take a one- 
half interest in the Bureau County Tribune, 
of which he is now editor and owner. On the 
31st of December, 1873, he was married to 
Miss Juliet Sapp, daughter of Solomon Sapp 
(see sketch), and who was born in Bureau 
County, August 19, 1850. Mr. and Mrs. 
Mercer are the parents of three children: 
Fred, born Januarv 25, 1875; Blanche, Sep- 
tember 11, 1876, and Nellie, May 28, 1881. 
Ct. W. mercer, Lamoille, was born 
November 1, 1844, in Bureau County. His 
grandparents, John and Rachel (Matson) 
Mercer, were natives of Virginia and died in 
Ohio. Their children were: Matson, of Ohio; 
William; Mrs. Elizabeth Mercer, of Red Oak, 
Iowa; Mrs. Mary Riston, of Missouri; Mrs. 
Sarah J. Clark, and another daughter who 
died in Ohio. Of the above William Mercer 
married Mai'y Fletcher, a native of Ohio and 
a daughter of Townsend and Susan (Ready) 
Fletcher, natives of Virginia, who came to 
Bureau County in an early day. All of their 
ten children at one time lived in Bureau 
County, where Mrs. Susan Fletcher is yet 
living with her daughter, Mrs. Fannie Kin- 
nick. William Mercer and wife came to Bu- 
reau County in the sjiring of 1844, where 
the latter died. She was the mother of five 
children: Mrs. Rachel Kinnick, Susan (de- 
ceased), John W., George W. (our subject), 
and Mrs. Mary E. Thompson. William Mer- 
cer removed to Nebraska in the spring of 
1878. Our subject, George W. Mercer, 
was educated at Lombard University. He 
taught school two years and is now engaged 
in the live-stock business in Lamoille. He 
was married here to Miss Sarah A. Little, 
born May 15, 1847. She is a daughter of 
Elijah and Elizabeth (Smith) Little, natives 
of New Jersey and now residents of Arling- 
ton. To Mr. and Mi-s. Mercer the following 
children were born: Clara E. (deceased), 
Warren L., Mary E. (deceased), Victor 



S., Grace D. and S. Ida Mercer. Politi- 
cally Mr. Mercer favors the Prohibition prin- 
ciples, and religiously he and wife are con- 
nected with the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
DR. JOSEPH MERCER, deceased. For 
many years the medical fraternity of Prince- 
ton claimed the subject of this sketch among 
its most active members, and many are the 
words of esteem heard at the mention of his 
name. Dr. J. Mercer was born January 11, 
1828, in Harrison County, Ohio. He was a 
son of Aaron and Jane (Dickerson) Mercer, 
who came here in 1834. Dr. Mercer received 
his medical education in Cincinnati, Ohio, 
at the PhysDpathic Medical College of Ohio, 
where he graduated in the spring of 1851, 
after which he returned to Princeton, where 
he commenced the practice of medicine in 
September, 1852, and soon built up a lucra- 
tive practice. Here he was married March 
1, 1853, to Miss Mary A. Welch, a native of 
Newark, N. J., and a daughter of Charles 
H. and Elizabeth (Anthony) Welch, both na- 
tives of New Jersey. The former was a 
farmer by occupation, and came here in 1851 ; 
he was born in 1805 and died in February, 
1873. The latter was born in 1803, and died 
December 20, 1881. She was the mother of 
ten children, of whom six are now living: 
Mrs. Almeda Phelps, James Welch, C. Wes- 
ley Welch, Mrs. Nancy Kinney, William L. 
Welch and Mrs. Mary A. Mercer. Of the four 
other children only Mrs, Jennie Moler reached 
maturity. Dr. Joseph Mercer possessed an 
enlightened public spirit, and soon enjoyed 
an unusiial degree of respect and confidence 
from his fellowmen. He was connected with 
the Masonic fraternitv, and he and his wife 
were members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. Everything was bright in the life 
of Dr. Mercer, but in the midst of his use- 
fulness he was struck down by a heavy calam- 
ity in 1874. After a struggle of four years 
with the terrible disease which had assailed 
him, he sank under the shock and died. 
May 30, 1878, administered to by unwearied 
and unbounded love, and in the possession of 
universal confidence and respect. Mrs. Mary 
A. Mercer was married a second time January 
29, 1880, to Joshua D. Mercer, a brother of 
her first husband. He was a law student in 
early life, and in later life a druggist. He 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



093 



was born July 17, 1837, and died March 1, 
1881. Since the death of her second hus- 
band, Mrs. Mercer has nobly devoted her life 
to such causes as will benefit the human race. 

L. L. MERCER, Selby, was born Novem- 
ber 29, 1829, in Belmont County, Ohio. His 
father, William Mercer, was of Irish descent, 
and his mother, Elizabeth (Long) Mercer, was 
of Welsh descent. Both were natives of 
Virginia. They came to Bureau County by 
water from Bellaire, Ohio, down the Ohio 
Kiver, up the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers 
and landed at Hennepin, forwarding their 
goods to Bureau Junction. They settled at 
Princeton, where the fair grounds now are. 
The father died in July, 1845, at the age of 
forty-nine years, and his wife died in 1860, 
aged sixty years. She was the mother of ten 
children, viz. : Mrs. Sarah ©arvin, Mrs. 
Nancy Sturdevin, Mrs. Hannah Richards, 
Mrs. Mary ^Vright, Mrs. Elizabeth Mitchell, 
Levi L. (our subject), Mrs. Rebecca J. Kelly, 
William L. (of California), Mrs. Eliza Nedos 
and Lucretia Gill. The father was a Whig, 
and at the time of his death an Abolitionist. 
He and his wife were members of the Meth- 
odist Protestant Church. Levi L. Mercer 
was reared in this county, and worked on his 
father's farm until he was of age; he then 
bought Ifit) acres at $5 per acre, in Selby 
Township; be has since added to his farm 
till be now owns 400 acres of well-improved 
land. Mr. Mercer was married in Princeton, 
December 31, 1851, to Saburey Ann Sidwell, 
who was born in August, 1830, in Morgan 
County, Ohio, a daughter of Jesse Sidwell. 
Mr. and Mrs. Mercer have four children, viz. : 
Mrs. Ida E, Debust; William S., of this 
county; Adelaide, deceased, and Mrs. lona 
Bell Piper, of this couaty. Mr. Mercer is a 
member of the A. F. & A. M. fraternity. 
He has been Republican in politics, and has 
held various township offices. 

W. H. MESENKOP, Princeton, was born 
November 13, 1834, in Lancaster City, Penn. 
The family is of German descent, and in its 
genealogy we find that five brothers come to 
America in colonial times. Four of them 
settled in the Southern States; the fifth, who 
was the great-grandfather of our subject, 
settled in New York State, but subsequently 
removed to Lancaster Citv, Penn. He was a 



soldier in the Revolutionary War. His son 
Lewis P. Mesenkop was married twice. He 
reared a family of twenty-two children in 
Lancaster City. One of these, John L. Mes- 
enkop, was born April 23, 1798. He was a 
harness-maker by occupation for twenty-five 
years. In 1835 he removed to Ohio, and 
lived ten years in Wayne County, and nine 
years in Cuyahoga County. He was married 
in Ohio, to Anna Brenneman, born April 12 
1812. She was the mother of four children, 
viz.: William H., our subject; John L. 
deceased; Mary M., and Mrs. Sarah A. Pen 
field, of Minneapolis, Minn. JohnL. Mesen 
kop came to Princeton in April, 1854, and 
died here in March, 1875. Those inti- 
mately acquainted with him have often 
remarked his implicit belief in two things: 
First, the vital principles of the Christian 
religion; second, the doctrine of the Demo- 
cratic forefathers. Our subject was reared 
on a farm in Ohio, where he also taught 
school at the age of seventeen. He came to 
Bureau County with his parents, and here 
taught school in the winter. In 1850 he 
clerked in a dry-goods store; the following 
year he farmed. In May, 1858, he went to 
Hennepin, 111., and established the Putnam 
County Democrat, which he edited till 
November of the same year, when he sold 
out and taught school that winter. In April, 
1849, he bought the Bureau County Demo- 
crat, and published that paper till 1863, when 
he sold out and engaged in the insurance 
business. In the spring of 1872 he estab- 
lished the Bureau County Tribune, and 
edited it till the beginning of 1873, when he 
again embarked in the insurance business. 
In 1875 he jjurchased a half interest in the 
Gas^Works, and was elected President of the 
company, which position he yet fills. Dur- 
ing the last ten years he has been a member 
of the City Council five years and City Treas- 
urer three years, and at present is Alderman 
of the Fourth Ward. He is al<o special 
agent of the western department for several 
Philadelphia fh'e insui-ance companies. He 
speaks the German and Swede languages 
fluently; the latter he has acquired himself. 
Mr. Mesenkop was married August 11, 1858, 
to Kate E. Pelton, born October 4, 1841, in 
Brecksville, Cuyahoga Co., Ohio. Her par- 



35 



594 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



ents, Josiah and Kate E. (Hunt) Pelton, were 
natives of Massachusetts. Six children are 
the result of this union, viz. : Mrs. Jennie V. 
Bowlby, Katie M., Luna E., Minnie M., Alta 
M. and William L. Mesenkop. Our subject 
is a member of the A F. & A. M. fi-aternity. 
F. C. METCALF, Lamoille, was born 
November 14, 1821, in Wilmington, Wind- 
ham Co., Vt. His father, Benjamin Metcalf, 
was a native of Vermont. He participated 
in the battle of Bunker Hill, and di'ew a pen- 
sion till his death, which occurred April 13, 
1846, aged eighty-four years. He married 
Mrs. Catharine Phillips, who was also a na- 
tive of Vermont. She died here April 8, 
1872, aged eighty- four years. She was the 
mother of two children by her first husband, 
viz. : Adaline and Caroline Phillips, and 
five children by her second marriage, vi^. : 
Isaac; Frederick C, our subject; Maria (de- 
ceased) former wife of Col. E A. Bowen, a 
banker of Mendota; Moses M., of Washing- 
ton Territory, and A. B. Metcalf, of Welling- 
ton, Kan. The Metcalf family is of English 
extraction. Our subject farmed in his native 
State till June, 1843, when he came to Bu- 
reau County, 111., where he entered 160 acres 
of land in Section 1, in Lamoille Township, 
at $1.25 per acre. In 1849, when the gold 
fever, like a mighty flood with its waves of 
hope and expectation, flowed over this conti- 
nent from ocean to ocean, our subject joined 
a party of fifteen who were in search of gold, 
and starting March '28, they arrived in Dia- 
mond Springs, Cal., August 26. In Califor- 
nia Mr. Metcalf mined, and in April, 1853, 
returned to this State, where he has been a 
farmer and stockman. The following year he 
went to Pennsylvania, where he was married 
in November, 1854, to Sarah O. Aubbard, a 
native of Luzerne Count}', Penn. She is the 
mother of the following children: Rodolpho, 
Nevada, Buena Vista and Mabel. Mrs. Met 
calf is a member of the Baptist Church. 
Mr. Metcalf is identified politically with the 
Democratic party. 

WILLIAM MILES, Princeton, was 
born in Steuben County, N. Y., July 26, 
1822. In 1866 he came from Steuben 
County to Princeton, 111. From 1866 till 
1882 he was engaged in the lumber business 
but has now retired from active life. In 



May, 1844, in New York, he was united in 
marriage to Miss Nancy A. Parker. They 
have reared a family of seven children, viz.: 
Harriet M., wife of S. D. Beach, of Steuben 
County, N. Y. ; Lucius P. and George, resi- 
dents of Pottawatomie County, Iowa; Will- 
iam, Edward, Louisa and James, of Princeton. 
HENRY F. MILLER, Princeton. Henry 
Miller and his wife, whose name was Cathe- 
rine Bigler, were born in Frederick County, 
Md. Ten children were born to them, viz. : 
Phoebe, born February 11, 1762; Joseph, 
born December 27, 1764; David, born Au- 
gust 24, 1766; John, born October 7, 1768; 
Catherine, born June 26. 1770; Michael, 
April 29, 1772; Jonathan, born February 10, 
1774; Solomon, born August 14, 1776; Jacob, 
born December 17, 1781 ; Salome, born Feb- 
ruary 23, 1783. Jonathan Miller was mar- 
ried August 8, 1799, to Susanna Tombs, who 
was born January 7, 1773. They came from 
Frederick County, Md. , in 1802, and settled 
in Greene County, Penn., where they spent 
their lives in activity and usefulness. They 
were the parents of eight children, five sous 
and three daughters, viz. : Jacob, born May 
30, 1800; Elizabeth, born December 19, 1803; 
Catharine, born April 18, 1805; Barbara, 
born April 19, 1805; Henry F., boi-n March 
30, 1807; Daniel, born July 3, 1810; Asa, 
born May 24, 1812; Lewis, born March 30, 
1814. For longevity it will be hard to find 
a parallel; the eight children are all living 
at this time. There are 296 living descend- 
ants: 8 children, 72 grandchildren, and 178 
greatgrandchildren and 38 great-great- 
grandehildren. Jonathan Miller died De- 
cember 26, 1840; his wife. Susanna, died 
August 23, 1852. Henry F. Miller, son of 
Jonathan and Susanna, was born in Greene 
County, Penn., March 30, 1807. In April, 
1835, he was married to Jane Waldon. She 
was the mother of five children, two of whom 
are now living, viz. : Mrs. R. W. Brower 
and Miss Celeste Miller, both living in Ot- 
tawa, 111. Mrs. Jane Miller died July 26. 
1846. October, 1847, Mr. Miller married 
Mrs. Elizabeth Winslow; to them three chil- 
dren were born, only one of whom is living 
— A. F. Miller, of Iowa. Mrs. Elizabeth 
Miller died in June, 1856. January 5, 1871, 
Mr. Miller was again married to Mrs. Martha 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



695 



Bryan, daughter of Skillman and Susan 
(Van Nostrand) Brush, both natives of 
Queens County, L. I. Mrs. Miller had two 
children by her tirst husband: Amanda and 
Charles, both deceased. Amanda was mar- 
ried to C. K. Howard, and had three daugh- 
ters, viz.: Mattie B., Gertrude A. and Emma 
M. Howard. Charles Bryan married Eliza- 
beth Armor, and had one daughter — Fannie. 
(For further sketch of Henry F. Miller, see 
chapter XI of General History.) 

HENEY J. MILLER, Hall, whose portrait 
and that of his wife appear in this work, is 
one of the oldest and best known pioneers in 
the southeast part of Bureau County. He is 
closely related to the Hall and Williams fam- 
ilies, and therefore a part of their history and 
genealogy will appear under his name. Mr. 
Miller is thoroughly imbued with the true 
spirit of the pioneers of Bureau County, 
among whose many good traits and virtues 
hospitality, humanity and straightforward- 
ness take a prominent place. In this biogra- 
phy we shall speak mainly of the "clover 
leaf, Williams, Hall and Miller." The pro- 
genitor of the Miller family was Henry Mil- 
ler, who was born in North Carolina, where 
his father died. His mother, Elizabeth 
Miller (nee Detheridge), died in Warren 
County, Ky. , to which place she had removed 
with her son. Henry Miller was married in 
the latter place to Sally Hall, born in 
Georgia, daughter of Edward and Rachel 
(Barnes) Hall, both natives of Georgia; the 
former of English and the latter of Welsh 
extraction. In 1818 Henry Miller, accom- 
panied by his father-in-law and family, re- 
moved from Warren County, Ky., to Dubois 
County, Ind., where they farmed fourteen 
years. From some members of the Hall fam- 
ily, they heard of the beauties of the Illinois 
prairies, and in 1830 Henry Miller, Edward 
Hall and the latter's son-in-law, Gilbert Kel- 
lum, made claims in Bureau County. They 
came here alone and returned the same year 
to Indiana. On the 21st day of May, 1832, 
on the very day of the Indian Creek massacre, 
they started for Bm-eau County, little dream- 
ing that on that very day some members of 
their family would be cruelly butchered by 
the inhuman savages, whom some still call 
the "noble red men of the woods." This 



little colony numbered fourteen souls, all 
told. They were compelled to stop several 
weeks on Ox Bow Prairie, on account of the 
Black Hawk war, their teams having been 
pressed into the Government service to haul 
provisions for the troops. The three families 
arrived in Bureau County in August. Ed- 
ward Hall, the father-in-law of Henry Miller, 
settled in Selby Township in August, 1832, 
but in the fall of 1835 he removed to Hall 
Township and lived on his son-in-law's farm 
in Section 33, where he died June 28, 1838, 
aged eighty years. He was interred on the 
farm and was the first to be buried in the 
spot that he had selected for his resting 
place, where also his wife and quite a num- 
ber of the pioneers of Hall Township repose. 
' ' He was a Revolutionary soldier, " is written 
on the tomb of Edward Hall, and no grander 
and better eulogy could have been written 
than is contained in those few words, which 
were suggested by his grandson and admirer, 
Henry J. Miller. Edward Hall was prob- 
ably the only Revolutionary soldier buried 
in Bureau County; he participated in most 
of the hard fought battles, and was under the 
command of Gen. George Washington. He 
was also one of our old-fashioned pioneer 
Methodist Episcopal ministers, whose words 
of admonition are still remembered by a few 
of our old settlers. His wife, Rachel Barnes, 
died September 10, 1838, aged seventy. nine 
years. She was the mother of eight children 
viz.: Ransom, Reason B. , William, Mrs. Pol- 
ly Scott, John, Mrs. Sally Miller, Mrs. Betsey 
Kellum and Edward Hall. Of the above 
Ransom Hall came here from White County, 
111., in about 1834, and died here August 
26, 1839, aged fifty- four years, five months, 
twenty days. He married Elizabeth Slocumb, 
who died December 25, 1842. aged fifty-sev- 
en years, nine months and nineteen days. 
Of her seven children none reside here at 
present. Her son, E. C. Hall, improved the 
State premium farm in Section 21, in Hall 
Township, now owned by John Weber. He 
is now a resident of Texas. Reason B. Hall 
made a claim in Hall Township on Section 
34, in the spring of 1828. The next year he 
removed south of the Illinois River and then 
to Galena, but returned here about 1834. In 
1849 he went to Oregon, where he died. 



596 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



William Hall settled where Lamoille now 
stands in 1830. He sold his claim to Aaron 
Gunn and removed to Indian Creek, where 
he was killed by the Indians. He was mar- 
ried in Warren County, Ky., to Jennie Will- 
iams, a sister of Curtis Williams. She was 
the mother of seven children, viz. : Mrs. 
Tempa Curtwright, John W., Edward H., 
Greenberry, Mrs. Sylvia Horn, Mrs. Rachel 
MunsoD and Elizabeth Hall. Of the above 
only John W., Mrs. Sylvia Horn, Edward H., 
Greenberry and Mrs. Rachel Munson sur- 
vived the Indian Creek massacre. Mrs. 
Polly Scott was the wife of Robert Scott, 
who camo here from Morgan County, 111., in 
1834. They are both deceased. Of their 
seven children only Mrs. Rachel Sweet is yet 
living in this township (see Mr. Wisom's 
biography). John Hall came here in 1830. 
He married Betsey Kellum, who was the 
mother of six boys and three girls, of whom 
none live here. They settled in Selby Town- 
ship and were at one time the largest land 
owners in the county (see General History). 
Mrs. Sally Miller was the wife of Henry 
Miller. Mrs. Betsey Kellum, wife of Gil- 
bert Kellum, was the mother of two children 
deceased. They came here with Grandfather 
Hall in 1832, and settled in Selby Township, 
where they lived many years, but finally 
moved away. Edward Hall, like his brother 
Reason B. , was regarded by the new settlers 
of this Indian wild waste as that strange 
being, an Indian fighting, daring pioneer, 
who took an active part in that prolonged 
tragedy that gave this great valley to civiliz- 
ation. He was a single man; he came here 
in 1829 and settled on Section 34, in Hall 
Township. He built a cabin where Jacob 
Wassom afterward resided, but the next year 
left for the wilds of Texas. Henry Miller 
settled on Section 33, in Hall Township, on 
the 24th day of August, 1832. He made a 
claim and afterward entered 3S0 acres of 
land. He is the only man in the township 
who entered his original claim and lived on 
it till his death, which occurred December 
6, 1852, aged sixty-six years. His wife, Sal- 
ly Hall, died July 26, 1847, aged lifty-three 
years. She was a true helpmeet and be- 
longed to that noble type of women which 
we generally find on the frontier. She was 



the mother of seven children, viz. : William, 
George W., Eliza, Henry J. (our subject), 
Edward H., Smith and Elizabeth. Of the 
above the last four are yet living: Edward 
H., near Princeton; Smith, in Hall Town- 
ship; Elizabeth, wife of Wiley H. Horn, is a 
resident of Nebraska; the oldest child, 
William Miller, died here. He made a claim 
on Section 34, and married Rachel H. Hall 
(deceased), daughter of Ransom Hall, and 
was the father of the following children: 
Charles F., Mrs. Sarah Dustin (Missouri), 
Mrs. Mary E. Messmore and Mrs. C. Frances 
Messmore, both of Henry County, 111. Eliza 
Miller married Edward H. Hall, who escaped 
the Indian Creek massacre. Mrs. Eliza Hall 
was the mother of four boys and one girl. 
Henry J. Miller, the subject proper of this 
biography, was born November 30, 1823, in 
Dubois County, Ind. He came here with his 
parents and has made this county his home 
nearly all his life. His career in life has 
been a checkered one. He started on a small 
scale, but by dint of perseverance, industry 
and good business principles has acquired a 
handsome fortune. His early life was spent 
on the farm with his parents; here he also 
attended the pioneer schools, conducted on 
the subscription plan. He was fond of the 
chase, and at one of their many hunts killed 
the largest wolf ever seen in the county, by 
riding his famous horse Vic, which was soon 
after stolen by the "Birch gang," over the 
animal. Mr. Miller was married here April 
5, 1849, to Jane Williams, born February 
19, 1831, in Sangamon County, 111. She is 
the mother of four children, viz. : Icedora, 
John H, Carmi A. and Jennie M. Miller. 
Of these Icedora, wife of J. E. Porterfield, is 
the mother of Edna and Lois Porterfield. 
John H., a merchant in LaSalle, married 
Mary Wilhite, a daughter of Hampton Wil- 
hite; she is the mother of Henry J., Ethel 
and Roy Miller. Carmi A., who is quite a 
genius, married Isabel Winser, daughter of 
James Winser, and is the father of Claude 
Miller. Jennie M. Miller is at home. Two 
other childi-en, William C. and George W., 
died while young; the former aged eight 
years, had an unusually bright mind. The 
parents of Mrs. Jane Miller were Curtis and 
Mary (Peter) Williams, natives of Kentucky. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES- 



597 



After living many years in Indiana, they re- 
moved to Sangamon County, 111., and then 
came to Bureau County, settling in Arispe 
Township, They finally entered what is 
known as the William C. Buswell farm in 
Barren Grove, in the Hall neighborhood 
north of Neponset, where they were "known 
for their hospitality. Curtis Williams was 
born March 16. 1797, in Warren County, Ky. 
He died September 3, 1858, in Neponset. 
His wife was born March 15, 1804, in Wash- 
ington, Ky. , and is yet living in Annawan, 
Henry County, 111. She is the mother of ten 
children, viz.: Volly, deceased: Mrs. Sylvia 
Beaver and William died in California; Mrs. 
Elizabeth Potter, of California; Mrs. Mary 
Stevens, of Kansas; John, of Missouri ; Mrs. 
M. A. Jane R. Miller; Mrs. Talitha Way, of 
California; David, and Mrs. Margaret Mavi- 
ty, deceased. In the summer of 1857 Mr. 
Miller drove across the plains to California, 
where he farmed, but he returned the next 
year, via Panama and New York City, be- 
cause he wanted to look after his interest in 
Bureau County, where, in his absence, he had 
lost quite a fortune, principally by going 
security. He soon rallied, and to-day his 
farms located in Hall Township aggregate 
1,307 acres. He took an active part in the 
transactions which led to the organization of 
the Spring Valley Coal Company, and in 
partnership with Hon. A. Campbell, deeded 
to the company about 5,000 acres of coal 
land, which is now being operated. To our 
subject partially belongs the credit of open- 
ing this new field of kibor, which will prove 
a source of wealth to old Bureau. Political- 
ly Mr. Miller is a Democrat. He and his 
■wife are members of the Methodist Protestant 
Church. 

JACOB MILLER, Princeton, was born 
June 15, 1835,inAnnville, Lebanon Co., Penn. 
His parents, Isaac and Mollie (Farnsler) 
Miller, were natives of Pennsylvania, as were 
also the great grandparents. The Miller 
family is of German extraction. Isaac and 
Mollie Miller died in Pennsylvania. They 
were the parents of the following children: 
Henry, Mrs. Christiana Bach man. Mrs. 
Sarah Farnsler, Mrs. Mattie AVolfenberger 
(deceased), Mrs. Lizzie Wolfenberger, Frank, 
and Jacob IMiller, the subject of this biogra- 



phy, who was educated at the Annville 
Academy, now Lebanon Valley College, and 
afterward at Mount Pleasant College, West- 
moreland County, Penn. His early years 
were devoted to teaching school in his native 
State. Eventually he came to Bureau County, 
where he taught school in Buda, after which 
he took charge of the books in the large 
book and printing establishment of the 
United Brethren Church Society, located in 
Dayton, Ohio. After his return to Princeton 
be built and kept the Empire House, which 
he afterward sold. He then established the 
Bureau County Academy in Princeton, where 
he taught till after the building of the High 
School, when the academy was abandoned. 
He then became a member of the firm of 
Miller, Strock & Co., of the Princeton plan- 
ing-mill, with which he was connected sev- 
eral years. In 1873 he was elected County 
Superintendent of Schools of Bureau County, 
tilling that oiSce till 1877, after which he 
engaged in the real estate and insurance 
business till 1882, when he was again elected 
County Superintendent, his term of office 
expiring in 1886. Mr. Miller has done a 
great deal for the schools of Bureau County, 
and awakened that interest in educational 
matters which is necessary to insure the 
greatest benefits. It is his great object in 
life to grade every district school and make 
old "Bureau" the banner county in the 
State. Mr. Miller was married, in Dayton, 
Ohio, to Miss Mary A. Dow, a native of Can- 
terbury, N. H.. daughter of Tristram C. and 
Susan (Lyford) Dow, also natives of New 
Hampshire, the former of English and the 
latter of Scotch extraction. They died in 
Annawan, 111. They settled in Concord 
Township, Bureau County, June 21, 1846, 
and were accompanied by the following chil- 
dren: Almira, Joseph L., Tristram T.. Josiah, 
John L., Mary A. and Lyman Dow. Of the 
above, Tristram T. was a Major in the war of 
the Rebellion, and was afterward a prominent 
citizen of Davenport. Mrs. Mary Miller ia 
the mother of four children now living, viz.: 
Byron G., Victor, Viola and Mertie Miller. 
In religious matters Mr. and Mrs. Miller are 
members of the United Brethren Church. 

SILAS MILLER, Arispe, who is the sub- 
ject of the following biography, was born 



598 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



June 6, 1831, in Washington County, Penn. i 
His parents, John and Mary (Simmons) 
Miller, were natives of Pennsylvania. John 
Miller was born in December, ISOO. He was 
a farmer, and died ISl'A in Tiskilwa, Bureau 
Co. , 111. The grandfather of our sub- 
ject, John Miller, Sr. , was of German descent, 
but was born and died in Pennsylvania. The 
mother of our subject was born in 1800; she 
is yet living. The following of her children 
reacbed maturity. Eli.sha, Silas (our sub- 
ject), Jonathan, Isaac, Mary, Amos and Mar- 
garet. Mr. Miller was educated in Penn- 
sylvania. He came to this county with his 
parents in 1851, and settled on Lone Tree 
Prairie. In 1875 he removed to his present 
residence near Tiskilwa. As a farmer he has 
been successful, and at present owns 420 
acres of land. Mr. Miller was joined in mar- 
riage July 4, 1859, in Henry, 111., to Miss 
Christine Brown, born 1828 in West Vir- 
ginia. Her parents were Abraham and Eliza- 
beth (Core) Brown. Four children now liv- 
ing blessed this union, viz. : Abraham L., 
Catharine, Cora and Ida M. Mrs. Miller is 
religiously connected with the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. Politically Mr. Miller is 
identified with the Republican party, and 
has filled township and school offices. 

JOSEPH H. MILNER (deceased), was 
born June 12, 1858, in Westfield Township, 
Bureau Co., 111., where he died April 10, 
1884. He was a son of Rezin Milner, who 
was born January 16, 1818, in Belmont 
County, Ohio. He came to this country 
about twenty-eight years ago, and bought 
land in Section 4. He was an industrious and 
very economical man, and at the time of his 
death, which occurred August 12, 1884, owned 
over 320 acres of choice land. He was mar- 
ried twice. His first wife, Athanisa Pancoast, 
died in Ohio. His second wife, Mary J. 
Harvey, a daughter of Daniel and Eliza Har- 
vey, was born April 18, 1826, in Ohio; she 
died here May 22, 1863. She was the mother 
of two children, viz. : Susan I., and Joseph 
H. Milnor, whose name heads this biography. 
Susan I. Milner was born July 30, 1855, in 
Ohio; she died here June 14, 1876. Joseph 
H. Milner was reared and educated in this 
county. He was also a farmer by occupa- 
tion, and bid fair to become one of Bureau 



County's most enterprising and useful citi- 
zens. He was married here November 18, 
1880, to Miss Ada D. Black, a daughter of 
Isaac C. Black. She was born February 
27, 1861, in Arlington. This union was 
blessed with one sou, Joseph H. Milner, Jr., 
who was born January 12, 1882, and who is 
the image of his father. He was a man who 
quickly gained and retained the confidence 
and good will of all who came in contact 
with him, so that at the time of his death it 
was said that he had not an enemy in the 
wide world. His memory will ever be cher- 
ished for his many good qualities of head 
and heart. His widow, whose young life has 
been blighted by four deaths in the family 
since her marriage, has borne her trials hero- 
ically, and has the sincerest sympathy of all. 
J. H. MORGAN, Concord, was born in 
Lackawanna County, Penn., December 28, 
1844. He was reared on a farm in his native 
State, and his principal occupation during 
life has been that of farming. In 1864 he 
came to Bureau County, 111. , with his parents 
and has since resided in Concord Township. 
Part of the time after coming to the county 
he worked in the coal mines at Bourbonnais. 
In 1874 he engaged in the mercantile busi- 
ness at the same point, and continued until 
1877; but most of the time he has followed 
farming, and now owns a farm of 120 acres. 
Mr. Morgan's opportunities for an education 
in early life were very limited, but he takes 
an active interest in all school matters, and 
has held various school offices in the district 
and township. In politics he is a Repub- 
lican, and has acted as Township Collector, 
etc. He is an active member of the Baptist 
Church. He is the sim of Enoch and Mar- 
garet (Bowen) Morgan, both natives of Wales. 
Mrs. Morgan was born in 1809, and yet sur- 
vives. Enoch Morgan was born in South 
Wales in 1804. In 1830, in company with 
his wife and about twenty others, came to 
the United States, and settled in Carbondale, 
Penn., where he resided until 1864, when 
he came to Bureau County and settled near 
Buda, where he died November 13, 1882, at 
the age of seventy-eight years, six months and 
thirteen days. His occupation was that of a 
miner, and was one of the pioneers in the 
mining of hard coal in the northern portion 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



599 



of the anthracite coal fields of Pennsylvania. 
Mr. Morgan and his partner, David Davis, 
were the first to take out coal at what is now 
Scranton, Penn. The first summer that he 
worked was on the bank of the Lackawanna 
River, and only by daylight at 75 cents a 
day. Mr. and Mr. Enoch Morgan were the 
parents of the following named children who 
yet survive: William, John, David, Jediah 
and Jemima. William and David reside in 
Pennsylvania; John and Jediah in this 
county, and Mrs. Jemima Morse in Shenan- 
doah, Iowa. Mrs. Elizabeth Jerman, an- 
other daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, died 
in Pennsylvania, but was the mother of one 
daughter, who is now Mrs. S. M. Aker, of 
Buda, 111. 

C. M. MORRILL, M. D., Fairfield, was 
born February 24, 1851, in Randolph, Catta- 
raugus Co., N. Y. His grandfather, Mastin 
Morrill, was a native of Vermont. Our sub- 
ject's parents, Albert and Hannah (Board- 
man) Morrill, are natives of New York. They 
reared the following children: Mrs. Cynthia 
L. Binkley, Charles M., Marion and Willard 
Morrill. Charles M. Morrill received a com- 
mon school education in Illinois and Iowa. 
His preceptors in his chosen profession were 
his uncle. Dr. J. L. Morrill, and Dr. J. H. 
Taggart. At the age of seventeen he went 
into the drug business, and during that time 
read medicine. He kept a drug store in 
Yorktown and Tampico, and made many 
friends in the vicinity of both places. Being 
desirous of entering the medical fraternity 
and showing the public his ability as a practi- 
tioner, he attended medical lectures at Cin- 
cinnati, where he graduated January 25, 
1876. After receiving his diploma Dr. Mor- 
rill permanently located in Yorktown, Bureau 
Co., 111., in which vicinity he has a lucra- 
tive practice and enjoys the confidence and 
esteem of his fellow men. Dr. Morrill was 
joined in marriage March 19, 1876, in Tam- 
pico, 111., to Miss Mary E. Banes, born June 
18, 1856, in Whiteside County, 111., daughter 
of Jenks G. and Naomi (Parvis) Banes, the 
former a native of Pennsylvania, and the lat- 
ter of Maryland. They were formerly resi- 
dents of Cincinnati, but removed to White- 
side County, where he at one time cultivated 
over 1,800 acres of land. Mr. and Mrs. Dr. 



Morrill have one son — Frank G. — born Jan- 
uary 22, 1880. Politically the Doctor is a 
Greenbacker, and a Freethinker in all relig- 
ious matters. 

JOSEPH MORRISON, Princeton, was 
born in Union Township, Belmont Co., Ohio, 
August 16, 1806. His father. Arthur Mor- 
rison, was born April 1, 1770, in Adams 
County, Penn. ; he died September 3, 1839, 
in Belmont County, Ohio. He was a tanner 
and farmer by occupation. The grandfather 
of our subject was John Morrison, who was 
a native of Pennsylvania, but his father was 
a Scotchman. Mr. Morrison's mother was 
Grezzella McCormick. She was born in 1776, 
in Pennsylvania, and died May 16, 1846, in 
Belmont County, Ohio. She was the mother 
of fourteen children, of whom ten reached 
maturity. Of these six are now living: Mrr. 
Martha Cerr, Samuel, Joseph, Arthur, Mra 
Jane McCormick and Robert. The family is 
noted for longevity, the average age of three 
now living being eighty-two years. Our sub- 
ject received his early education in a log 
schoolhouse in Belmont County, Ohio, where 
he afterward followed tanning and merchan- 
dising. In the spring of 1849, when the 
news of the discovery of the gold mines of 
California reached the East, Mr. Morrison, 
more from a desire of seeing the West than 
to hunt for gold, joined a party of sixty-five 
men, and with them crossed the plains with 
teams and wagons. They were nearly four 
months in reaching the gold fields. Before 
leaving the East he formed a stock company 
with eight men, one of whom died on the 
plains. The other eight men worked together 
one year in the gold fields and were success- 
ful. After the first year a part of them re- 
organized and worked another year. In the 
spring of 1851 Mr. Morrison returned to 
Ohio, where he lived one year, and then came 
to Bureau County, 111., settling in Dover 
Township. He farmed till the spring of 
1877, since which he has resided in Prince- 
ton, where he is living a retired yet by no 
means idle life, enjoying the fruit of a suc- 
cessful business career. Mr. Morrison was 
married March 10, 1831, in Belmont County, 
Ohio, to Miss Ann J. Thompson, who was born 
August 22, 1812, in Belmont Countj', Ohio; 
died May 22, 1884. She was a daughter of 



600 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Samuel Thompson, a native of Ireland, and 
a Captain in the war of 1812. Her mother, 
Ann J. Lundy, was also of Irish extraction. 
Mrs. Morrison was the mother of eleven chil- 
dren. Of these two died in infancy, Cyrus 
died at the age of fourteen, and another son, 
Hugh A., reached maturity. He was a gal- 
lant soldier in our late war, lighting till its 
close, after which he was sent with his reg- 
iment, the Second Illinois, to Texas, where 
he stayed till January, 1866, when he came 
home. About 1870 he entered the service of 
Gen. Dodge, in Council Blufifs, Iowa, and 
with the General went to Texas, where he was 
in his employ till his death from lung fever, 
which occurred November 18, 1874. The 
names of the living children are: Mrs. Mary 
Garton, Mrs. Grezzella Honn, Mrs. Frances 
Butts, Mrs. Sophia Emmerson, Thomas C. 
(now a farmer in Nebraska), Julius (a farmer 
in Kansas) and Maggie. Mr. Morrison is 
an active member of the Presbyterian 
Church. He is connected with the Repub- 
lican party. For the last ten years Mr. Mor- 
rison has traveled considerably, visiting all 
the States except three, and all the Territo- 
ries except three. His two brothers, Samuel 
and Robert, are residents of California, and 
to that State he has been twice since he was 
there digging for gold. At present Mr. Mijr- 
rison is one of the Directors of the Farmers 
National Bank. 

L O. MORSE, Neponset, was born Febru- 
ary 10, 1840, in Peacham, Caledonia Co., Vt. 
His father, Thomas Morse, was born 1796, in 
Peacham, Vt. He was a brick-maker and 
farmer, an(^ died there in 1872. The grand- 
father of our subject was Moody Morse, who 
was a native of Massachusetts, but died in 
Vermont. The mother of our subject, Cyn- 
thia (Blanchard) Morse, was born in 1802, in 
Peacham, Vt. She died there in 1881. She 
was a daughter of Abel and Elizabeth (Bast- 
man) Blanchard. They were natives of Mas- 
sachusetts and the parents of thirteen chil- 
dren. Mrs. Cynthia Morse was the mother 
of five children: Francis A., Mrs. Mary E. 
Balcon, Lucius O. (our subject), Abel and 
William W. Our subject was educated in 
his native town. In early life ho worked at 
his father's occupation. At the age of nine- 
teen he went to Fall River, Mass. , where he 



clerked one and one-half years, and then en- 
listed April 7, 1861, in the Third Regiment 
of the Vermont Volunteer Infantry, Company 
G, serving till July, 1864, and was discharged 
at Burlington, Vt. He was promoted to 
Second Sergeant, and participated in the 
battles of Yorktown, Williamsburg, Seven 
Days' Fight, Bucketsville, Antietam, Freder- 
icksburg, Gettysburg, Funkstown, Rappahan- 
nock Station, Wilderness, Spottsylvania 
Court House, Cold Harbor and Fort Stevens. 
In October, 1864, he came West to Osceola, 
111., where he taught school two winters and 
farmed one summer. In May, 1866, he came 
to Neponset, where he clerked three years, 
and then went into the clothing business. 
After two years he engaged in the hardware 
and farm implement business, and is now 
conducting that business in partnership with 
P. M. Chi Ids and S. H. Bennett. He has 
made an efficient Postmaster for more than 
fourteen years, and takes a deep interest in 
all public aifairs, being one of the most wide- 
awake men in town. Politically Mr. Morse 
is a Republican. He was married August 13, 
1867. at North Haverhill, N. H., to Miss 
Addie Hatch, a native of Vermont, and a 
daughter of Obadiah Hatch. She is the 
mother of two children: Hazen H. Morse, 
born December 12, 1869, and Glenn ^.., who 
was born January 31, 1876. Mr. Morse is a 
supporter of the Congregational Church, of 
which his wife is an active member. 

PROF. S. W. MOSES, Princeton, was born 
March 5. 1842, in Petersburg, N. Y. He is 
a son of Hiram Moses, a native of Norfolk, 
Conn., where he was born September 15. 
1800, and yet resides. He is a physician and 
has followed his profession for fifty-five years. 
His father was Thomas Moses, a farmer. His 
parents or the great-grandparents of our sub- 
ject came to the United States from England. 
The mother of Prof. Moses was Abalina 
(Worthington) Moses. She was born in New 
York and died in Petersburg. She was the 
mother of five children, viz. : Hiram, who is 
a physician, Thomas, Charles, Albert, and 
Solan W., our subject, who received his pri- 
mary education in Petersburg and Fort Ed- 
ward. It siion became evident the musical 
scales had more attraction for him than the 
mysteries of science. Therefore at an early 



BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



601 



date he studied music in Troy, N. Y., and 
Boston, Mass. In the fall of 1861 he enlist- 
ed in the Music Corps of the Second Regi- 
ment of New York Volunteers, and was after- 
ward transferred to the Tenth Regiment, 
serving about one year. After the war he de- 
voted himself to his chosen profession and 
taught music, making harmony, thorough base, 
violin and piano a specialty. He is an ex- 
cellent violinist, and has played before large 
and select audiences in Boston, Chicago, and 
New York, and a number of other cities. 
In 1866 he came West and for three years 
taught in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin. After 
this he taught four years in Dixon, 111. For 
the last sis years he has been teaching in 
Princeton, Illinois, and here opened a music 
store. Prof. Moses' ability as an instructor 
is well known and he may well be satisfied 
with his success. He was married January 

I, 1862, in Petersbm-g, N. Y., to Miss Mary 
E. Hovey, a native of Petersburg. Her par- 
ents were Moses and Cornelia (Hakes) Hovey. 
She is the mother of two children, viz. : Cor- 
nelia A., born April 7, 1864, and Mattie M., 
born April 30, 1867. Prof. Moses is a mem- 
ber of the A. F & A. M. fraternity, and in 
politics he is a Republican. 

WILLIAM N. MOSELEY, deceased, was 
born in Rensselaer County, N. Y., April 

II, 1822. In 1831 he came to this county 
with his father, Roland Moseley (see general 
history). They were among the mimber who 
came here before the Indian troubles, and 
during the Black Hawk war the family fled 
across the river to the fort, having first 
buried their goods. W. N. Moseley spent 
most of his life in this county, following 
farming as an occupation. He was married 
in Princeton, HI., December 16, 1860, to 
Miss Sarah A. Ross, a native of New York. 
Her father, Charles Ross, was of Scotch de 
scent. He moved with his family from New 
York to Canada, and thence to Putnam 
County, 111., in about 1838, and there died. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Moseley five children were 
born, viz.: Fannie, William, Frederick, Asa 
B. and Roland F. Mr. Moseley died May 
6, 1872. He was a practical, thorough going 
business man, and through his energy and 
close attention to business made a financial 
success of life, and left a good property, b»it 



more than all, an untarnished name. His 
education was such as could be obtained in 
the schools of the frontier, but he was a great 
reader of the news of the day, and gained 
much practical knowledge, and was well 
versed in current history. Mr. Moseley never 
entered into political life, but was an adher- 
ent of the Democratic party. 

D, E. MUNGER, Princeton, was born in 
Verona, Oneida Co., N. Y., March 31, 1845. 
He is the son of William H. and Emily A. 
(Biishnell) Munger, both natives of Connecti- 
cut. The father was born in 1803, and died 
in Verona, N. Y., October 17, 1854. His 
occupation was that of the proprietor of a 
hotel, and his family was born and reared in 
the hotel in Verona. The mother was born Oc- 
tober, 1807. In the fall of 1855 she came to 
Morris, Grundy Co., 111., and settled on a 
farm. She is now a resident of Bridgeport, 
N. Y. She is the mother of seven sons, four 
of whom responded to their country's call 
and enlisted in the army. One, George B., in 
the Thirty-sixth Illinois Volunteer Infant- 
ry, was wounded at the battle of Pea 
Ridge, and afterward discharged. Three of 
the brothers, D. E., William H., and H. G., 
enlisted August 22, 1862, in Company C, 
Seventy, sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, un- 
der Capt. afterward Col. C. C. Jones. Mr. D. 
E. Munger was but sixteen years of age at the 
time of enlistment, being the youngest in the 
regiment. Their regiment was in the Army 
of the Tennessee, Second Brigade, Fourth 
Division of Seventeenth Army Corps. They 
participated in seventeen different engage- 
mentsi amongr which were the siege of Vicks- 
burg, Champion Hills, Jackson, Mississippi, 
and Spanish Fort. They were mustered 
out of the service at Galveston, Tex., but 
did not receive their pay till August 22, 1865, 
after arrivinsr at Chicago. Soon after return- 
inor from the service, H. G. Munger died 
of disease contracted while in the army. Of 
the Munger brothers now living, all are en- 
gaged in the hotel business. G. B. and E. M. 
are proprietors of the Matteson House, Chi- 
cago; W. H. is in the Gault House, Ster- 
ling, 111.; D. A. is in the Phcenis House, of 
Pontiac, III., and D. E. is proprietor of the 
American House, Princeton, 111. After re- 
turning from the army Mr. D. E. Munger 



602 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



engaged in the hotel business at Leland, 111., 
and snch has been his occupation since, with 
the exception of seven years when he was in 
the drug business at Newark, Kendall Co., 
111., and Pontiac. While at the latter place 
he suffered a heavy loss from tire, as his store 
was burned. Besides having been in the 
hotel business at Leland, he has also been in 
the same business in Wyanet, 111., and in 
Princeton, and since 1879 has been proprie- 
tor of the American House. While at Leland 
Mr. Munger formed the acquaintance of Miss 
Angle M. McClure, to whom he was married 
at Earl, 111., December 22, 1866. She was 
born in Johnstown, Cambria Co., Penn., March 
27, 1844. Her parents, John and Rebecca 
(Wier) McClure, were natives of Pennsylva- 
nia. The father's occupation was that of a 
merchant during most of his life, and a short 
time before his death, which occurred in 1854, 
his business had been consumed by fire. The 
following year, 1855, his widow and family 
removed to Earl, LaSalle Co., 111., where 
she yet resides. Of the family of seven, only 
four now survive, viz.: T. D. McClure, of 
Chicago, Mrs. James Mekeel, of Ottawa, 111., 
Mrs. D. E. Munger, and Mrs. Allie Wade, of 
Cannon River Falls, Minn. Mrs. Munger is 
the mother of two daughters, viz. : Maud May, 
born March 24, 1869, and Georgie E., born 
July 18, 1878. Mr. Munger is a member of 
the Princeton Masonic Lodge and of Ferris 
Post, 309, G. A. R. , of Princeton. He and 
his wife are members of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church. In politics he is a stanch 
Republican. 

HOWARD W. MUNSON, Hall, was born 
September 10, 1820, in Jefferson County, 
Ind. His father, Alanson Munson, was a 
native of New York, and died in Bureau 
County, 111., December 16, 1865, at the age 
of sixty-six years, two months and eighteen 
days. He was a son of Hiram and Rhoda 
(Peas) Munson, natives of New England, 
and the parents of five sons. Alanson Mun- 
son married Rosanna Sage, a native of Ken- 
tucky, who died in this county September 12, 
1854, at the age of fifty-five years and seven 
months. She was the mother of three boys 
and two girls, viz. : Howard W. and Lucinda 
(deceased), twins, Mrs. Matilda Miller, Caleb, 
of Nebraska, and William, of Nebraska. 



Alanson Munson came to LaSalle County, 
111., in about 1837, and was located on In- 
dian Creek, where the massacre occurred. In 
1840 he came to Hall Township, Bureau 
County, where he died. Howard W. Mun- 
son came to LaSalle County, and for some 
time was on Indian Creek helping his uncle, 
William Munson, whose wife, Rachel Hall, 
was taken prisoner by the Indians. Mr. 
Munson now resides on the old homestead, 
for which his father traded his farm on In- 
dian Creek, and which was entered by Edward 
H. Hall. Our subject now owns 365 acres 
of land. He was married in this county 
October 23, 1844, to Eliza J. Seaton, born 
January 12, 1826, in Oldham County, Ky., a 
daughter of James and Nancy (Wilhoit) Sea- 
ton. (See sketch of Seaton family.) Mr. 
and Mrs. Munson are the parents of five chil- 
dren, viz. : Plencina, born August 19, 1846, 
drowned July 4, 1862; Mrs. Augusta Swan, 
Mrs. Loretta Brookie, William H. and James 
A., all in this county. In politics Mr. Mun- 
son is a Democrat. 

L. B. MUZZY, Berlin. Thomas N. 
Muzzy, father of the above named gentle- 
man, was born in Worcester County, Mass., 
March 16, 1789. He was a musician in the 
war of 1812, and his son now possesses the 
clarionet on which he played. In 1814 he 
settled in Guernsey County, Ohio, taking up 
Government land, and lived there until his 
death, in March, 1883. He named the town- 
ship Spencer, after his old township in Mas- 
sachusetts. For many years his business 
was that of farming, but in after life he 
was also interested in railroads in Eastern 
Ohio, and was one of the well known men of 
Guernsey County. He was married in Mas- 
sachusetts a short time before he moved to 
Ohio, to Lorinda Bacon. She was born in 
Worcester County, Mass., March 8, 1791, 
and is still living. Both families are noted 
for their longevity. They were the parents 
of twelve children, eight of whom are now 
living. Two died in infancy, and one while 
in the army. Three of their sons were en- 
gaged in the civil war. L. B. Muzzy was 
the youngest of the family, and was born in 
Guernsey County, Ohio, July 23, 1833. He 
was reared on a farm until nineteen years of 
age, when he attended school in Cambridge, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



603 



Ohio, for two years, and afterward engaged 
in teaching. In 1855 he came to Bureau 
County, and gave his attention to teaching 
and farming. September 9, 1857, he was 
married in Dover to Maria B. Wood, born in 
Saratoga County, N. Y., March 31, 1839. 
Her parents were also natives of Saratoga 
County. Her father, Lewis Wood, was born 
June 11, 1805, and her mother. Electa 
(Clark) Wood, February 12, 1801. They 
came from New York to Downer's Grove, 
111, and in 1855 to Dover, where be died 
May 1, 1864. His wife is still living. 
They had eight children, six of whom are 
now living. Mr. and Mrs. Muzzy have four 
children, viz.: Rollin L., born June 22, 1858, 
a photographer of Mendota (his wife was 
Miss Veue Bert, of Princeton); Nettie M., 
born April 26, 1860, wife of George Bryant, 
of Milwaukee, Wis. ; George L., born October 
31, 1863; Lora C. , born January 5, 1868, 
wife of Marshal Momeny, of this county. 
Mr. Muzzy pui'chased his present farm in 
1867. It contains 115 acres, with excellent 
improvements. He has spent most of his 
life in agricultural pursuits and making a 
model farm. In politics he has always been 
a Eejjublican. He and his wife are mem- 
bers of the Congregational Church of Mai- 
den. He is an Odd Fellow, his member- 
ship being at Cumberland, Ohio. 

AUGUSTUS MYERS. Concord, was born 
in Hunterdon County, N. J., September 21, 
1833. He is the son of Samuel and Cather- 
ine (Smith) Myers. The Myers family is an 
old family of Hunterdon County. Samuel 
Myers was born in 1805, and came to this 
county in 1854, and is now a resident of 
Mineral Township. His wife was born in 
1811, and is the mother of nine sons and one 
daughter; all the family, except two sons, 
are yet living, but only the daughter and 
two sons in Bureau County. The others are 
settled all through the West. Augustus 
Myers was reared on a farm. He received 
most of his education in the schools of his 
native State. After coming to this State he 
worked on the farm, taught school, etc., till 
his marriage, and then engaged in farming 
for himself. He has lived in Concord Town- 
ship since March 6, 1865. He now owns a 
farm of 240 acres of well-improved land. 



October 7. 1858, he was married to Miss 
Eliza A. Neff, who was born in Champaign 
County, Ohio, November 1, 1836, and is the 
daughter of George W. and Magdalene 
(Dicious) Neif. The father was born in 
Pennsylvania in 1811, but the mother in 
Virginia in about 1809. They came to Bureau 
County, III, in 1854, and here died — he in 
1879, but she in LS76. They were the par- 
ents of ten childi-en, five of whom yet sur- 
vive. Mi\ and Mrs. Myers have four children 
living, viz.: Wellmore L., born June 14, 
1860; Charles L.. October 18, 1862; Frank 
G., Mai-ch 28, 1866, and Arthur A., Novem- 
ber 22, 1872. In politics Mr. Myers is Re- 
publican, and has held various township 
offices, and at present is Supervisor. 

ANDREW D. NEELY, Neponset, was born 
September 19, 1824, in Homer, Cortland Co., 
N. Y. His father, Robert Neely, was a 
farmer and soldier in the war of 1812. He 
died in Little York, Cortland County, N. Y., 
in 1879, aged ninety-seven years. The 
grandfather of our subject was of German 
descent; he was a farmer and manufacturer 
by occupation, also a soldier in the Revolu- 
tionary war, with rank of Captain. He died 
in Scipio Center, N. Y. The mother of our 
subject, Margaret (Vandeline) Neely, was of 
foreign descent, but a native of New York; 
she died in Homer, N. Y. She was the 
mother of six children, viz. : Mrs. Hannah 
Sender, Abraham, Robert (deceased), Mrs. 
Sarah Boyles (deceased), Mrs. Jane Barnum, 
and Andrew D., our subject, who was educated 
at Homer Hill, N. Y. He farmed in early 
life. In 1849 he came West, and crossed 
the plains and freighted about one year for 
Perry & Young, between Leavenworth and 
Salt Lake City. He participated in several 
severe Indian tights; then took sick and re- 
turned East, where he remained one year, 
when he came West again and settled in 
Rockford, Winnebago Co., 111. There he 
farmed about five years, and then removed to 
Oneida, Knox Co., 111.; was there two 
years, and roamed about three years through 
Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas 
and Santa F6, N. M. , mainly to see the 
country. He returned to Knox County, 
111., in 1859, and in August, 1861, he en- 
listed in Company C of the Forty-second 



604 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, as 
private, but was promoted to Color-Bearer 
Sergeant. He participated in the battles of 
Stone River, Franklin, Chickamauga, Fort 
Donelson, Sliiloh and other engagements. He 
was severely wounded September 20, 1863, 
at Chickamauga, and lay in the hospitals 
fourteen months, having contracted gangreen 
and erysipelas. He was discharged August 
19, 1864. After the war he returned to Knox 
County, and there lived till 1868, when he 
came to Neponset Township, Bureau County, 
where he was married September ] 5, 1868, 
to Mrs. Mary J. Russell {nee Mary J. Van- 
vactor). who was born May 17, 1836, in Ply- 
mouth, Marshall Co., Ind. She is a 
daughter of David and Harriet (Ward) Van- 
vactor. Mrs. Neely is the mother of three 
children, viz. : Mrs. Hattie E. Dana, a daugh- 
ter by her first husband, William Russell: 
James Eddie Neely, born July 19, 1869, and 
Minnie Neely, born October 15, 1875. Mr. 
Neely is a Republican and a member of the 
G. A. R., Elmira Post. 

JAMES NELSON, Westfield, was born 
March 4, 1838, in Perth, Canada. His par- 
ents, James and Martha (Gourley) Nelson, 
were natives of the north of Irelaud. They 
came to Canada while quite young. The 
father was a hatter by occupation and fol- 
lowed it in Perth and Ottawa In 1852 he 
came to LaSalle County, 111., where he died 
July, ]868, aged sixty-four years. The 
mother died July, 1867, aged lifty-sis years. 
They were the parents of ten children, of 
whom the following are yet living: Elmer 
W., Mrs. Margaret Longworth, James (our 
subject), Mrs. Letitia R. Holbrook, William 
S., Josiah D. and Mrs. Isabell Ritchmyer. 
The above were all married. Our subject, 
James Nelson, came to Bureau County in 
1856 and has been a farmer and stockman 
all his life and has a farm of 160 acres. Mr. 
Nelson was married here October 20, 1862, to 
Miss Mary A. Barrett, daughter of Benjamin 
and Elizabeth (Barrett) Barrett. Mr. and 
Mrs. Nelson are the parents of the following 
children: James B., Elizabeth L., Charles 
C, Warren G., Mattie M. and George E. Nel- 
son, the latter deceased aged seven years. 
Politically Mr. Nelson is identified with the 
Democratic party. 



P. J. NEWELL, Princeton, was born in 
Princeton, 111., April 12, 1836, and is proba- 
bly the oldest man now living in the city 
who was born within the corporate limits. 
He is the son of Benjamin and Harriet 
(White) Newell. The former was born in 
Concord, N. H., the latter in Alden, N. Y. 
They were married in Alden in 1835 and came 
to Princeton, 111., the same year, and Mr. 
Newell engaged in the dry goods business 
and continued in the same for thirty-five 
years. In 1881 he moved to Denver, Col., 
and in 1883 to Topeka, Kan., where he now 
resides. In 1856 our subject began learning 
the hardware business in the store of A. S. & 
E. C. Chapman, and with the exception of 
short intermissions he was employed in this 
store for nine years. During the time in 
1860 he went to Pike's Peak, where he 
remained some months. April 17, 1861, he 
entered the ninety-days' service in the army 
and went to Springfield, but all the troops 
not being required at the time, he was sent 
home. October 13, 1863, Mr. Newell was 
united in marriage to Miss Helen S. Part- 
ridge, a native of Oswego. N. Y., who had come 
to Peoria, III, about 1846, and for some years 
before marriage had been engaged in teach- 
ing there. Mr. and Mrs. Newell have two 
sons and two daughters living and also one 
son and daughter dead. The living are: 
Frank, Henry, Hattie and Minnie. The old- 
est son has been in Peoria, 111., for three years 
where he is a book-keeper. August 81, 1864, 
Mr. Newell engaged in the hardware busi- 
ness for himself in Princeton, but sold out 
after eleven months, during which time he 
had cleared above all expenses 11,500. For 
three years he worked at his trade in Gales- 
burg, 111., but in 1869 came back to Prince- 
ton and again went into business, this time 
in connection with Thompson Bros. , Mr. 
Newell having charge of the tinware depart- 
ment and the Thompsons of the hardware. In 
1871 he opened a stock of hardware in the old 
stand where he had learned his trade. In 
1873 he sold an interest in the business and 
the firm was then Newell & Thompson, but 
in 1877 he sold the entire stock to Mr. 
Thompson April 12, 1881, he boi;ght out 
the furniture and undertaking business of E. 
Strong Phelps, paying for the same $4,250 



BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



605 



but sold the building in which he has his 
store to Mr. Phelps for $3,500. At that 
time Mr. Newell knew nothing of his pres- 
ent business, but he applied himself closely 
to business and has been very successful as 
an undertaker. October, 1881, at the organ- 
ization of the Illinois Undertakers' Associa- 
tion he was appointed one of the Executive 
Committee, and in the October meeting, 1882, 
he was appointed a member of the Finance 
Committee. Since 1875 Mr. N. has paid over 
$6,000 security debts, but his energy has 
carried him through and now he carries a 
stock of goods valued at between $6,000 
and $7,000, and is a stock-holder in the 
Princeton Homestead & Loan Association 
and also in the Town Hall Company. Mr. 
Newell is a member of the Knights of Py- 
thias and takes an active interest in all mat- 
ters concerning the order and has held various 
offices in the society. In politics he is iden- 
tified with the Republican party. 

D. T. NICHOLS, Wyanet, was born in 
Broadalbin, N. Y., August 3, 1812. In 
1829 he removed to Livingston County, N. Y. 
In early life he learned the harness-maker's 
trade and followed that occupation in the 
State of New York and also in Chicago, 111., 
where he landed October 8, 1839, when the 
city claimed a population of 3,000. He re- 
mained in Chicago for seven years and then 
removed to Kane County, but still later pur- 
chased land in Winnebago County, 111., at 
60 cents per acre. In 1850 Mr. Nichols was 
one who crossed the plains to seek his fort- 
une in the gold fields of California. He 
spent one successful year in California and 
then returned to Illinois, riding on mule- back 
from Sacramento to Illinois. In 1853 he 
came to Bureau County and purchased a farm 
in Wyanet Township, and since that time he 
has been a resident of Bureau County. In 
1854, when the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 
Railroad had been completed in this county, 
he was at Wyanet Station as the train was 
passing through, when Col. C. G. Hammond 
invited him to take a ride to Mendota, which 
he did, and while on the way Col. Hammond 
proposed that he should take the position of 
Station Agent at Wyanet. His answer was 
that he knew nothing of railroading, nor did 
he care to; however, he was prevailed upon 



to take the "place, and since 1854 Mr. Nichols 
has been in the employ of the Chicago, Bur- 
lington & Quincy Railroad, and all this time 
he has been agent at Wyanet, except two 
years at Buda, and with the exception of J. 
W. Cothrin, of Galesburg, he is the oldest 
employe of the road. When first begin- 
ning he knew nothing about the business, but 
he spent one-half day with the agent at 
Princeton, and then studied out the remain- 
der for himself. When first appointed agent 
there was no depot, and as there were only 
day trains, he drove into the station from his 
farm, and in the evening out again. After- 
ward he had a box car as a depot, till the 
present building was erected. Once diu-- 
ing the war, several car-loads of soldiers had 
to be supplied with tickets, and his were all 
used, so he took the power upon himself to 
manufacture tickets, sign his name and sell 
them. They were accepted by the conductor, 
and afterward Mr. Nichols received the com- 
pliments of the Superintendent for this pro- 
cedure. Mr. Nichols has grown old in the 
service of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 
Railroad, but has grown in the esteem of the 
officials, and all having business with the 
line at this point. November 20, 1834, Mr. 
Nichols was united in marriage to Miss Clar- 
issa Watkins, of Onondaga County, N. Y. 
She died in 1845, leaving three children, viz.: 
W. I., of Burlington, Iowa; Minerva, wife 
of Andrew Garrett, of Claremont, Mo. ; and 
Horace, who died in Heme, Tex., in 1880 
In 1846 Mr. Nichols was married to Miss 
H. G. Barry, of Madison, N. Y., who is 
the mother of six children, viz. : Clarissa, 
widow of J. Crawford; S. E., wife of E. J. 
Engle: Emma, wife of W. A. Yearnshaw, 
and C. L., of Topeka, Kan., train-master on 
the Santa F6 Railroad, also two children, 

ISAAC H. NORRIS, Lamoille. The Nor- 
ris family is of English extraction, and ita 
genealogy is brief. Whether the family de- 
scends from some branch of the British no- 
bility, or the more humble Puritan stock, 
we do not know, yet the strong traits 
of character and nobility which shine forth 
in the progenitors of our subject leads 
the genealogist and biographer of these 
lines to wish he knew more of their past. 



608 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



The grandparents of our subject, William 
and Mary (Hays) Norris, were natives of 
Frederick County, Md., where they owned a 
large plantation which, as was quite custom- 
ary in those days and in that State, was ! 
worked by slaves. Mr. and Mrs. Norris were 
members of the Episcopal Church, and were : 
reared to believe that slavery was a lawful 
institution. Upon reaching maturity they 
began to doubt this belief and formed reso- 
lutions to free the slaves and incur all the 
risk and criticism which such an action would 
lead to from their friends and relatives. Over- 
hearing the prayer of a slave, they put their 
resolution into execution by liberating all of 
them that were twenty-seven years old, this 
being the provision of the law; and when a 
further stay in the old home became disa- 
greeable they emigrated to Belmont County, 
Ohio, in 1808, where William Norris died 
the following year. They were among the 
pioneers of Belmont County, and though not 
inured to the privation of border life, nor 
even accustomed to light work, they yet 
bravely faced all for the sake of principle. 
In the wilderness they became members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Mary 
Norris, not content with what she had al- 
ready done for her former servants, and per- 
haps knowing the danger of their again fall- 
ing into slavery, went back twice to her old 
home in Maryland, through the wilderness 
on horseback and alone, to see that all papers 
were made out properly, and that all slaves 
were freed as soon as they reached their ma- 
jority. We deplore lack of space for a more 
just tribute to the memory of this noble 
woman who has set such a grand example to 
her posterity. She who had every wish grat 
ified, and who after coming to Ohio had to 
learn the simplest kind of work and do it 
herself, sacrificed all for the sake of justice. 
Of her eleven children, all except four died 
of consumption. She attained a green old 
age and died surrounded by her many friends. 
All honor to Mother Norris ! hail and fare- 
well. Luther M. Norris, a son of William 
and Mary (Hays) Norris, was born February 
4, 1793, in Frederick County, Md. He was 
a farmer by occupation and quite a public 
man in Ohio, a great admirer of Henry Clay 
and an advocate of the Whig and afterward 



the Republican party. He was married Feb- 
ruary, 1817, to Pleasant Hoge, who was born 
June 9, 1796, and was a Quaker lady, a 
daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth (Nicholas) 
Hoge, the former of Scotch descent, and with 
her parents was a native of Loudoun County, 
Va. She was a domestic, intelligent woman, 
a friend to all humanity; she was the mother 
of the following children: Isaac H. (our 
subject), Mrs. Sarah M, McMillan, William, 
Mrs. M. Elizabeth Mogus and Joshua H. Nor- 
ris, the latter deceased. Mrs. Pleasant Nor- 
ris died in Belmont County, Ohio, April 14, 
1833, aged thirty-seven years. Luther M. 
Norris was married a second time January 
23, 1836, to Jane Rawlings, born 1792. She 
died here July 9, 1870. He came to Bu- 
reau County, 111., in 1853, and died here 
March 20, 1869 The first American ances- 
tors of the Hoge family were William and 
Barbara (Hume) Hoge. The former was a 
native of Musselburg, Scotland, where the 
family is traced back to the twelfth century; 
his father was a Baron, related to the royal 
house of Stewart of Scotland. The latter 
was a daughter of Sir James Hume, a rela- 
tive of Hume the historian. William Hoge, 
aged eighteen years, and Barbara Hume, the 
latter accompanied by her parents, immigrated 
to America at the same time. Sir James 
Hume and wife died on the voyage, leaving 
their little daughter in charge of William 
Hoge, who conducted her safely to her rela- 
tives in New York. The memory of his lit- 
tle charge seems to have clung to him, for he 
returned when she had arrived at womanhood 
and made her his wife. The result of this 
romantic marriage was five sons. The family 
lived many years in Chester County, Penn. 
Their oldest son, John Hoge, removed to the 
Cumberland Valley, where he died in 1752. 
In 1735 the family removed to the Shenan- 
doah Valley, where the parents died. The 
second son, William, became a Quaker and 
married a Quakeress, and was the father of 
Solomon Hoge, who married Ann Rawlings 
about 1750; they were the parents of eleven 
children. Solomon Hoge was married a sec- 
ond time and seven children were the result 
of that union. Of the eleven children, the 
seventh child, Isaac Hoge, born January, 
1763, married Elizabeth Nichols. She was 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



607 



the mother of ten children, of whom Pleasant 
Hoge married Luther M. Norris, who was the 
father of Isaac H. Norris. Among the an- 
cestors of the Hoge family were many dis- 
tinguished men, members of Congress, law- 
yers, and for five generations Doctors of Di- 
vinity of the Presbyterian Church. Among 
the Congressmen William Hoge served dur- 
ing Thomas Jefferson's entire administration. 
His brother John, who was also a Congress- 
man, held many offices of trust in Washing- 
ton, Penn. The Hoge and Blaine families 
intermarried at different times in the latter 
place. Isaac H. Norris, whose name heads 
this sketch, was born April 13, 1818, in Bel- 
mont County, Ohio, where he was reared on 
a farm and also received a limited education 
in a pioneer school held in a log-cabin con- 
ducted on the subscription plan. Mr. Norris 
came to Biireau County, 111., December 13, 
1846, and worked a rented farm in Lamoille 
Township, where he bought 400 acres of raw 
prairie the next year, which he improved and 
on which he commenced to raise stock, which 
occupation he has followed with such emi- 
nent success that to-day he is at the head of 
the business, and on his farm of over 2,000 
acres has imported cattle and horses, import- 
ing of the latter as high as fifty head per 
annum. Our subject is a self-made man in 
every respect; he is no office seeker, but takes 
a groat interest in jjublic affairs, being iden- 
tified with the Republican partj'. Ho was 
married June 16, 1840, in Belmont County, 
Ohio, to Elizabeth D. Maus, who was born 
in February, 1812, in Bucks County, Penn. 
She died here December 13, 1859. She was 
a daughter of "William and Ann (Rawlings) 
Maus, natives of Philadelphia; he was a jew- 
eler by occupation; his father was of German 
and his mother was of English descent. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Isaac H. Norris seven children 
were born. Of these only Clarkson Norris and 
Mrs. Anna N. Kendall (nee Norris), reached 
maturity; of the other children William and 
Pleasant died in infancy; Sarah M. died aged 
fifteen years; Jane was six years and Isaac 
five years old when they died. Clarkson Nor- 
ris was born August 23, 1850. To some ex- 
tent he is following in the footsteps of his 
enterprising father, devoting all his attention 
to the stock business. He was married the 



first time to Miss Lucy C. Frary, who died 
soon after marriage. He is married now to 
Margaretta Hoge, bom February, 1851, a 
daughter of Isaac and Rachel (Shoefield) 
Hoge, and a native of Loudoun County, Va. 
She is the mother of Elizabeth D. and 
Josephine H. Norris. Mrs. Anna N. Kendall, 
born October 11, 1844, is the widow of James 
Lyman Kendall, who was born August 30. 
1840, in Passumpsie, Vt. He was a son of 
James E. and Relief (Wilder) Kendall, and 
was well-known in this county as one of our 
brightest young men, the sun of whose gen- 
ius set only too soon. He studied law with 
Milo Kendall, was admitted to the bar in 
April, 1S65, and after practicing law success- 
fully two years in Des Moines, Iowa, was 
married June 16, 1867, to Miss Anna Nor- 
ris. June 16, 1868, their only child Isaac 
Norris Kendall, was born. Mr. Kendall fol- 
lowed his profession in Des Moines till his 
death, which occurred October 16, 1869. 

WILLIA.M NORRIS, Clarion, was born 
May 20, 1825, in Belmont County, Ohio. He 
is a son of Luther M. and Pleasant (Hoge 
Norris, (see preceding sketch). Our subject 
was reared in his native State, where he 
farmed with his father till he attained his 
majority. In October, 1846, he arrived in 
Princeton, Bureau Co., 111., where he rented 
land in Lamoille Township, and worked in 
partnership with his brother. The next year 
he bought 160 acres of land in Section 31, 
Clarion Township, where he yet resides. In 
1852, he crossed the plains with an ox team 
in company with a party of four men. It 
took them 100 days to go from Omaha to 
Sacramento. Cal., where he mined some, and 
returned to Bureau County the next year, via 
Central America. About 1854 he dissolved 
partnership with his brother, and moved onto 
his farm, which he improved, and devoted his 
attention to farming and stock-raising with 
good success. He owns now a farm of 1,250 
acres of land, the result of his industry and 
economy. Since 1860 he has been raising 
blooded stock, and has one of the largest 
herds in the county; of these over eighty are 
recorded. He has on his farm an average of 
350 head of cattle and fifty head of horses. 
Of the latter five are imported Percherons. 
Mr. Norris was married, August 6, 1854. to 



608 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Mary W. Maus, a daughter of William 
Maus. She was born April 19, 1828, in 
Bucka County, Penn., and died January 4, 
1879. She was well known for her many 
good qualities . She was the mother of six 
children, viz. : William L., Alfred, Isaac H., 
Lundy, Pleasant J. , and Luther, the last 
three deceased. Of the above, William L. was 
born April 20, 1859; Alfred, born March 20, 
1863; and Isaac H., born July 4, 1866; Pleas- 
ant J., born May 7, 1856, died June 20, 1877. 
Her memory will ever be cherished by all 
who knew her. William Norris has rnet with 
many trials in life, but has borne up bravely, 
and as the evening shadows of life gather 
about him, looks hopefully to the beyond 
where dear ones await him. He is a quiet, 
unostentatious man, whose word is regarded 
as good as his bond. Among his many vir- 
tues temperance takes a prominent place, he 
using neither stimulants nor tobacco in any 
form. Politically he was formerly a Whig, but 
is now identified with the Republican party. 
GEORGE NORTON, Neponset, was born 
March 24, 1817. in Brawby, Yorkshire, Eng- 
land. He is a son of John and Sarah (Noble) 
Norton, both natives of England. They were 
the parents of six children who reached matur- 
ity, viz. : Robert, William, Thomas, George, our 
subject ; Ann and Fannie, the last two deceased. 
The oldest child, Robert, was killed in Bar- 
ren Grove by a tree falling on him; he left 
a wife, Mary (Robinson) Norton, and nine 
children. Jonn and Sarah (Noble) Norton 
came here November 1, 1840, and died here; 
they were active members of the Methodist 
Episcopal Charch, and are well remembered 
by our old settlers. George Norton, the sub- 
ject of this biography, came to Neponset in 
the spring of 1841. About 1844 he entered 
some land where he now resides, and to this 
he added from time to time till at present he 
has accumulated a handsome property of 820 
acres of good land. His success in life may 
be attributed to his own perseverance and 
industry, as he started in life without any 
parental aid. Mr. Norton was married here, 
April 13. 1847, to Miss Ann Studley, born 
January 6, 1827, in England. She came to 
Morgan County, 111., about 1836, with her 
parents, William and Annie (Chapman) Stud- 
ley, who were the parents of eight children, 



and who were the first settlers in Neponset 
Township. Mrs. Ann Norton is the mother 
of ten children, viz. : Mrs. Sarah A. Hood, 
Mrs. Eliza Sadler, Thomas N., Mrs. Emma 
Scaife, Levi G. , Mrs. Addie J. Pratt, Moses 
J., Fannie E., Edwin F., and Irena C. Mr. 
Norton is identified with the Republican 
party, and interested in every good cause. 
He and his wife are active members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. 

H. H. OBERSHALP, Princeton, was 
born August 20, 1820, in Bielefeld, West- 
phalia, Germany. His father, Bernhart 
Obershalp, died in Germany. His mother 
died in St. Louis, Mo. Of her eight chil- 
dren the following came to America: Cas- 
per Oberlohman, Mrs. Anna Bent {nee 
Oberlohman), Herman H. (our subject) 
and John H. Obershalp. The first two chil- 
dren are by a former marriage. Mr. 
Obershalp and bis brother John came to 
America in 1846. They landed in New Or 
leans, and worked two winters and one sum- 
mer in the South. In March, 1848, he 
came to St. Louis, where he worked in a 
brickyard. In 1856 he came to Bureau 
County, and after working one year at brick- 
making bought twenty acres and started a 
brickyard of his own, and yet follows that 
business. He had to borrow money to come 
to America with, but to-day is quite well off. 
He has ninety-three acres of land near 
Princeton, with good improvements, and 240 
acres in Kansas, the result of his industry. 
He was married January 16, 1850, in St. 
Louis, Mo., to Catharina Draman, born in 
Hanover, Germany. She is the mother of 
the following children: Louis H., Gotlieb, 
Anna, William, John, Mary and Henry. 
Mr. and Mrs. Obershalp are members of the 
Evangelical Lutheran Church. Politically 
he is a Democrat. He stores and sells 450 
tons of ice annually, and also raises fish. 

PHILIP OGAN, Dover, was born in Green 
County, Ohio, April 22, 1829, a son of Evan 
and Susan (Wycle) Ogan. His father was a 
native of Greenbrier County, Va. , and re- 
moved with his parents to Ohio when small. 
He was a ,son of Peter Ogan, of Welsh de- 
scent, who lived to the age of ninety-six 
5'ear8. The mother of our subject, Susan 
Ogan, was of German descent. She was 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



born in Ohio, but died in this county. They 
were the parents of eighteen children — ten 
sons and eitrht daugrhters — all of whom are 
still living, except one daughter, who died in 
September, 1881. The others are scattered 
through several States. Four of the sons 
went through the war with Grant and Sher- 
man, and, though wounded, all survive. 
Evan Ogan came to this county with his fam 
ily in 1848, and settled on the farm now 
owned by his son Philip. He lived here un- 
til the fall of 1867, when he removed to 
Missouri, and died there in the spring of 
1868. He was killed by a runaway horse, 
that being the fourth time he had met with 
similar accidents which had proved nearly 
fatal. Philip Ogan now owns and resides 
on the farm first settled by his father in 
1848. It contains eighty acres of land. Oc- 
tober 18, 1875, Mr. Ogan's house and eon- 
tents were destroyed by tire, the family bare- 
ly escaping with their lives. He was mar- 
ried in this county February 17, 1853, to 
Miss Mary J. Ross, who was born in Tusca- 
rawas County, Ohio, November 10, 1835, a 
daughter of James Ross, one of the most suc- 
cessful farmers of Ohio Township. They 
are the parents of nine children, six of whom 
are now living; viz. : Lizzie, born November 
5, 1853; George W.. born January 5, .1855, 
now living in Iowa; Clara O., born March 
1858, died January 2, 1883; Mary M., March 
27, 1860, died in infancy; Nellie R.. June 
1, 1862, wife of Lincoln Lamb, of Iowa; 
Joel R., born February 11, 1867; Rebecca 
A., born September 11. 1870; James W., 
born November 26, 1873; John W., born 
July 8, 1875, died January 18, 1877. Mr. 
Ogan is a Republican in politics. He and 
his wife are members of the Methodist Prot- 
estant Church of Limerick. 

ANDREW OLOFFSON, Manlius. was 
born in Sweden, September 23, 1831. He is 
the son of Oloff Johnson. Our subject was 
reared on a farm in his native country, and 
educated in the common schools. June 8, 
1854, he landed at Princeton, III., and has 
lived in this county since, except 1867, when 
he went to Iowa, where he remained one 
year. In the spring of 1869 he came to his 
present farm of 140 acres, in Section 25, Man- 
lius Township. Mr. OloflFson has always fol- 



lowed farming. In politics he is Republican. 
He is a member of the Un ited Brethren Church. 
August 26, 1866, he was married to Mrs. 
Rachel (Hosier) Clary, who was born in Feb- 
ruary, 1836, in Indiana. She is the daugh- 
ter of John and Rebecca Hosier. Mrs. Oloflf- 
son's first husband, Sylvester Clary, was a 
native of Ohio. He died in Indianapolis, 
Ind., in 1863, being at that time a member 
of Company G, Forty-seventh Indiana Infant- 
ry. He left two children, viz. : John Clary, 
born June 12, 1858, and Sylvester, born 
April 19, 1862. By her present husband 
Mrs. Oloffson has four children, viz. : Fran- 
cis A., born June 27, 1867; Minnie A., Sep- 
tember 8, 1871; William A., January 1, 
1877, and Ora J. Garfield, September" 29, 
1880. 

ANDREW F. B. OLSON, Concord, was 
born in tlie southern part of Sweden, at 
Christianstad, February 6, 1832. He was 
reared on a farm, and as his parents were 
poor he had to earn his own living. At the 
age of seven or eight he tended the geese and 
sheep, and as soon as he was old enough 
drove a team on the farm, but for his work 
received only his living. His oldest brother 
loaned him money enough to come to Amer- 
ica, and he reached Princeton July 11, 1857, 
and since that time has lived in the county. 
The first year he worked for S. S. Newton at 
$14 per month, then two years for Amos Ba- 
con, of Princeton Township, after which he 
rented land and began farming for himself. 
In 1864 he ran in debt for eighty acres of 
land, and has since added to it, till he now 
owns 160 acres, besides a recent purchase of 
160 more. Although he started with noth- 
ing, he has been very successful in his work. 
In politics he is an independent Republican. 
He was married at Princeton, January 31, 
1862, to Mary Johnson They are the parents 
of nine children, viz. : Ellen H., Nels G., Al- 
bert O., Edward C, Nettie E., Esther B. V., 
Fredolph R., Jennie E. and Julia J. 

DANIEL O'SHEA, Hall, was born No 
vember 29, 1790, in County Kerry, Ireland. 
His parents, John and Julia (Doyle) O'Shea, 
lived and died in the old country. They had 
eight children, four boys and four girls, none 
of whom came to America except our subject. 
Daniel O'Shea came to the United States in 



610 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



1834, traveled in the South till 1838, when 
he came to Peru, 111., and worked on the 
Illinois and Michigan Canal till it was com- 
pleted. In 1848 he bought eighty-two acres 
of land at 11.92 per acre in Hall Township, 
Bureau County. He now owns 242 acres as 
the result of industry and hard work. He 
was married in LaSalle County, 111., to 
Mrs. Elizabeth Harrington (wee Cahill), a 
native of County Kerry, Ireland. She is the 
mother of the following children: Mary and 
Johanna Harrington, Mrs. Julia Garvay {nee 
O'Shea), John (deceased), Allen and Eliza- 
beth. Mr. and Mrs. O'Shea are members of 
the Catholic Church. Politically he votes 
with the Democratic party. 

GEORGE OTLEY, Neponset. was born 
May 20, 1824, in Westow, England. He was 
a son of John and Jane (Chapman) Otley, who 
were natives of England, where the former 
was born at Kerby Misperton. He died 
August 5, 1864, in Scott County, 111. The 
latter was born January 8, 1796, in Byton, 
Yorkshire. She died October 29, 1875, near 
Kewanee, 111. They were the parents of ten 
children, viz. : Ann, Mary, Hannah, George, 
Jane, John, Robert, Thomas C, Richard and 
William. The four girls died in England, 
and the two youngest boys, Richard and 
William, died after the family had immi- 
grated, and were on their way from New 
York to Scott County, 111. Richard was 
buried at Louisville. Ky., and William at 
St. Louis, Mo. Our subject was educated in 
England. He came to the United States 
with his parents, who settled in Scott Coun 
ty. 111., in the fall of 1840. He farmed in 
Scott County till 1853, when he came to 
Neponset Township, Bureau Co., 111., 
where he engaged in farming and raising 
stock. He was one of the first to introduce 
thoroughbred stock into the county, and de- 
serves credit for what he has done in that 
direction. Mr. Otley was married January 
3, 1850, in Scott County, 111, to Jane Haxby, 
a native of Baniston, Yorkshire, England. 
She is a daughter of George and Rachel 
(Hodgson) Haxby. Both were natives of 
England, and both died in Annawan, Henry 
Co,, 111. Mrs. Otley is the mother of eight 
(children, viz. : Pamela A., Mary E., Margaret, 
William J., Eliza J., Christiana, Robert and 



Arthur H. H. Of the above the first three 
are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Otley are noted 
for their hospitality. They are both mem- 
bers of the Episcopal Church at Kewanee, 
111. Politically Mr. Otley is a Democi-at. 

THOMAS C. OTLEY, Neponset. The sub- 
ject of this sketch was born October 5, 1833, in 
Westow, Yorkshire, England. He is a son of 
John and Jane (Chapman) Otley. (See the 
genealogy of the Otley family in the preced 
ing sketch. ) Our subject was principally 
reared in Scott County, 111., to which he 
Came with his parents in the fall of 1840. 
He remained there till after he reached his 
majority, and then came to Neponset Town- 
ship, Bureau County, where he formed a 
partnership with his brother George, which 
lasted several years. During that time they 
dealt in cattle and livestock and farmed. 
After they dissolved partnership, our subject 
continued the stock business for some years. 
He now lives on a farm of 160 acres in Sec- 
tion 22. Mr. Otley was married twice. His 
first wife, Emma Robinson, was a native of 
Dutchess County, N. Y. She died here, 
leaving five children, viz. : Alonzo, Addie, 
Jane, Lizzie and Amy. Mr. Otley was mar- 
ried a second time September 23, 1866, to 
Charlotte Phillips, who was born May 6, 
1844, in Cortland County, N. Y. She is the 
mother of Charlotte Otley, who was born 
January 24, 1868. Mrs. Otley is a daughter 
of William and Malinda (Helmer) Phillips, 
natives of New York, where the latter died. 
The former died in Neponset, 111., to which 
he came in 1864. Mr. Otley is no office- 
seeker, and politically he is identified with 
the Democratic party. 

W. J. OTT, Walnut, was born in Fred- 
erick City, Md., June 21, 1836. He is the 
son of William and Elizabeth (Rouzer) Ott, 
both of whom were natives of Mechanics- 
town, Md. They came to Bureau (county in 
1857, and died in Hall Township, where he 
was engaged in farming, but by trade he was 
a tanner. By trade W. J. Ott is a miller, 
learning his trade in Frederick City, where 
he began in 1855, and almost his entire life 
has been given to this business. In 1861 he 
came to this county from his native State. 
From 1861 till 1875, excepting two years he 
was following his trade in Peru, 111., he was 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



611 



head miller in the mills at Princeton. In 
November, 1875, he engaged in business for 
himself at Walnut, where he has since con- 
tinued. The mill was built in 1874 and 1875 
at a cost of $9,500, as a custom mill, by G. 
W. Hockenbuvy, C. H. Adams and U. D. 
Heiser. Mr. Ott first purchased the interest 
of Mr. Heiser, and the three continued to- 
gether till 1880, when Mr. Adams sold his 
interest to the other members of the firm, 
who have since remodeled the mill, and 
changed it to a merchant and custom mill, 
with a capacity of forty eight barrels per day. 
The roller process is used in the manufacture 
of flour, aud most of the grain is shipped 
from Kansas. Mr. Ott was married in this 
county, March 1, 1868, to Hattie Pincell, 
who was born in Bureau County December 5, 
1844, and is the daughter of John and Lou- 
isa Pinnell, who were among the early settlers 
in Bureau County. They died in Hall Town- 
ship. Mr. and Mrs. Ott have one child, viz. : 
Vernie, born August 21, 1870. In politics 
Mr. Ott is Republican. He was made a 
Mason in 1861 in Peru, 111., and is now a 
member of the Walnut Lodge, No. 722, A. 
F. & A. M. He is also a member of the 
Modern Woodmen of America, of Walnut. 
STEPHEN GORHAM PADDOCK, 
Princeton, was born in Hudson, Columbia 
Co.. N. Y., April 22, 1828. He is the son 
of George Hussey and Maria (BoUes) Pad- 
dock, both of whom were natives of Hudson, 
N. Y. The father died in Peoria, 111., in 
1852, and the mother in Princeton in 1863. 
They were the parents of the following chil- 
dren: Solomon Allen Paddock, who was 
Lieutenant-Colonel in the Ninth Illinois 
Cavalry, and died in 1862; Stephen G., of 
Princeton; Richard Bolles Paddock, who 
went to sea with a whaling crew, and has not 
been heard of since 1852; George Laban 
Paddock is an attorney of Chicago; Sarah 
Elizabeth Paddock resides in Princeton; 
Charles Barnard Paddock died in 1863 in a 
Rebel prison in Florence, S. C. ; Henry G. 
Paddock has been for years County Surveyor 
of Bureau County. In infancy Stephen G. 
Paddock was taken to Augusta, Ga. , where 
his father was engaged in business. In the 
summer of 1835 he removed to New York 
City, and in the schools of that city received 



most of his education before he was fourteen 
years of age; however, during his entire life 
he has been a close observer, and a diligent 
student in his own library. In the fall of 
1846 Mr. Paddock came to Bureau Coun- 
ty with his father's family, but not liking the 
West he remained only one year, when he 
returned to New York City. After leaving 
school he was engaged as a clerk in a broker's 
ofiSce in Wall Street for some time, and during 
his remaining stay in that city was clerking in 
a wholesale dry goods house on Pearl Street. 
In 1853 he came to this county again to assist 
in settling his father's estate, and instead of 
remaining only a few weeks, as he intended, 
this county has been his home since. At first 
he engaged in farming, but the year follow- 
ing, 1854, he was elected Sheriff of the coun- 
ty. In 1857 he was elected to the office of 
County Clerk, and again in 1861, and served 
till 1865. In 1867 he was Clerk of the Illi- 
nois House of Representatives. In 1868 he 
became Secretary of the Princeton Manufact- 
uring Company, and filled that position ten 
years. In 1877 was re-elected County Clerk, 
and again in 1882. For four years Mr. Pad- 
dock was a member of the Board of Super- 
visors, and during his service was Chairman 
of the Board. He has always been interest- 
ed in school matters, and was elected in 1854 
a School Director in the country district 
where he then resided. He took an active 
part in establishing the present high school, 
and since 1873 has been a member of the 
High School Board. Mr. Paddock circulated 
the call previous to the organization of the 
Agricultural Society, and was elected its first 
Secretary, and served in that capacity for a 
number of years, after which he was Treas- 
urer during the years 1878, 1879 and 1880, 
and then resigned on account of sickness. 
By descent Mr. Paddock was a Whig in 
political belief, and cast his first vote in 1852 
for Gen. Scott. Previous to the passage of 
the Kansas-Nebraska Bill he had taken no 
interest in political matters, but during the 
discussion of that bill he became aroused, 
and since that time has taken an active part 
in every campaign as a Republican. He is a 
charter member of Princeton Lodge, No. 587, 
A. F. & A. M. In New York City, Novem- 
ber 6, 1855, Mr. Paddock was united in mar- 



613 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



riage to Miss Margaret Seaman, a daughter 
of James Valentine and Maria Bogart 
(Wright) Seaman. One incident in the his- 
tory of James Valentine Seaman's life should 
be mentioned, and that is, he was the first 
child to be vaccinated in America. His 
father, who was a physician, was in Europe 
when the theory of vaccination was first be- 
ing advanced. He procured some of the 
vaccine, brought it home and made his first 
experiment upon his own son. Mr. and Mrs. 
Paddock are the parents of the following 
named childi'en: James Valentine Seaman 
Paddock, who is Lieutenant of tlie Fifth 
United States Cavalry, stationed at Fort Ni- 
obrara, Neb.; Richard Bolles Paddock, Lieu- 
tenant of the Seventeenth United States In- 
fantry, stationed at Fort Bayard, N. M. ; Mar- 
garet Seaman Paddock, at home. 

EDWARD N. PAGE, Maiden, was born 
in Marshall, Oneida Co., N. Y., September 
22, 1823. His father, Joseph Page, was 
born in Connecticut, August 3, 1788, and 
removed with his parents to New York when 
about twelve years of age, and resided there 
until his death, January 8, 1858. He was 
married December 8, 1814, in Oneida Coun- 
ty, N. Y., to Maria Nichols, who was born in 
Catskill, Conn., June 9, 1793. She died in 
Maiden, 111., December 23, 1867. Mr. Page 
was engaged in farming in Marshall, where 
he owned 175 acres of land. He was identi- 
fied with the Abolition party at its organiza- 
tion. They were the parents of eleven chil- 
dren — eight sons and three daughters. Only 
three of the family are now living, viz. : 
Edward N., Frederick H., of Maiden, and 
Charles, of Olathe, Johnson Co., Kan. Six 
of the brothers settled in this county and 
lived here several years. Edward Page 
spent his early life on his father's farm in 
New York, and in attending school. June 
1, 1850, he arrived in Dover, 111., and the 
same year purchased his present farm and 
began improving it. It now contains 185 
acres, partially within the corporate limits of 
Maiden, it being the northeast quarter of Sec- 
tion 32,and part of southeast quarter of Section 
32. June 13, 1854, he was married in Fremont, 
Sandusky Co., Ohio, to Hannah Caroline 
Stacy. She was born in DeKalb, St. Law 
rence Co., N. Y., Juno 7, 1828. She is the 



daughter of Norman and Nancy (Peck) Stacy. 
The father was born at Cooperstown, N. Y., 
February 19, 1795, and his wife at Vergen- 
nes, Vt.", February 10, 1802. They were 
married in DeKalb County, N. Y., and after- 
ward moved first to Strongsville, Ohio, then 
to York and later to Fremont, Ohio, where 
he died April 29, 1854. His wife died in 
this county, February 10, 1875. They were 
the parents of eight children, six of whom 
are living, viz.: Lewis A., born in DeKalb 
County, N. Y., February 24, 1822, now of 
Chicago; Henry C, of Fremont, Ohio, was 
born in New York, January 24, 1824; Mrs. 
Page; Nancy M., born July 4, 1831, wife of 
Erasmus Donaldson, of Osage, Iowa; Elvira 
E., born January 26, 1833: John D. , born 
September 20, 1835, now of HoUowayville, 
Bureau Co., Ill; Timothy, born June 2, 1826, 
died Julv 22, 1836; Charles B.. born April 
20, 1841,' died July 8, 1860. Mr. and Mrs. 
Page have one adopted daughter, Hattie J., 
born March 11, 1854, and adopted in March, 
1860. She was married to William M. Win- 
ship, who was a hardware merchant in Mai- 
den at the time uf his death, April, 1873. 
He left one son — William Edward — born 
April 24, 1873. Mrs. Winship was again 
married to George W. Manning, of Emporia, 
Kan., and has one child — Grace — living, and 
three dead, viz.: Nellie. Ernest P. and Oliver. 
Mr. Page is a Republican in politics, but 
was formerly an Abolitionist. Both he and 
his wife are members of the Congregational 
Church, of Maiden, and were among the 
original members. 

ISAAC D. PAGE, Buda, was born in 
Marion, Marion Co., Ohio, January 8, 1842. 
He is the son of Philander and Harriet M. 
(Gibson) Page. Both the parents were na- 
tives of New York State. The father was 
born July 31, 1802, at Lowville, Louis Co.. 
N. Y. His wife was born February 7, 1818, 
at Unadilla, N. Y. They were married 
April 25, 1836, in Elyria, Ohio. Mrs. Page 
died in Buda, November 14, 1862; Mr. Page 
died April 22, 1872. Our subject^is one of 
a family of three sons and two daughters. 
One of the daughters, Mary Jane, born Octo- 
ber 5, 1840, died March 5, 1841, in Marion, 
Ohio; the other, Mariah, was born November 
29, 1837, in Henrietta, Ohio, and died May 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



613 



17, 1861, in Wabash, Ind. Of the sons, 
Isaac D. is in Buda. Leroy, born October 
29, 1844. in Henrietta, Ohio, is at Mon- 
mouth, 111., in the employ of the Chicago, 
Burlington & Quincy Railroad, as yard mas- 
ter for the main line, train master for the 
St. Louis division and agent for the com- 
pany. He is married and has two children, 
viz. : Hattie M. and Harry. His wife was 
Miss Lucinda Desplain. John S. Page, the 
third son, was born March 20, 1851, in 
Henrietta, Lorain Co., Ohio, and now resides 
at Galesburg, and is an engineer on the 
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. 
He was married to Miss Mallie Tarply, and 
has two sons — Leroy and Frank. Mr. I. D. 
Page at the early age of eight years began 
making his own way through life, and worked 
on a farm till in November, 1861, when he 
enlisted in the service of his country in Com- 
pany K, Fifty-seventh Illinois Volunteer In- 
fantry. He was with his company a short 
time at Camp Douglas, Chicago, when he 
was taken sick, after which he came home on 
a furlough and did not join the regiment 
again till at Crump's Landing, but partici- 
pated in the battle of Shiloh, and during the 
first day's engagement was severely wounded. 
For seven months he lay in the hospital at 
Evansville, Ind., when he was discharged 
November 14, 1862. Mr. Page had come to 
Illinois in 1852 and to Bureau County in 
1853, and when dischai-ged from the army he 
returned to Buda. After having recovered to 
some extent from his wounds, he attended 
school at Buda, and later the Bryant & Strat- 
ton Business College of Chicago. October 
2, 1866, he was appointed Postmaster at 
Buda, under the administration of Andrew 
Johnson, Alexander W. Randall being Post- 
master-General. From 1866 to the present 
date Mr. Page has continued in the office as 
Postmaster. He is a member of the G. A. 
R. Post of Buda. In politics he is identified 
with the principles of the Republican partv. 
GEORGE N. PALMER, Dover, was born 
near Batavia, N. Y., May 2, 1830. His father, 
Stephen Palmer, was born in Canada, March 
14, 1796, though he was the son of David 
Palmer, a native of Boston, and a Revolu- 
tionary soldier. Stephen Palmer died April 
27, 1884, at the age of eighty-eight years. 



His wife, Martha (Johnson) Palmer, a native 
of New York State, died July 17, 1872, at the 
age of sixty-six years. In 1840 our subject 
removed with his parents from New York 
State to northern Ohio, thirty-live miles south 
of Cleveland. It was there that he received 
his education in the common schools and sem- 
inary. January 24, 1854, he was married 
to Miss Ellen M. Russell, in Summit County, 
Ohio. She was born January 17, 1836. in 
Wadsworth, Medina Co., Ohio. Her father, 
Lorenzo D. Russell, a native of Erie County, 
Penn., born July 16, ISll, died August 19, 
1854, in Ohio. His wife, Nancy (Mills) Rus- 
sell, was born in Litchfield County, Conn., 
January 25, 1813, and now resides with her 
daughter, Mrs. Palmer. Mr. and Mrs. Pal- 
mer have six children, viz. : Dr. Charles A., 
born September 8, 1855, aresident of Prince- 
ton; Frank R., born November 11, 1857, en- 
gaged in mining in Silver Cliff, Col. : Jennie 
M. , born October 4,1861; Alice B., born Jan- 
uary 22. 1866; David G., born February 11, 
1869; Fannie, born May 4, 1871. In 1855 
Mr. Palmer and his wife came to Bureau 
County and settled on his present farm, 
which had then been partially improved. It 
contains 240 acres in Sections 6 and 7. Mr. 
Palmer has given most of his attention to the 
stock business; has been buying and feeding 
stock since 1860. In politics he is a stanch 
Republican. He has held various Township 
offices, and has been connected with the Ag- 
ricultural Society almost from its commence- 
ment and has been President for some time. 
For many years he has been a member of the 
Methodist Church and has been an active 
worker in the Sabbath-school. He has al- 
ways taken great interest in school matters, 
and in the education of his family. 

CHARLES A. PALMER, M. *D., Prince- 
ton, was born in Bureau County, 111., Septem- 
ber 8, 1855. He is the sou of George N. and 
Ellen (Russell) Palmer. (See sketch of 
George N. Palmer. ) The Doctor's early life 
was the same as that of most boys reared on 
a farm, but at the early age of thirteen he 
came to Princeton to attend the high school, 
and after taking the course of study here, 
graduated and then began the study of med- 
icine, reading first under the instruction of 
Dr. G. W. Crossley, but soon entered the 



614 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Chicago Medical College, and graduated from 
the same in 1876. Through a competitive 
examination he obtained the position of Res 
ident Surgeon in Mercy Hospital, where he 
remained for one year, and gained much prac- 
tical knowledge which served him well in his 
career as physician and surgeon. In 1877 the 
Doctor returned to Princeton, and has since de- 
voted his time and energy to the active practice 
of medicine, and although still a young man. 
his thoroughness and genial bearing have 
given him a place in the front rank of the pro- 
fession iji Bureau County. He has also made 
a special' study of the eye and ear, and in or- 
der to perfect himself more completely in this 
department of his profession he went to New 
York City and studied for some months. Oc- 
tober 19, 1882, the Doctor was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Jennie Eckels, a daughter of J. 
S. Eckels. To Dr. and Mrs. Palmer a daugh- 
ter — Margaret Ellen — was born March 28, 
1884. Dr. Palmer is an independent Repub- 
lican, and is far advanced in the orders A. F. 
& A. M., andK. of P. For the latter order 
he is Surgeon of the Grand Division of the 
State. 

MRS. MARTHA T. PALMER.Walnut, was 
born in Vermont April 13, 1831. She is the 
daughter of William and Mary Miller. She 
was married March 16, 1850, to Solomon 
Welch, who was born in Vermont, November 
28, 1823. In 1855 they came to Bureau 
County, 111., from Ohio, where they had re- 
sided one year. In 1857 they settled on 
Section 4, Walnut Township, and there made 
a farm. Mr. Welch's occupation was that of 
a farmer, but on account of ill health he left 
the farm and resided in Walnut Village for 
about one year, and there died April 21, 1874. 
His children were as follows: Lona L., born 
April 9, 1852, wife of L. S. Gatch, of Wal- 
nut Township; J. S. Welch, of David City, 
Neb., born June 5, 1855; Willie M., born 
April 13, 1859, died July 13, 1864, of rattle- 
snake bite; Elmer E., born August 2, 1861, 
died April 5, 1877; Mamie M., born No- 
vember 30, 1868, died January 4, 1870, and 
Levi P., born April 27,1871, at home. April 
24, 1879, Mrs. Welch was married to Mr. 
Charles Palmer, who was born in Carbondale, 
Penu., February 19, 1849. He is a son of 
Rev. B. B. Palmer, a pastor in the Wesleyan 



Methodist Church, and a native of Rhode 
Island. He began in the ministry in about 
his thirtieth year. In 1855 he came to Lake 
County, 111., and four years later to Bureau 
County, where he remained until the spring 
of 1877, and then removed to Osceola, Neb., 
where he now resides. He was married in 
Pennsylvania to Julia B. Burdick, a native 
of that State, and the mother of two sons 
and three daughters, viz. : Mary E. (deceased), 
Charles, Julia F., Sarah E. (deceased), and 
Orange S. Charles J. Palmer has resided 
in Bureau County since he was eleven years 
of age, and received his education at the 
Dover Academy under Prof. Yocum, and at 
the Princeton High School under the instruc- 
tion of H. L. Boltwood. Almost all of his 
life has been given to teaching school, hav- 
ing taught about twenty-two terms in all, 
and most of the time in this county. For 
six years he has also followed farming. In 
politics he is identified with the Republican 
party. He and wife are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. 

MICHAEL PANTENBURG, Westheld, 
was born October 22, 1830, in Mehren, Rhein 
Prussia, Germany. His parents, Peter and 
Gertrude (Pantenburg) Pantenburg, were na- 
tives of Germany, where she died, and he 
was married a second time. In 1845 the 
family came to America. Peter Pantenburg 
died in 1874, in Troy Grove, aged eighty- 
one years. His wife died in 1846 in Peru, 
111. Our subject was one of a family of five 
children, viz.: Margaret, Michael, Catharine, 
Mary and John Pantenburg. Michael Pan- 
tenburg farmed here till 1853, when he went 
overland to California, where he mined till 
1857, and came home via Panama and New 
York. After his return he bought eighty 
acres of land in Westtield Township, which 
he improved and where he lived till 1871, 
when he bought 262 acres where he now re- 
sides. He has altogether 382 acres of land. 
Ho was married here April 4, 1858, to Emma 
M. Lunkeuheimer, born October 15, 1836, in 
Hessen- Darmstadt, Germany. She is the 
mother of six children, viz.: Peter, Nicholas, 
Mrs. Mary Billesback, John, Emma and 
Fred. Mr. and Mrs. Pantenburg are relig- 
i iously connected with the Catholic Church 
I at Peru. Politically he is a Democrat. 



BIOGRAPHICAl. SKETCHES. 



615 



H. R. PARISH, Arispe, was bom March 

26, 1814, in Maples, Ontario Co., N. Y. He 
is a son of Erastus and Charlotte (Kent) Par- 
ish. The Parish family is of Welsh extrac- 
tion. In the latter part of the seventeenth cen- 
tury, three brothers — Elisha, Levi and Reuben 
Parish — came to America from Wales. Of 
these Reuben is the progenitor of our sub- 
ject's family. One of his descendants, Eli 
Parish, was the great-great-grandfather of 
our subject. He was the father of Levi Par- 
ish, who was the father of Reuben Parish, 
who married Sarah Bishop. They reared 
nine children, natives of Massachusetts, and 
died in New York. Of the children Oris and 
Jeremiah B. Parish were Judges of the Circuit 
Court. Erastus Parish died in 1868, aged 
seventy-five years, in Trumbull County, Ohio. 
His wife died in June, 1882, aged ninety- 
three years. She was the mother of eight 
children, viz.: Homer R.. Otis L., Drusilla, 
Fannie, Austin, Andrew J., Granger (the live 
latter deceased) and Fielder Parish. Our 
subject was educated in Trumbull County, 
Ohio, where he taught school and farmed. 
He came to Jo Daviess County, 111., in 1832. 
In 18-46 he came to Bureau County, where 
he has farmed most of his time. For two 
years he was also engaged in the mercantile 
business in Tiskilwa, with disastrous result. 
He has now 200 acres of land. Mr. Parish 
was a soldier in our late war, and partici- 
pated in the battles of Fort Henry and Don- 
elson, Pittsburgh and luca. He was in Com- 
pany F of the Fifty-seventh Regiment of 
Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was mar 
tied to Mrs. Sarah Edwards (nee Balden), a 
native of Knox County, Ohio. Politically he 
is a Prohibitionist, and with his wife is a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
The life of Mr. Parish has been a checkered 
one, with ups and downs. His grandmother, 
Sarah Granger, was a niece of the first Post- 
master-General in the United States. 

ISAAC PARSONS, Ohio, was born June 
8, 1833, in the State of New York, and is the 
son of Isaac and Mary Parsons, formerly of 
Canada, who came to this county in l850, 
and settled on Section 9, Ohio Township. 
The father was born in New York, December 
24, 1787, and died in California, March 17, 
1875. The mother was born in Virginia, in 



1803, and died in California, February 14, 
1881. These were the parents of a family 
of nine children, seven of whom are now liv- 
ing: Walter, lives in Canada; Morilla (Mrs. 
D. D. Brady), in California; George, died in 
California, August 4, 1882; Isaac, subject of 
this sketch; Electa, wife of Alanson Smith, 
of Walnut, 111. ; Lewis lives at Ohio, 111. ; 
Jonas, lives in California; Nelson, lives in 
California; Wallace, died in California, 
June 4, 1878. The subject of this sketch 
came to this county with his parents, in 1850. 
October 14, 1854, he married Fannie E. 
Hawkins, of Lee County, who was born 
April 28, 1837, and is the daughter of John 
R. and Lucretia Hawkins, who came from 
Ohio to Lee County in 1848. Mr. Parsons 
has been a farmer since his tirst settlement 
in this county, and bought the farm on which 
he now lives, in 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Par- 
sons have a family of four children, all living 
Electa Ann, born August 30, 1857, Ohio, 111. 
Homer W., born January 11, 1859, Ohio, 111. 
George M., born October 11, 1862, Ohio, 111. 
Estella A., born August 31, 1868, Ohio. 111. 
The wife's father, John R. Hawkins, was 
born in 1797, and died in 1S58. Her mother 
was born in 1803, and died in 1873. Mr. 
Parsons' parents removed to California in 
1869. In 1870 and 1871 the subject of this 
sketch spent nine months in California. Dur- 
ing the war of 1812 Mr. Parsons' father was 
conscripted into the English service from 
Canada, serving as a teamster, but on the 
opportunity presenting, he deserted team and 
all, and joined the American forces. Mr. 
Parsons owns eighty acres in Ohio Township, 
and 320 acres in Spink County, Dakota; is 
Republican, and a member of the Ohio Chris- 
tian Church. 

JAMES M. PATT, Tiskilwa, was born 
June 3, 1810, in Rhode Island. His par- 
ents, Benjamin and Adah (Arnold) Patt, were 
natives of Rhode Island, where they died. 
The father was a mechanic by occupation. 
The family is among the oldest in that State. 
They were the parents of thirteen children, 
of whom eleven reached maturity, viz.: Jabal, 
Deborah, Lydia, Zerviah, Ada, Benjamin, 
James M., William, Mary, Jeremiah and 
David. Oiu" subject was reared in Rhode 
Island, where he also learned the carpenter's 



616 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



trade with his two oldest brothers. He fol- 
lowed his trade there till 1855, when he canoe 
to Tiskilwa, Bureau Co., 111. Here he 
has also followed his vocation till the last 
few years. Mr. Patt was married March 26. 
1835, in Cumberland, R. I., to Miss Abigail 
L. Haven, who was born August 12, 1814, in 
Attleboro, Maes. She is a daughter of Lovett 
and Lucinda (Bacon) Haven, both natives of 
Massachusetts, and of English descent. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Patt seven children were born, 
viz.: Alfred L., Mrs. Lucinda B. Spaulding, 
J. Henry and Frank William are natives of 
Creston, Iowa; Mrs. Ada A. Beatty, a resi- 
dent of Iowa; Anna V., deceased, and Benja- 
min F., who is a minister of the Baptist 
Church. Mrs. Patt is a member of the Baptist 
Church. Mr. Patt has been a school ofiScer, 
and has always been identified with the 
Democratic party. 

C. L. PENDLETON, Princeton, was born 
in Bureau County, 111., September 23, 1839. 
He is the eon of A. B. and H. N. (Loomis) 
Pendleton, natives of Connecticut. In 1838 
they came to Bureau County, 111., from Tol- 
land County, Conn. By trade the father 
was a carpenter, but most of his life, after 
coming to Bureau County, was spent on a 
farm. He died in June, 1880, at the age of 
seventy years. His widow now resides in 
Princeton. She has one son and one daughter 
now living, viz.: C L. Pendleton and Har- 
riet, wife of W. W. Powell. Our subject 
was reared in this county, and has made it 
his home during life. His occupation has ' 
been that of a farmer and stock-dealer, and 
he has made a success of life, having now a 
farm of about 300 acres and well stocked. 
In 1882 he was married to Mrs. Sarah Ben- 
nett. She was born in Kewanee, 111., and is 
the daughter of Eev. William F. Vaill, de- 
ceased. He continued in the ministry till 
his death, which occurred when he was about 
eighty-two years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Pen- 
dleton have one child, viz. : Porter Pendle- 
ton. By her first husband she has one son — 
Willie Bennett. 

JOHN PERKINS, Lamoille, was born 
February 17, 1833, in Washington County, 
N. Y. He is a son of Edward and Mary 
(Wall) Perkins, both natives of Queens 
County, Ireland. They came to the United 



States in 1828, and farmed in New York State 
about five years. They then removed to Ohio, 
and the next year to Chicago, and from there 
to LaSalle. In April, 1842, they entered 160 
acres of land in Section 20, in Lamoille 
Township, Bureau County, which they im- 
proved and on which they died. Of their 
nine sons only sis reached maturity, viz. : 
Edward, who died in Louisiana; William, 
who died in Leadville, Col.; John, our sub- 
ject; Charles, deceased; Joseph, who lost an 
arm in the siege of Atlanta, and was an 
employe in the Pension Office in Washing- 
ton (he died at the home of our subject); 
Thomas, who died on the old homestead; Pe- 
ter, died in infancy; Henry, deceased, and 
Steven Perkins, a resident of Kansas. Our 
subject was educated principally in Illinois. 
He has made farming his occupation, and 
now has a fine farm of 160 acres near Van 
Orin. In 1852, in company with his brother 
William, he went overland to California 
with an ox team, occupying five months on 
the trip. He mined there with moderate suc- 
cess, returning to this county in 1856, via 
Panama and New York City. Here he mar- 
ried Isabella Martin, oldest daughter of Will- 
iam Martin, an old settler. They have six 
children now living, viz. : La Monte, Carrie, 
Jennie, May, Fannie and J. Martin Perkins. 
Mrs. Perkins is a member of the Baptist 
Church. Mr. Perkins is a member of A. F. & 
A. M. fraternity. Politically he is identified 
with the Prohibition party. 

JOHN W. PERRY, Maiden. John Perry, 
father of the gentleman whose name heads 
this sketch, was born in Belmont County, 
Ohio, June 17, 1809. He resided in his na- 
tive place till about 1842, when he removed 
to Guernsey County, Ohio. He was reared 
on a farm, but when he started in life for 
himself he was first a school teacher, then a 
clerk, and in 1840 started in business in Cen- 
terville, and afterward in Claysville, Guern- 
sey Co., Ohio. In 1869 he came to Maiden 
and entered the mercantile business, the firm 
being known as Perry & Sons. He was mai'- 
ried in Belmont County, Ohio, in 1836, to 
Martha Young, a native of Morgan County, 
Ohio, born July 4, 1809. She died in this 
County, March 26, 1882. They were the par- 
ents of six children, three of whom are now 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



617 



living, viz.: John W., Jesse A. and Anna M., 
all of whom reside in Maiden. Mr. Perry 
continued in business till his death, January 
1, 1877, since which time his sons have car 
ried on the business under the name of Perry 
Bros. They carry a very complete stock of 
goods of all kinds, varying from $7,000 to 
$10,000. John W. Perry was born in Guern- 
sey County, Ohio, July 19, 1843. August 2, 
1862, he enlisted in Company B, Ninety-sev- 
enth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, most of the 
time under Col, Barnes, afterward Secretary 
of State in Ohio. Mr. Perry served nearly 
two years, and was wounded at Missionary 
Eidge. He was in the hospital eight months 
and then discharged for disability. He was 
married September 12, 1871, in Kingston, 
Ross Co. , Ohio, to Harriet A. Nevin, born in 
Barnesville, Belmont Co., Ohio, January 21, 
1843, a daughter of John Nevin (born No 
vember 1, 1795, died December 17, 1868). and 
Eliza (Green) Nevin (born August 10. 1815, 
died June 7, 1875). Mr. and Mrw. Perry 
have three children, viz.: Martha E., bnrn 
July 12, 1872; John N., born September 30, 
1877; William W., March 31, 1881. Mr. 
Perry is a member of Bureau Lodge, No. 
112, A. F. & A. M., of Princeton; also 
Princeton Chapter, No. 28, and Temple Com- 
mandery. No. 20. Tn politics he is identified 
with the Republican party. Jesse A. Perry 
was born December 26, 1847. He enlisted 
in Company H, One Hundred and Seventy- 
second Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in the spring 
of 1864, and served for about five months, 
being on guard duty. He was married in 
this County October 18, 1876, to Julia Rack- 
ley, daughter of George Rackley, an early 
settler in this county. Mr. and Mrs. Perry 
have one son, George N. , born August 21, 
1880. Mr. Perry is a Republican. He has 
been Notary Public since 1883, and Township 
Clerk since 1872 and Township School Treas- 
urer for several years. He is a member of the | 
same orders as his brother. Both have been 
engaged in mercantile business in Maiden 
since coming to the county in 1869. 

J. M. PETERSON, Princeton, was born 
February 17, 1830, in Apelnas, Beorktorp 
Soken Elsborgs Lain, Sweden. He is the 
son of Par and Carrie (Colson) Anderson. 
The father died when our subject was but 



fourteen months of age. However, the mother 
lived many years longer. Mr. Peterson was 
reared on a farm in his native country. In 
1854 he came to the United States, and lo- 
cated at Princeton, 111., which he has con- 
tinued to make his home since. Till 1866 he 
worked for wages, but he then began farming 
for himself on rented land, but soon accumu- 
lating some money he bought land. Through 
hard work he has been successful, and now 
owns a well-improved farm of ninety acres in 
Section 22, and also timber land in Section 
35. In 1866 he was married at Princeton to 
Miss Sophia C. Rostat, who was also born in 
Sweden. She is the mother of the following- 
named children: Mentor M., Frank E., Willie 
E. S., Minnie A., Haillma S., Charles A., 
Annie and George, and Joseph, who died in 
infancy in 1882. Both Mr. and Mrs. Peter- 
son are members of the Evangelical Lutheran 
Church. In politics he is identified with the 
Republican party. 

M. H. PETERSON, Princeton, was born 
April 5, 1859, in Princeton, 111. His parents, 
Jonas and Cora Peterson, were natives of 
Sweden. They immigrated to America in 
the summer of 1853, and settled in Princeton, 
Bureau Co., 111., where the father followed 
the carpenter and furniture business. After 
a residence of thirteen years in Princeton the 
family removed to Wyanet, where Mr. Peter- 
son is now engaged in the fiu'niture and 
undertaking business. Mr. and Mrs. Peter- 
son are the parents of the following children: 
Peter, a resident of Chicago; Mrs. Augusta 
Tragordh and Malcolm Hamilton Peterson 
(our subject) who was named after the famous 
Swedish officer. Malcolm H. Peterson re- 
ceived the benefit of the common schools of 
AVyanet and also attended the Bryant & Strat- 
ton Business College, of Chicago. For sev- 
eral years he assisted in his father's business. 
In the fall of 1884 he was nominated by the 
Democratic County Convention to the office 
of Circuit Clerk and Recorder of Bureau 
County, and although the county is strongly 
Republican, he was elected and now tills that 
office. Mr. Peterson is identified and has 
always been imbued with the jn-inciples of 
the Democratic party, casting his first Presi- 
dential vote in 1880 for Gen. Hancock. 

JOHN T. PETTY, Wyanet, was born in 



618 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Warren County, N. J., March 14, 1829. His 
parents were natives of the same county. His 
father, William Petty, was born October 6, 
1803, and died April, 1883. His mother, 
Eifie Titsworth, was born June 3, 1810, and 
died in September, 1882. They were the 
parents of live boys and six girls, all of whom 
are living, two sons and one daughter in Illi- 
nois, and the rest in New Jersey. William 
Petty was a shoe-maker, and his oldest son, 
John T. , learned the same trade, and worked 
at it most of the time until he came West. 
In 1856 he came to Princeton, and after liv- 
ing there and at Dover a short time he went 
on to a farm in Dover Township. In 1866 
he bought his farm of 250 acres three miles 
north of Wyanet, and lived there until 1883, i 
when he moved to the village. Since 1880 
he has been engaged in business in Wyanet, 
carrying a general stock of goods, school- | 
books, etc., averaging $5,000. His success 1 
in life is due to his own energy and industry, | 
as he had little when he came to this county. 
In 1849 Mr. Petty was married in New Jersey 
to Hester Nixon, daughter of George and i 
Mai-y (Bodine) Nixon, of Warren County, N. 
J. Mr. Petty reared a family of sixteen 
children, fourteen of whom are still living, 
viz.: George H. and Mary E. (twins), born 
May 7, 1850, the former a resident of Cass 
County, Iowa, and the latter of Benton Coun- 
ty, Iowa; William W., January 27, 1852, a 
resident of Bureau County, 111. ; Whitfield 
C, September 10, 1853, a resident of Hamil- 
ton County, Neb. ; Francis, December 8, 
1854, a resident of Bureau County, 111.; 
Jacob, November 2, 1856, a resident of Bu- 
reau . County, 111.; Sarah J., November 2, 
1858, a resident of Bureau County, 111. ; 
Alonzo, October 1, 1860, a resident of Bureau 
County, 111. ; Orrin and Ella R. (twins), Au- 
gust 23, 1862, the former a resident of Ham- 
ilton County, Neb., and the latter of Bureau 
County, 111.; Thomas, December 22, 1864, 
died December 7, 1882; Ida I., December 2, 
1866, of Bureau County, 111. ; Margaret, 
March 2, 1868, died October 3, 1879; Lucius 
I. and Lewis Z. (twins), June 2. 1870, both 
of Bureau County, 111. ; John F. , October 19, 
1871, of Biu-eau County, 111. Mr. Petty was 
again married September 12, 1876, to Frances 
A. Mosher, born in Chenango County, N. Y., 



December 3, 1836. Her parents, John H. 
and Charity (Rowe) Mosher, were natives of 
Dutchess County, N. Y., and moved to Illi- 
nois in 1858. Mr. Petty had two children by 
this marriage, both of whom died. He is 
Republican in politics, and has held township 
offices. He is a member of the Wesleyan 
Methodist Church. 

GEORGE R. PHELPS, Princeton, the 
gentleman whose name heads this paragraph, 
is of an old English family. William Phelps, 
his lineal ancestor, came from England to Dor- 
chester in 1630, and removed to Windsor in 
1635 or 1636, and died there July 14, 1672. 
His widow died in 1689. He and his wife 
were members of Mr. Washam's church in 
Dorchester and Windsor. Mr. Phelps was 
here a Magistrate and leading man for many 
years. His children were: William, Na- 
thaniel, Samuel. Joseph, Timothy, Mary and 
Sarah. Nathaniel Phelps, the son of William 
Phelps, married Elizabeth Copley, September 
17, 1650. He removed to Northampton, 
Mass., in 1650, and died there May 27, 1702. 
She died December 6, 1712. He was a 
Deacon in the church , and the father of the 
following children: Mary, Nathaniel, Abi- 
gail, William, Thomas and Marj'. Nathaniel 
Phelps, the son of the first Nathaniel, was 
born April 2, 1653, and died June 20, 1719. 
He married Grace Martin August 27, 1676. 
She died August 2, 1727. She was a native 
of England, and a woman of strong will and 
excellent character. Her children were: 
Grace and Nathaniel, both of whom died in 
infancy; Samuel, Lydia, Grace, Elizabeth, 
Abigail, Nathaniel, Sarah and Timothy. 
Nathaniel Phelps was born February 13, 
1692. He died October 14, 1747. He was a 
son of the second Nathaniel. He married 
Abigail Burman, who died June 12, 1727. 
He then married Mrs. Catharine Heacock, 
May 25, 1730. The children of the first wife 
were: Charles, Anne, Nathaniel and Martin. 
Of the second wife were: Catharine, L3'dia, 
John and Mehitable. Nathaniel Phelps, son 
of the third Nathaniel, was born December 
13, 1721, and died October 29, 1789. He 
married Elizabeth Childs, of Deertield, Mass., 
in 1750. She died July 28, 1769. In 1773 
he married Mrs. Rebecca Childs. Their chil- 
dren were: Burnham, Elizabeth, Abigail, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



619 



Nathaniel, Elijah (who died in infancy), Eli- 
jah, Ann and Rufus. Nathaniel Phelps, a 
son of the fourth Nathaniel, was born June 
5, 1757, and died March 4, 1833. He was 
married to Lucy Strong, June 5, 1781. She 
died in 1834. Her children were: Diana, 
Burnham, Ebenezer S., Nathaniel, Lucy (who 
died in infancy), Adelia, Lewis, Lucy, Lu- 
cinda and Charles. The latter was born 
October 24, 1802, in Northampton, Mass. 
He died July 2, 1874, in Princeton, 111. He 
was married June 10. 1824, to Mary Strong, 
who was born December 24, 1801. She died 
December 2, 1877. She was the mother of 
eight children, viz.: Maria, George R., Har- 
riet N., Ebenezer S., Mary E., Charles P., 
Elijah P. and Lucy A. George R., our 
subject, was born February 20, 1827, in 
Northampton, Mass. He came to Bureau 
County with his parents in 1836. He has 
been a farmer. In 1871 he visited Northamp- 
ton, Mass., and there, in May 17 of the same 
year, married his cousin, Julia R. Phelps, 
who was born November 19, 1828. She is a 
daughter of Lewis and Aseneth (Wilder) 
Phelps. This union was blessed with one 
child, that is now living, Grace Martin. She 
was born June 29, 1873. Mr. and Mrs. 
Phelps are members of the Congregational 
Church. He is a dimitted member of the 
A. F. & A. M. In political matters he has 
been a Republican. 

ORRIS S. PHELPS, Princeton, was born 
May 3, 1817, in Middlebury, Vt. He is a son 
of Bernham (also spelled Biirnham) Phelps. 
He was born in Northampton, Mass., and 
was a blacksmith by occupation; he came to 
Bureau County in the spring of 1839; he 
worked at his trade and farmed, and here 
died. His father, Nathaniel Phelps, was a 
native of Massachusetts, and also a black- 
smith. The mother of our subject was Mary 
D. (Hooker) Phelps. She was born in Middle- 
burg, Vt., and was the mother of the follow- 
ing children, viz.: Lobisa, Orris S., Lucy, 
Christopher C. and Americus V. (were twins), 
and Diantha Hope. Our subject was educated 
in Northampton. Mass. He came to Bureau 
County, 111., in 1838, settling in Dover Town- 
ship. At present owns 300 acres of land, 
and has always been a successful farmer. In 
November. 1872, Mr. Phelps moved to Prince- 



ton. He was married, January 31, 1850, to . 
Miss Mary A. Hills, born November 15,1820, 
in New Hampshire. She is a daughter of 
Josiah and Mary G. (Dow) Hills. Mr. and 
Mrs. Phelps are members of the Baptist 
Church. They have an adopted daughter — 
Sarah L. Phelps — who is the wife of Freder- 
ick Rhode, an attorney in Burlington, Iowa. 
A more complete genealogy of the Phelps 
family appears in the preceding biography. 
CHRISTOPHER C. PHELPS, Selby, was 
born in Northampton, Hampshire Co., Mass., 
July 7, 1823. He is the son of Burnham 
Phelps (see sketch of O. S. Phelps). In Octo- 
ber, 1838, our subject, with his parents, 
started for Bureau County. 111., lirst taking 
a canal-boat from Northampton to New 
Haven, and then to New York City by water, 
and then to Louisville, Ky., via Albany and 
Bufl'alo, N. Y., Cleveland, Ohio, and the 
canal across the State to the Ohio River, then 
down the river to Cincinnati, and finally to 
Louisville, where the mother, who had been 
sick some years with consumption, died. The 
famil}' remained in Louisville for some 
months, the father working at his trade of 
blacksmith, while his son, C. C, worked in a 
hotel for his board. In March, 1839. they 
resiimed their journey, taking a boat to St. 
Louis, then to Peoria, 111., and finally at 
Peru they took teams to this county, their 
goods having been re-shipped no less than ten 
times. When settling in Bureau County it 
was in Dover Township, where Mr. Burnham 
Phelps put up a blacksmith shop, which was 
probably the first in that township. C. C. 
Phelps attended school for parts of two win- 
ters at Dover after coming to the county, but 
most of his time was employed in helping 
improve the farm. When starting for him- 
self it was as a laborer by the month, and for 
five years he worked in this county and in 
Wisconsin for from $8 to $12 per month. In 
1855 he purchased his present homestead, 
and the following spring moved to it, when 
there were but very few improvements. His 
farm now contains 167 acres of land. Novem- 
ber 16, 1854, he was married, in Troy, Wis., 
to Miss Harriet Leonard. She was born in 
Yates County, N. Y., February 7, 1827, and 
is the daughter of Truman and Roxanna 
(Allis) Leonard, who were natives of Massa- 



620 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



chusetts. When Mrs. Phelps was small her 
parents removed to Medina County, Ohio, 
and there died, he in March, 1846, and she 
in September of the same year. They were 
the parents of eleven children, all of whom 
were born in Yates County, N. Y. Of the 
family the following yet survive: Ebenezer 
Leonard, resides in Michigan; Mrs. Dorcas 
Edwards, in Kansas; Ezra Leonard, Mrs. 
Lavinia Thayer, Roxanna A. Leonard and 
Mrs Sarah Wadsworth, are in Ohio; Truman 
Leonard, in Davis County, Utah; Franklin 
Leonard, in Iowa; and Mrs. C. C Phelps, of 
this county. Mr. and Mrs. Phelps are parents 
of two children, viz.: Alice A., born October 
3, 1858, and Lyman S., born April 22, 1861. 
In politics Mr. Phelps has ever been a stanch 
Republican. He experienced all the dif- 
ficulties and hardships to which the pio- 
neers were subjected in their milling experi- 
ences, and trips to market at Chicago, de- 
scriptions of which are given in the General 
History. 

JOHN D. PHILIPS, Berlin, was born in 
Chester County, Penn., December 9, 1817, a 
son of Joseph and Rebecca (Dennison) Phil- 
ips, both deceased. The great-grandparents 
of our subject, Joseph and Mary Philips, 
came from Wales in 1755, and settled in 
Chester County, Penn., on the same place 
where Mrs. Amanda Bingaman, a sister of 
our subject, now resides. Joseph and Mary 
Philips had four sons: David, John, Josiah 
and Joseph. Josiah, grandfather of oui- sub- 
ject, was twice married. By his first wife, 
Martha Edwards, he had one son. Josiah 
Philips. His second wife, Sarah Thomas, 
raised six children, viz. : Joseph, Owen, Mar- 
tha, Mary, Sarah and Hannah. Of these, 
Joseph married Rebecca Dennison, a native 
of Ireland, but reared in Chester County, 
Penn., where they both died. They were the 
parents of six children, viz. : Sarah, John, 
Margaret T. , Mary A., John D. (our subject), 
and Amanda. John D. Philips was reared 
and educated in his native county. He was 
married in February, 1840, to Ellen E. Lew- 
is, a native of Chester County, Penn., daugh- 
ter of Thomas and Sarah (Thomas) Lewis. 
Mrs. Philips died in Chester County, June 5, 
1852, at the age of thirty-two years. She 
was the mother of five children, viz.: Thomas 



Ii., of Lee County, 111. ; Joseph P., a Baptist 
minister; William D. and Mason K., both 
deceased; John Henry, who is farming at 
home. Mr. Philips came to Bureau County, 
111., in July, 1854, and bought eighty acres 
of land in Berlin Township. His farm now 
contains 125 acres of good land. He was 
married in this county, February 14, 1856, 
to Mrs. Hannah M. Lockard {nee Morgan), a 
native of Chester County, Penn. Mr. and 
Mrs. Philips are members of the Baptist 
Church. In politics he is a Democrat. He 
has tilled the office of Township Assessor 
seven terms and Supervisor four terms, and 
has also served in school offices. 

JAMES A. PIERCE, Berlin, was born in 
the State of New York, May 20, 1821. His 
parents, Nathaniel C. and Dorothy (Pattee) 
Pierce, were natives of New Hampshire. 
They removed to New York soon after their 
marriage, but when their son James was 
about six years old they returned to New 
Hampshire. In the fall of 1843 the family 
came to this county, and settled in Berlin 
Township, where the parents died. The 
father was born August 14, 1791, and died in 
October, 1846. His wife was born July 10, 
1791, and died January 13, 1879. They 
reared a family of six children, three of whom 
are now living, viz: Daniel P., of East 
Kingston, N. H.; James A., and Jesse F.,of 
Des Moines, Iowa. James A. Pierce spent 
his early life chiefly in New Hampshire. He 
had but poor advantages for obtaining an 
education, but after reaching his majority he 
attended school long enough to master the 
common branches, and afterward taught for 
some time. He came to this county in 1845 
and engaged in farming. In 1849 he settled 
on his present farm, which was then but lit- 
tle improved. He has since added to his 
original purchase of eighty acres, till he now 
owns 248 acres in this county and 300 acres 
in Pottawatomie County, Iowa. June 13, 
1847, he was married in this county to Esther 
Green. She was born in Kentucky, and 
came to this county when quite small. She 
is a daughter of James Green. Mrs. Pierce 
died July 25, 1852, leaving two children: 
Anue E., wife of William Booth, of this 
township; Florence Mildred, wife of W. Scott 
Martin, of Lamoille. Mi-. Pierce was mar- 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



621 



ried April 24, 1855, in this county, to Mary 
J. Perry, born in Belmont County, Ohio, Jan- 
uary 1, 1834, a daughter of Jesse and Belinda 
(Poole) Perry, who came to this county in 
1854. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce are the parents 
of ten children, nine of whom are living, viz. : 
Sherburn, near Carson, Iowa; Jessie B., a 
teacher in this county; James A., in Charles, 
Mix Co., Dak. ; Kodney E., in Pottawatomie 
County, Iowa; Lewis E., Olive B., Mary L., 
Carl, and David H. , at home. In politics 
Mr. Pierce is Republican, and has held vari- 
ous township offices. He and his wife are 
members of the Congregational Church of 
Dover. 

WILLIAM W. PIERCE, Bureau, was 
born in Plainfield, Sullivan Co., N. H., 
August 6, 1828. He is the son of Job and 
Rebecca (Alexander) Pierce, also natives of 
New Hampshire, where they spent their lives. 
The mother died when our subject was but 
live years old; the father died in November, 
18()1. W. W. Pierce spent his early life on 
a farm, and then learned the shoe-maker's 
trade, which he followed until 1856, when 
he came to Bureau County, arriving here 
February 14. For two winters he worked at 
his trade in Princeton, and in 1857 engaged 
in farming for himself, and has since given 
his attention entirely to that business. No- 
vember 2, 1862, he came to his present farm, 
which now contains 270 acres, in Bureau 
Township. When Mr. Pierce came to this 
county he had but 75 cents, and his success 
in life he owes to the energy and united 
efforts of himself and wife. He was maiTied 
October 1, 1857, to Sarah Lucretia Stiles, 
sister of Alvah Stiles. (See sketch.) Mrs. 
Pierce was born November 30, 1834, in 
Logan County, Ohio. She is the mother of 
six children, viz. : Henry Sumner, born 
March 11, 1861, married to Nancy Carl; 
Franklin H., born August 29, 1863; Asa, 
born March 15, 1866; Luther M., born June 
11, 1868; Clara M., born June 13, 1871; 
Sarah L., born July 9, 1858, died November 
20, 1861. In politics Mr. Pierce is an active 
Democrat. He and wife are members of the 
Methodist Episeo[jal Chui-ch. 

LEANDER T. POMEROY, Ohio, was 
born December 7, 1829, in Jefferson County, 
N. Y., and is the son of Hiram S. and Esther 



Pomeroy. The father, Hiram S., was bom 
February 1, 1797, at Somers, Conn., and first 
came to this county from Jefferson County, 
N. Y., in 1850. He entered the north half of 
Section 15, and the southeast quarter of Sec- 
tion 10 in Ohio Township, and is still living 
in Ohio Township. The mother was born 
November 23, 1798, at Dummerston, Vt.,and 
married Hiram S. Pomeroy in 1820. She 
resided in Jefferson County, N. Y. , till 1853, 
when she came to this county, and made Ohio 
Township her home till August 21, 1883, 
when she died at the age of eighty-four 
years. The subject of this sketch, Leander 
T. Pomeroy, resided on the farm in his native 
State till he came to this county in 1853, and 
settled on the farm which he now occupies. 
He was married January 1, 1856, to Nancy 
F. W^ilson, the daughter of Stephen and Amy 
Wilson, who came to this county in 1837 
from Ohio, and settled at Princeton, where 
they remained till 1851, when they removed 
to Ohio Township. Mr. and Mrs. Pomeroy 
were married at Bridgeport, Ohio, at the 
residence of John Wartield, now of this coun- 
ty. Mrs. Pomeroy was born September 17, 
1835, at Uniontown, Ohio, and came to this 
county when but two years of age. She was 
married to Mr. P. January 1, 1856, and im- 
mediately settled with her husband on their 
present homestead. Mr. and Mrs. Pomeroy 
are the parents of eight children, five of 
whom are now living: Hattie A., born Feb- 
ruary 1, 1857, died February 27, 1862; Hor- 
tense, born August 19, 1859; Stephen W., 
born February 13, 1862; John W., born De- 
cember 31, 1864, died October 20, 1865; 
Hiram S. , Jr., born February 22, 1866; 
Charles D.. born May 28, 1870; Eliza J., 
born April 27, 1872, died July 20, 1876; 
and Vespasian, born May 8, 1875. The chil- 
dren now living are all at home with the 
parents. Mr. Pomeroy since 1856 has given 
his whole attention to farming and stock- 
raising, and his farm and its improvements 
are a living testimony of the diligence with 
which he has pursued his calling. In pol- 
itics Mr. Pomeroy is Republican. He is the 
owner of 320 acres of land in this township, 
and 560 acres in Dakota. 

STERLING POMEROY, Ohio, son of 
Hiram S. Pomeroy, was born in Chaumont, 



623 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Jeflferson Co., N. Y., October 28, 1832. He 
was reared on the farm and educated in the 
common schools of his native county. June 
17, 1854, he was married in Jefferson County, 
N. Y.. to Henrietta S. Jackson, who was born 
in Sackett's Harbor, N. Y., August 28, 1837. 
She is the daughter of Henry and Eleanor 
(Westcott) Jackson, who were both natives 
of New York. Mr. Jackson came to this 
county in 1866, and now resides in Ohio 
Township. His wife died in New York when 
her daughter, Mrs. Pomeroy, was small. 
June 23, 185-1:, Mr. Pomeroy came to Bureau 
County, and settled on his present farm of 
200 acres, which his father had entered. His 
main occupation has been that of farming, 
but he has also been engaged in shipping 
stock and in banking in Ohio Village. He 
cast Lis Urst vote for John C. Fremont, and 
has been a Republican ever since, except that 
he voted for Greeley. He has served eight 
terms as Supervisor of Ohio Township. Dur- 
ing the war Mr. Pomeroy acted as agent for 
the township to till its quota. He took an 
active part in procuring the Clinton branch 
of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Kail- 
road, and also in paying the bonds issued 
by the township. Mr. Pomeroy and Mr. J. 
H. Bowlns were instrumental in obtaining 
the Ohio Township Mutual Fire Insurance 
Company. of which Mr. Pomeroy is now Pres- 
ident, and Mr. Bowlus Secretary. 

WARREN POOLE, Dover, was born in 
Williamstown, Vt., February 8, 1834. He 
is the son of George and Mary (Wight) 
Poole. The father was born in Putney, Vt. , 
December, 1798, and removed with his pa- 
rents to Williamstown in 1800, where he re- 
sided till 1848, when he came to this county, 
and remained until his death July 23, 1879. 
His wife was born in Connecticut, May, 1799, 
and died in Dover, October 5, 1879. They 
were married at Williamstown in 1829, and 
were the parents of seven childi'en, five of 
whom are now living, Mrs. S. P. Clark and 
our subject residing in this county. Warren 
Poole came to Illinois with his parents and 
settled in Bureau County, when in his fif- 
teenth year. His education he received from 
the common district schools of that date. 
He was reared on a farm and has always 
made farming his occupation. He was mar- 



ried February 8, 1859, to Miss Sarah V. 
Humphrey, who was born July 25, 1840, in 
Palermo, Oswego Co., N. Y. She is the 
daughter of Theodore and Fanny (Phelps) 
Humphrey. Both were natives of Connect- 
icut. He was born January 1, 1794, and she 
January 17, 1794. They were married at 
Burlington, September 25, 1817, and a few 
years later removed to New York. In the 
fall of 1843 they came to this county, where 
they resided until they died, he March 29, 
1856, she July 23, 1862. They were the pa- 
rents of three sons and two daughters, of 
whom Mrs. Poole is the youngest and the 
only one now living. Mr. and Mrs. Poole 
have four children: Henry H. , born October 
24, 1861; George T., August 13, 1863, died 
September, 1884; Fanny P., November 17, 
1867; Edward W., March 22, 1876. Mr. 
Poole is Republican in politics, and has held 
various township offices. The farm which he 
now owns is that which his wife's father 
bought on first coming to thi.s county. It 
contains 186 acres adjoining the village of 
Dover. 

JACOB POPE, Clarion. This old German 
pioneer was born December 25, 1815, in 
Truebenbach, Saxony, Coburg, Germany, 
where his parents, Nicholas and Catharine 
Pope, died. They reared a large family, of 
whom our subject was the oldest. Jacob Pope 
came to America in August, 1839. He worked 
on the Erie Canal near Albany, N. Y. , till 
the next spring, when he came to Joliet, 111., 
where he worked on the canal till August, 
1841, when he entered eighty acres of land 
in Clarion Township, where he afterward 
owned 480 acres, and also 480 acres in Lee 
County, which his children now own. After 
working alone for many years, he had his old 
schoolmate and sweetheart from the old coun- 
try, Kunigunda Schmidt, come to the New 
World, and in the fall of 1845 they were 
married. Here is another example of the 
old time truth and fidelity which is one of 
the noblest characteristics of the human fam- 
ily, and a special trait of the German race. 
Mrs. Kunigunda Pope was born December 
28, 1815, in Truebenbach, Germany. She 
was the mother of the following children: 
Mrs. Margaret Betz, George, Lorenzo, Mrs. 
Barbara Fauble, Fred and Edwin Pope, the 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



623 



latter deceased, aged twenty-seven years. Mrs. 
Kunigunda Pope assisted her husband ma- 
terially in the way of accnmulating property, 
and after a long sickness died in Lamoille, 
August 5, 1884. It is but a just tribute to 
her memory when we say that she was a fond 
mother, and a faithful, loving wife. The fam- 
ily are members of the German Evangelical 
Church. 

P. R. PORTER, Concord, was born Octo- 
ber 18, 1825, in Franklin County, Ohio. He 
is a son of James and Catharine (Reed) Por- 
ter, natives of Pennsylvania. They were the 
parents of the following children: John, 
Philip R. (our subject), Mrs. Eliza A. Enyart, 
Mrs. Margaret Applegate, James, Mrs. Cath- 
arine Holmes, Mrs. Caroline Holmes and Mrs. 
Martha Triplett. Of these, John and Philip 
R. Porter, jNIi-s. Holmes and Mrs. Triplett 
are residents of Bureau County. Our subject 
was reared in his native State. In 1850 he 
accompanied his parents to Bureau County, 
where the latter died. He made farming his 
occupation, and started without means. He 
bought his first eighty acres on time, and be- 
ing a good manager has acquired a fine prop- 
erty in Concord Township, consisting of a 
well-improved farm of 400 acres. He was 
married here June 24, 1856, to Miss Sarah 
Seaton, daughter of James Seaton (see histo- 
ry of Seaton family). Mrs. Porter is the 
mother of six children, viz.: James S., Ar- 
thur H., George I., Ora S., Estella and Cath- 
arine Porter. Mr. and Mrs. Porter are mem- 
bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

W. G. PORTER, Lamoille, was born No- 
vember 22, 1810, in Litchfield, Conn. His 
parents, Solomon and Lucy (Wightman) Por- 
ter, were also natives of Connecticut. They 
removed to Seneca County, N. Y , in 1812. 
In 1828 he removed to Michigan, and about 
1838 came to Knox Grove in LaSalle Coun- 
ty, where he farmed and died February 25, 
1850, aged seventy years. In life he was a 
successful man, and a Captain of artillery in 
the war of 1812, participating in the battle 
of Plattsburg. Mrs. Lucy Porter died April 
7, 1861, aged eighty years. She was the 
mother of the following children: Monroe, 
deceased; Lovinia, deceased; Walter G. , 
our subject; Albert G., formerly a prominent 
citizen of Bureau County, but now a resident 



of Waterloo, Iowa; Thaddeus W., of Morris, 
111.; Esther, deceased; Mrs. Clarissa Brock- 
way, deceased, and Henry Porter, of Polo, 
111. The Porter family is of English extrac- 
tion. Our subject was educated in Ovid, 
N. Y. He went to Michigan in 1827 and 
came to LaSalle, 111., the same year the Illi- 
nois and Michigan Canal was finished. He 
has followed a mercantile career. He has 
been married three times. He married his 
first wife, Catharine Carver, in Detroit, 
Mich. She died in LaSalle, 111., leaving 
one child— Mrs. Lucy Pilcher (deceased), who 
was the mother of four children. Mr. Porter 
was married a second time to Rebecca M. 
Bennett, who died in LaSalle, 111. He mar- 
ried his present wife, Mrs. Eliza Benton (nee 
Angler), a daughter of Abel and Lovina An- 
gler, in Lamoille, Bureau Co., where he now 
resides. Mrs. Eliza Porter came to this coun- 
ty in 1833, being one of the pioneers. She 
is a member of the Baptist Church. Mr. 
Porter is a stanch Republican, an A. F. & A. 
M., and also an L O. O. F. 

JOHN PRIESTMAN, M. D., Neponset. 
Among the physicians of Bureau County who 
have gained wealth and an enviable reputation 
by close application to their chosen profession 
we are glad to record him whose name heads 
this sketch. Dr. Priestman was born April 
19, 1830, in Witham, Lincolnshire, England. 
His father, Thomas Priestman, was born in 
1796 in the same place. He was a farmer in 
England, and died July 15, 1881, in Nepon- 
set, 111., to which place he came with his 
children in 1858. The grandfather of our 
subject was Robert Priestman, a native of 
England, where he farmed and died. The 
mother of our subject was Elizabeth Tebbutt, 
also a native of England, where she died. 
She was the mother of twelve children who 
reached maturity. Of these seven came to 
this country, viz.: Charles J., William, Law- 
rence, Mrs. Jane Christian, Mrs. Sarah Maul, 
Frederick, and John, our subject, who was 
educated in his native country, receiving his 
medical education at the Cambridge Univers- 
ity. Dr. Pi'iestman practiced medicine about 
three years in England, and in 1858 located 
in Neponset, Bureau Co., 111., where he has 
followed his profession successfully ever 
since. He was married in Wolverhampton, 



624 



HISTORY" OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Staffordshire, England, to Martha Law, a 
native of the above place. Her father was 
Richard Law. She is the mother of seven 
children, viz. . John L. (who is also a physi- 
cian), Mary, William H. , Ida, Amy, Lillie 
and Minnie. Di\ Priestman is a member of 
the Kewanee Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, 
and of the Temple Commandery, No. 20, K. 
T., of Princeton, 111. Politically he is a 
Republican. Has filled school and town 
offices many years. In 1882 he visited En- 
gland, and returned in January, 1883. 

JOHN PRIOR, Sheffield, was born in 
Essex County, England, April 22, 1846. 
Most of his years in England were spent in 
London. His mother died in 1854, and in 
1855 liis father, William Prior, came to 
America, and settled at SbefiSeld, 111., where 
he died June 14, 1870. Of his family three 
sons and one daughter came to the United 
States; three daughters and one son yefc live 
in England; one son died there, and yet an- 
other died in the East Indies while in the 
British Army. Of those who came to Amer- 
ica two of the sons, John and Henry, who 
came in 1856, are in ShefiSeld; the other son, 
William, came with his father in 1855, and 
now resides in Springfield, 111. The daugh- 
ter did not come to America till 1869, and 
now lives at Galesburg, 111., and is the wife 
of William Edmonds. In January. 1865 
John Prior enlisted in Company G, One 
Huuth-ed and Fifty-first Illinois Volunteer 
Infantry, and served in the army for about 
one year, not being discharged till in 1866. 
During most of his service he was in Georgia, 
on the Freedmen's Bureau. After the war 
he returned again to Sheffield, and this has 
been his home ever since. In 1870 he, in 
partnership with his brother Henry, engaged 
in business, and have since run a meat market 
at Sheffield, but in connection with other 
business. For some years they farmed also, 
and since 1872 have been dealing in stock, 
and now their annual shipments will average 
about 100 cars. Each has a farm of one half 
section in Franklin County, Neb. In politics 
they are identified with the Democratic party. 
Our subject was united in marriage Decem- 
ber 24, 1868, to Miss Mary E. Taylor, who 
was born in Licking County, Ohio, June 6, 
1851. She is the mother of the three fol- 



lowing children, viz. : Letty Estella, bom 
October 30, 1869; Leona Sarah, November 
24, 1871, and Percy Edward, June 11, 1876. 

W. PRUNE, Indiantown. The subject of 
the following biography was born March 22, 
1836, in Hennepin, 111., to which his par- 
ents came in 1831, before the Black Hawk 
war. His father, Daniel Prunk, was 
born in West Virginia. He lived there 
till he came to Putnam County, where he 
farmed till 1844, when he came to Bureau 
County, where he entered 160 acres of land 
in Sections 11 and 14, where his son now re- 
sides He died here March 14, 1861. The 
Prunk family is of German descent The 
mother of our subject, Catharine Hammond, 
was a native of Maryland. She died in 
Minnesota in February, 1880. She was the 
mother of the following children: Mrs. 
Martha Gould, Mrs. Jane Jackson, John (de- 
ceased), Hammond, Madison, Mrs. Maggie 
Polk, Daniel H., George E., Washington 
(our subject), Mrs. Catharine Blaisdel and 
Mrs. Mary A. Burrington. Mr. Prunk re- 
ceived a common school education in this 
county, where he has made farming his oc- 
cupation. He has now 240 acres of land. 
Politically he is a Republican, and in behalf 
of his country enlisted in the fall of 1862 
in Company E, of the Ninety-third Regiment 
of Illinois Volunteer Infantry, serving till 
the close of the war. He participated in 
many engagements, among others that of 
Champion Hill, Miss., where he was wounded 
in the foot. Mr. Prunk was married Decem- 
ber 24, 1865, to Mrs. Lotta Stewart, a native 
of Fulton County, N. Y. She is the mother 
of four children, viz.: George W., Bertha 
E., Harry O. and Myrtle Rome. Mr. and 
Mrs. Prunk are religiously connected with 
the Baptist Church. 

ADAM PRUTSMAN, Princeton, was born 
in Tioga County, Penn., July 23, 1809. His 
parents, Jacob and Mary (Miller) Prutsman, 
were natives of Northampton County, Penn., 
and were of German descent. They died in 
Tioga County, Penn. They were the jiarents 
of fifteen children, five of whom are now 
living. Adam Prutsman resided on a farm 
in his native county until 1840, when he 
came to this county. He came by wagon a 
distance of 800 miles in three weeks and 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



635 



four days. He settled on his present farm, 
purchasing fifty acres with scarcely any im- 
provements, and has added to it till he now 
owns 188 acres. He was married in Tioga 
County, Penn., June 5, 1836, to Mrs. Zilpha 
(Jackson) Isenhower. She was born March 
15, 1806, a daughter of Ebenezer and Abi- 
gail (Kyes) Jackson. Her grandfather Jack- 
son was a Colonel in the Revolutionary war, 
and her father, though a mere boy, was with 
him at the surrender of Burgoyne. He was 
a cousin of Gen. Jackson. Ebenezer Jack- 
son was a native of Vermont, and his wife of 
Connecticut. They were of old New Eng- 
land families, but settled in Pennsylvania. 
Mrs. Prutsman was first married January 3, 
1822, to John Isenhower, by whom she had 
four children, viz.: Henry H., deceased; 
Crawford, of Wakarusa, Kan. ; Susannah, of 
Princeton, widow of Watson Cook; Sarah, 
wife of Peter Searl, of Iowa. Mr. Isen- 
hower died May 15, 1829. Mr. and Mrs. 
Prntsman have one son, Charles L., born 
February 20, 1840, and married Lazette M. 
West, February 6, 1862. She was born in 
Tioga County, Penn., February 23, 1843, a 
daughter of Joseph and Sarah (Kelsey) 
West. They came to this county in 1860, 
and the father died in the army. The mother 
is still living in Hortonville, Wis. Mr. and 
Mrs. Charles Prutsman are the parents of 
the following children: George C, born Oc- 
tober 15, 1863; Charles A., July 28, 1865; 
Gilbert E., March 2, 1867; Sarah Z., October 
26. 1869; Edna L., February 3, 1873; Mary 
R., March 1, 1876; -James B., November 11, 
1882; Henry, November 11, 1882. Charles 
L. Prutsman is a farmer, and owns 360 acres 
in Selby Township. He is a Democrat in 
politics, as is also his father. The family 
are members of the Christian Church. 

HERBERT PUTNAM, Hall, was born 
September 18, 1857, in Hall Township, Bu- 
reau Co., 111. His grandfather Sewel Put- 
nam was a native of Brattleboro, Vt., and 
died in Trenton, N. Y. He was one of a 
family of seven children — six brothers and 
one sister — Mrs. Sylvia Hamilton, mother of 
Gen. Hamilton, of the United States Army. 
Sewel Putnam married Rebecca Shepard, who 
was the mother of ten children — five boys and 
five girls. Harvey Putnam, their son, was 



born November 25, 1818, in Schoharie Coun- 
ty, N. Y. He married Lurinda Dewey, who 
was born in Oneida County, N. Y., May 24, 
1833. They came to Bureau County, 111., in 
April 1856, and he died here January 4, 
1863. They were the parents of three chil- 
dren: Mrs. Lilian Gleason, of Kansas; Her- 
bert, and Mrs. Sabina Fox, of Nebraska. 
Herbert Putnam was educated in the Prince- 
ton schools. His occupation is that of farm- 
ing. He is a member of the Baptist Church; 
in politics is Republican. Mrs. Putnam was 
married a second time to Alfred McKee, a 
native of New York, who came to this county 
in 1851. They have two daughters— Mittie 
M. and Edna I. 

F. D. RACKLEY, Berlin, was born in 
Orange County, Vt., December 9, 1829. 
His father, Peletiah Rackley, was also born 
in Orange County, December 16, 1798. He 
was married in his native county January 16, 
1823, to Dorothy Keuney, a native of the 
same place as her husband, born November 
17, 1802. In 1834 they removed to Genesee 
County, N. Y., where they lived till 1838, 
when they came to Bureau County. The 
first winter they lived in the house where 
Phillips was killed, and the following 
spring removed to what is now Berlin 
Township, and in 1841 to the present 
farm of F. D. Rackley. They were among 
the earlier settlers on the prairie in this 
township, and at that time had to go forty 
miles to mill, and Chicago was their market 
for grain, etc. They were the parents of 
four children, viz.: Warren, born May 12, 
1825, died October 5, 1879, leaving a wife 
and one daughter; F. D., born December 9, 
1829; David, born April 15, 1834, died Feb- 
ruary 18, 1863 (he enlisted in 1861, in 
Company B, Fifth Kansas Cavalry, but was 
discharged on account of disability and died 
soon after); Joanna, born April 3, 1841, wife 
of William J. Fish, of Whitney, Jackson Co., 
Kan. Mr. Rackley was a strong party man, 
and till 1856 was a Democrat, but from that 
time till his death he was Republican. He 
died April 19, 1875. His widow still sur- 
vives and resides on the old homestead. F. 
D. Rackley came to this county with his 
parents when a boy and has since lived on 
his father's old farm. His opportunity for 



626 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



obtaining an education was very limited, hav- 
ing no schools to attend but the early district 
schools, and those only when he could not 
work. His occupation has been that of farm- 
ing, but for twelve years was engaged in the 
threshing business. For several years he 
has rented his farm which contains 179 acres 
and since 1881 has been associated with A. 
L. Steele, of Dover, in the agricultural im- 
plement business. Mr. Rackley was married 
June 7, 1866, to Anna E. Fish, born in 
Clarkson, Monroe Co., N. Y., May -4, 1824. 
She is the daughter of Josiah and Mary 
(Pierce) Fish. Her father was a native of 
Vermont, but died in New York State. In 
1855 his widow and three of her children re- 
moved to LaSalle County and in 1857 to this 
county, where she died in 1859. She was the 
mother of six sons and three daughters, all of 
whom are still living except the oldest son. 
All of the sons but one were in the Civil war; 
three served three years and one went through 
the war; one, however, lost his health and 
had to return after nine months. Mr. Rack- 
ley is a member of the Crystal Fount Lodge, 
No. 178, I. O. O. F., of Dover, and has been 
an oflBcer in the Lodge for several years. 
Mrs. Rackley is a member of the Baptist 
Church, of Dover. 

GEORGE RACKLEY, Maiden, was born 
in Vershire, Orange Co., Vt., November 
2, 1821. His father, Nathan Rackley, was 
born December 15, 1800, in Orange County, 
VL, on the same farm where our subject was 
born, and lived there until he left the State. 
He was married in Orange County, Vt., Janu- 
ary 28, 1821, to Susannah Judd, who was 
born March 6, 1802. In 1828 they removed 
from Vermont to New York State, Genesee 
County, and resided there till the spring of 
1836, when they came to this county and set- 
tled on the farm in Section 29, in Berlin 
Township, where they yet reside. Mr. Rack- 
ley and his sons were firm Democrats uutil 
1856, when they changed and have since been 
stanch supporters of the Republican party. 
Mr. and Mrs. Rackley are the parents of four 
children, viz. : George; Louisa, born Septem- 
ber 15, 1825, died January 12, 1877, wife of 
Martin R. Zearing, of Princeton; Nathan F., 
born October 13, 1827, married to Phebe 
Sutton, February 19, 1856, a native of Bel- 



mont County, Ohio, born January 10, 1832 j 
Phebe A.., of Maiden, wife of D. K. Morris. 
George Rackley came to this county with his 
parents in 1836. He was reared on the farm 
and educated in the common schools. He al- 
so attended the academy at Princeton, taught 
by James H. Smith. He was married March 
24, 1842, to Calista Abel, born in Alden. Erie 
Co., N. Y., October 14,1822. She is a daugh- 
ter of Thomas and Julia (Robinson) Abel, 
who came to this county in 1839. Mv. and 
Mrs. Rackley have one daughter, Mrs. Julia 
Perry, wife of Jesse A. Perry. She was born 
June 7, 1858. After his marriage Mr. Rack- 
ley removed to Lee County, and engaged in 
farming for three years, when he again re- 
turned to his farm in Berlin Township. 
Three years later he engaged in the grain and 
lumber trade at Maiden, at first working for 
other parties but afterward for himself. He 
continued in this business till 1876, when he 
retired from active life. He now owns 286 
acres of land besides other property. For six- 
teen years he was member of the Board of 
Supervisors, and for about one half the time 
was Chairman of the Board. He is a mem- 
ber of I. O. O. F., Crystal Fount Lodge, No. 
158, of Dover, also of the A. F. & A. M., Bu- 
reau Lodge, No. 112, of Princeton, and of 
Princeton Chapter, No. 28, and Temple Com- 
mandery, No. 20. He is a member of the Con- 
gregational Church of Maiden. 

THE RADCLIFFE FAMILY, Princeton. 
Daniel Radcliffe, the grandfather of George 
M. Radcliffe, was of Welsh extraction, and was 
born on the south branch of the Potomac Riv- 
er, in Virginia. He was employed as a scout 
and hunter by the pioneer settlers of that 
country, and at the age of twenty- two years 
was killed by the Indians. He left a widow, 
whose maiden name was Reed, and two chil- 
dren, viz.: Daniel and Sarah Radcliffe. The 
latter married Joseph Duncan and died near 
Princeton. Grandmother Radcliffe was mar- 
ried a second time to James Taffe. and reared 
several children. One of her grandsons, John 
Taffe, Jr. , lived in this county when a young 
man. He afterward emigrated to Nebraska 
Territory, and was there the first delegate to 
Congress. He served two years after Nebraska 
was admitted as a State. He died in 1883 at 
North Platte, where he was Receiver in the 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



627 



Land Office. Daniel Radcliffe, Jr., was tak- 
en by his mother to Bourbon County, Ky., 
where he was reared. His mother died in 
Indianapolis, Ind. He was in the North- 
western Army under Gen. Harrison, in the 
war of 1812, and after that settled in Clinton 
County, Ohio, where he tilled county offices 
and was County Treasurer for ten consecutive 
years. In November, 1836, he came to Bureau 
County, 111., and the following February built 
his cabin four miles south of Princeton, where 
he bought 240 acres of land, to which he 
afterward added many acres and also entered 
one-half section east of Princeton. He 
farmed here, and in 1846 built a saw- 
mill on Bureau Creek, which burned 
down. He died on his homestead in June, 
1878, aged eighty-nine years. Daniel Rad- 
cliffe was a prominent man among the early 
settlers of Bureau County. (See General His- 
tory.) He was self-educated and was admit- 
ted to the bar in Wilmington, Ohio, and at 
that place was married to Rachel McMannis, 
who died November, 1873, aged seventy- four 
years. She was a daughter of Judge George 
McMannis, and was the mother of five chil- 
dren, viz. : Mrs. Juliet Mosely, Mrs. Sarah 
Lomax and Mary (twins), George M., and Hen- 
ry, the latter deceased. George M. Radcliffe 
was born January 15, 1828, in Wilmington, 
Ohio. He came to Bureau County with his 
parents, and was educated at "James Smith 
Academy" and Bethany College, Virginia. 
For many years he carried on his father's 
business, and in 1856 was elected to the Leg- 
islature, serving one term. In the spring of 
1860 he was elected Supervisor of Arispe 
Township, and in the fall of the same year 
was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court and 
served four years. After this he farmed, and 
in 1867 sold out and engaged in the newspa- 
per business in Ottawa, 111. , where he edited 
the Ottawa Republican till 1871, when he 
sold out and was appointed to the office of 
Internal Revenue Assessor for that district, 
filling the position till that office was abol- 
ished by Congress. In 1873 he bought an 
interest in the Joliet Sun, and converted that 
paper into the first daily paper issued in Jol- 
iet. After four and one-half years of faith- 
ful labor, he sold out and returned to Prince: 
ton, where he in partnership with C. L. 



Smith, established the Bureau County News, 
in 1881, of which he is now senior editor. 
Mr. Radclifife has been married twice. His 
first wife, Lucy King, was a native of Ohio, 
and a graduate of Gen. Garfield's Academy 
at Hiram. She died here in 1861, aged twen- 
ty-one years. She was the mother of Frank 
C. Radcliffe, now a resident of California. 
His second wife, Minerva Corwin, daughter 
of Hon. Frank Corwin, of LaSalle County,. I 
111., died November, 1878. She was the; 
mother of three children, viz.: Harry Sn,l, 
Charles D. and Corwin Radcliffe. The twQi 
oldest are printers. In religious matters Mtj , 
Radcliffe has been a very active member -olv 
the Christian Church. ii iijj^ 

JOSEPH RAUH, Selby, was born.4a,Bail 
varia, Germany, July 15, 1826. He waai 
reared in his native land and educated in itai 
schools. In 1848 he entered the army, but- 
served only about four months when his fflj- 
ther died, and being the oldest son tewaaj 
relieved from duty. In 1851 iie came- tM 
America, remaining in New Orleans severaiJ 
weeks, then came up the Mississippi Riiveri 
to St. Louis, and from; there to Peru, tllJiil 
where he landed July 4, 1851, and has siiice. 
made Bureau County his home. When he' 
came here he was in debt 120, and until: the 
season of 1852 worked by the month. Hft 
then began farming with oae horse, graduallii' 
increasing his means, until in 1SG3 he was 
able to buy 160 acres of his present farmj 
moving onto it in 1864; at that time but ai 
small portion of his' fai-m was cleared. H«i 
now owns 175 acres in Sections 26 and. 27: 
Mr. Rauh was married in his native land ho 
Elizabeth Young, who was born May 5, 1825j 
She died August 17, 1879; She was tb* 
mother' of eight children, viz. : William, borni 
August 17, 1849; Joseph, born; February 28j 
1858; Anna, i born June 20, 1854, wife ,o£ 
Anton Hartzog; Andrew, born January Mj 
1856, died August 16, 1877; Elizabeth, boru 
October 29, 1857, died July 25, 1858; Phili-' 
pena, born Februai-y 28, 1859, wife of George 
May; Valentine, born June 25, 186(i*i now 06 
Nebraska; John, bora July 13. 1862, at homej 
All are in Bureau County except iValentinei. 
Mr, Rauh was married February 17, ] 881, t® 
MtB. Louisa (Raker) Cogler. ■ She wasiborirhi 
Bavaria, November 9, 1851, e-.nd j caiaje.-.'ii 



638 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY- 



America when about a year old. By her Mr. 
Rauh has one child — Henry, born March 25, 
1882. By her first husband, Fred Cogler, 
Mrs. Rauh has the following children: Louis, 
born August 5, 1871; Mary, born May 30, 
1873: Clara, born April 2. 1875. Mr. Rauh 
and family are members of the Lutheran 
Church. In politics he is a Democrat. 

HON. CHARLES G. READ, Maiden, was 
born inMt. Morris, Livingston Co., N. Y., Jan- 
uary 10, 1816. He is the son of Horatio and 
Jemima (Mead) Read, both natives of Ver- 
mont. Onr subject was reared on a farm, one 
of a family of eleven children, whose father 
was blind for many years. He continued 
farming in his native county till 1845, when 
he came to Bureau County. He then had in 
his possession but $7 in money, and most of 
his clothing had been stolen in Chicago. For 
two and a half years he lived ut Dover, and 
was engaged in the cementing business. 
From Dover he removed to Sugar Grove, 
Kane County, where he bought a farm at 
Berlin Centre, but four years later sold it and 
returned to Dover. When the Chicago, Bur- 
lington & Quincy Road was in course of 
construction he bought his present farm, 
which contains 152 acres adjoining the village 
of Maiden. He lived on the farm till 1873, 
since which time he has resided in Maiden. 
Mr. Read was the first to begin buying grain 
in Maiden, and continued in that business 
for six years. He was an energetic business 
man, and did a large amount of hard work, 
and through his industry has accumulated a 
competency. He has always been a liberal 
friend to those in distress, and has been 
through the township several times soliciting 
aid for those in need of assistance. In poli- 
tics he has always been an active Republican. 
In 1869 and 1870 he was a member of the 
State Legislature from this district. May 
16, 1842, he was married, in Gainsville, 
Wyoming Co., N. Y., to Miss Olivia Wood, 
born in Wyoming County, March 12, 1824. 
She was a daughter of Deacon Asahel and 
Olivia (Hall) Wood, who came to this county 
in 1845, and resided at Dover until their 
deaths. Mr. Wood died April 12, 1883, and 
woiild have been ninety-one years old May 3, 
1883. His wife died some years before. Mr. 
Read had one son — Chester — who was born 



August 25, 1839, and accidentally killed in this 
county in 1857. This was a son by a former 
marriage, the mother dying when he was four 
months old. Mr, Read has no children by 
his present wife, but they have reared a girl 
and boy. viz. : Maiy Young, now wife of 
James Wentworth, of Leland, 111., and Henry 
Read, of Oswego, 111. ; he is married to Flor- 
ence Kellogg, of Oberlin, Ohio. Mr. and 
Mrs. Read are members of the Congregational 
Church. 

HENRY REAM, Hall, was born August 
26, 1825, in Lebanon County, Penn. His 
parents, Samuel and Eva (BuUman) Ream, 
were natives of the same place, as were also 
his grandparents, Peter Ream and wife. The 
great-grandparents came from Germany. 
Samuel and Eva Ream and their seven chil- 
dren came West in the spring of 1852, and 
settled in Peru, 111. The next spring the 
parents and one son, Benjamin, moved on to 
the old Henry Miller farm, in Hall Town- 
ship, where the father died in 1861, at the 
age of sixty-four years. The mother died at 
the home of her son, Henry, in July, 1881, 
aged nearly eighty-four years. She was the 
mother of ten children, viz. : Benjamin, now 
of Chicago; Henry; Mrs. Caroline Zimmer- 
man, of Peru; Mrs. Chestine Smith, of Peru; 
Eva; Samuel; Michael, deceased, and Peter 
(twins); Franklin, deceased; Eliza. Henry 
Ream came to Peru, 111., in April, 1851, a 
year before the others, and worked at the 
carpenter's trade until the fall of 1854. He 
then farmed on the old Miller place until 
1866, when he bought the John Wilhite farm. 
He now owns 270 acres in Hall Township, 
and 380 acres in Ford County, 111. Henry 
Beam was first married to Elizabeth Hack- 
man, who died in Peru. His second wife, 
Elizabeth Ott, died leaving two children — 
Franklin L. and Cora B. His present wife, 
Mrs. Lucetta Sepp (nee Miller), is a native of 
Pennsylvania,, daughter of Jacob Miller. She 
has four children, viz. : Lena, Olvena and 
Edward Sepp, by her tirst husband, and 
Lucetta Ream. Mr. and Mrs. Ream are 
members of the Lutheran Church. He votes 
with the Democratic party. 

H. C. REASONER, Princeton, was born 
February 16, 1828, in Egremont, Berkshire 
Co. , Mass. He is a son of Egbert Eeasoner, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



639 



wbo was born June 15, 1797, in Dutchess 
Co., N. Y. He died November 26. 1876, in 
Bureau County, 111., to which he had re- 
moved in 1849. He was a carpenter and 
joiner by occupation, but followed farming 
mainly, especially after he came West. His 
father was Peter lleasoner, who was born in 
New York State, where he died. During the 
Kevolutionary war he suffered many indigni- 
ties from the hands of Tories. The origin 
of the Reasoner family dates back t.to the 
French Huguenots, who were driven out of 
France to Germany, where they resided 
many years and then immigrated to the Colo- 
nies of America, landing in Philadelphia. 
Longevity is one of the characteristics of the 
family, many members living to be over 
ninety years old. The mother of our sub 
ject is Eunice P. Karner, born August 31, 
1802, in Egremont, Mass. She is yet living.' 
Her parents were Pliny and Rhoda (Noble) 
Karner; they were natives of Massachusetts, 
and of German descent. Pliny Karner was 
a Major in the war of 1812. Henry C. Rea- 
soner has one sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Field. 
He was educated in the East, and came to 
Bureau County in 1848, where he has beeu a 
successful farmer ever since. Here he was 
married, January 24, 1861. to Miss Ellen M. 
Ward, born May 22, 1842, in AVaverly, 111. 
Her parents are Norman and Delila (Corey) 
Ward. Three children were the result of 
this union, viz.: Pliny W., born Mav 6, 
1863; Egbert N., born May 24. 1869,* and 
Julia P., born January 7, 1872. Mr. and 
Mrs. Reasoner are esteemed members in the 
society where they reside and of the Presby- 
terian Church. In politics he advocates 
Republican principles. 

ADAM REDER, Clarion, was born June 
17, 1823, in Neuengronau, Hessen, Germany. 
He is a eon of Henry Reder, who died in 
Germany, and who was the father of twelve 
children, of whom tive came to the United 
States. Our subject came to America in 
1839, and settled in Butler County, Peuu. 
After two years he went to Niagara Count)', 
N. Y., where he farmed till December. 1868, 
when he came to Illinois. He lived between 
two and three years in Lee and LaSalle 
Counties and then came to Bureau County, 
where he now owns 240 acres in Clarion 



Township, and is a steady, hard-working 
farmer. He was married, July 28, 1844, in 
Niagara County, N. Y. , to Miss Sarah Dun- 
kleberger, a daughter of Solomon and Chris- 
tiana (Harmony) Dunkleberger. Mrs. Reder 
was born January 11, 1825, in Perry County, 
Penn., and is the mother of five children now 
living, viz. : Edmund W., Mrs. Mary A. 
Neff, Mrs. Tillie E. Rehm, Ella A., Daniel 
G. and Christian E. (deceased, aged nine 
years). Mr. and Mrs. Reder are religiously 
connected with the Geitnan Evangelical 
Association. Politically he is a good Repub- 
lican, and is strongly in favor of prohibition. 

E. A. REED, Lamoille. The genealogy 
of the Reed family from whom the subject of 
this biography descends is as follows: Peter 
Reed came from Holland in 1632, and settled 
in Albany, N. Y., where he resided with a 
brother till difficulties arose witb the Gov- 
ernor, when they removed to Stouchsburg, 
Berks Co., Penn., where the family flourished 
for more than two centuries. The graves of 
Jacob Reed, the great-great-grandfather of 
our subject, and his son and grandson, named 
after him, can yet be seen — one of the head- 
stones bearing the date of 1692. The parents 
of our subject, Jacob J. and Elizabeth (Wei- 
ser) Reed, were also natives of Berks County, 
Penn. They came to Mendota. III., in 1856, 
where the former died in March, 1870, aged 
seventy-one years, and where the mother yet 
resides, aged seventy-seven years. She was 
a daughter of Conrad Weiser, of German 
descent, She was the mother of eleven chil- 
dren; of these, eight are yet living, viz.: 
Elmira. Amanda, Emma, Amelia, Jacob, 
John. George, and Edward A. Reed, who 
received his primary education in Mendota, 
where he also clerked live years in a drug 
store, and in March, 1874, graduated at the 
Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. He then 
clerked in Mendota till 1878, when he came 
to Lamoille, where he has kept a drug store 
ever since. Mr. Reed was married in Dal- 
ton, Ohio, to Miss Letitia A Porter, born 
November 13, 1852, in Homer, 111. She is 
the mother of Elizabeth A. Reed, born April 
17, 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Reed are members 
of the Presbyterian Chui'ch. They have one 
adopted child — Maggie B. Reed. 

TRACY REEYE, Princeton, was born 



630 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



February 22, 1807, near Mt. Hope, Orange 
Co., N. Y. He is the son of Gabriel and 
Hannah (Barton) Reeve. The father was 
born in New York, March 9, 1777, and lived 
an eventful life. When a young man and 
starting in life he went to Marietta, Ohio, in 
1814, with letters of recommendation to the 
Surveyor General, but not finding him at 
home he was determined to lind employment. 
So he walked to Chillicothe, then the State 
capital, but still not finding work he went to 
Cincinnati, and from there to Paris, Ky. , 
where he was engaged as a clerk for several 
years. Finally he decided to return to his 
old home. He traveled down the Mississippi 
River to the Gulf, and then made the voyage 
around to Philadelphia, and then up the Del- 
aware River to his home. During his stay 
in Ohio he was drafted into the army, and 
helped guard the prisoners captured on Lake 
Erie by Commodore Perry, but the hardships 
of a soldier's life were too severe for his con- 
stitution, and while in the service his health 
was 80 impaired that he never fully recovered 
from the effects. He died February 24, 1825, 
in Ohio. His wife, Hannah Barton, was born 
in New Jersey, November 23, 1783, and died 
in Lamoille, Bureau Co., 111., October 15, 
1853. She was the mother of the following 
named children; Vclney, Tracy, Elijah B., 
Hugh B. and Frances A. Tracy Reeve was 
reared on a farm, and received his early edu- 
cation in the subscription schools of Ohio. 
In May, 1834, he came to Bureau County, 
111., bringing with him $200 in money. This 
Mr. Reeve applied in entering 160 acres of 
land. He also borrowed $100 at 50 per cent 
interest, with which he entered eighty acres 
more. This was the beginning of a remarka- 
bly successful business career. In 1836 he 
laid out the village of Lamoille, and started 
a store at that point, which he carried on in 
connection with his farm. Mr. Reeve resid- 
ed at Lamoille till 1869, when he came to 
Princeton, where he has lived in as much re- 
tirement as his business would permit. Mr. 
Reeve has since added to his first purchases 
of land till he now owns 2,000 acres in Illi- 
nois and an equal amount in Iowa. He was 
the founder of the Citizen's National Bank 
of Princeton, and has since been its Presi- 
dent. He is also the largest stockholder in 



the national bank at LaSalle, 111. ; also' a 
stockholder in the First National Bank of 
Princeton, and of the Shenandoah Bank, 
Iowa. Mr. Reeve was first married to Miss 
Mary Glenn, who was born in Pennsylvania 
in 1817. . She died March 17, 1841, in Bu- 
reau County, 111. She was the mother of 
two childi-en: Laura, widow of Rev. Benja- 
min Thomas, and William G., born February 
8, 1839, and died in November, 1847. His 
second marriage was to Miss Sarah L. Bry- 
ant, who was born September 16, 1820, in 
Cummington, Mass., and is a daughter of 
Col. Austin Bryant, and a niece of William 
Cullen Bryant. The result of this union is 
the following named children: William G., 
born June 4, 1847; Austin B. , born August 
7, 1859; and Frances A., born June 18, 1861, 
now deceased. The elder son is now Cashier 
of a national bank in Peru, 111., while the 
younger is Cashier of the Citizen's National 
Bank of Princeton. The mother of Mrs. 
Reeve was Adeline (Plummer) Bryant, born 
in Berkshire County, Mass., May 24, 1801, 
and died February 26, 1882. She was the 
daughter of Edward Plummer, a native of 
Massachusetts. In the quiet of his comfort- 
able home in the city of Princeton, surround- 
ed by his family and troops of friends, Mr. 
Tracy Reeve is enjoying those blessings that 
can only come in the evening of a well-spent 
life. He was the architect of his own fort- 
unes, and in the trials and severe struggles 
of the new West (as was this county when he 
came) was only developed that inner self-re- 
liant and manly life that constitutes his green 
and happy age, and may well furnish a type 
of character for the healthy study and con- 
templation of the youths of the State or of 
the country. It is the simple and sublime 
story ^'of the lives of real and true men, that 
should be made the fundamental text-books 
of our childi-en. Nothing is more interest- 
ing to the young 'than biographical history. 
It charms aud{|leads and draws them after it, 
and barbarous fathers tell to their children 
the story of warriors and robbers, and even 
our civilization has long thought that it was 
only the great General, the noisy politician, 
or the individuals who were notorious, ec- 
centric or infamous who were worthy of a 
place in tradition, song or romance. It is 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



6S1 



time for us to know that the true life is the 
modest, and therefore often the obscure, life. 
And the story of such lives, when properly 
told, is the fairest page in the book of his- 
tory. 

LEWIS E. REMSBURG. Ohio, was 
born December 28, 1831, in Sandusky Coud- 
ty, Ohio. He is the son of Casper and Mary 
Remsburg. The father was born Eebruary 
24, 1786, in Frederick County, Md. The 
mother was born November 19, 1792, in 
Frederick County, Md., and is the daugh- 
ter of Jacob and Margaret Bowlus, who were 
born in Maryland, and came to Ohio in 1822. 
On the mother's side Mrs. Remsburg is- of 
German parentage. The subject of this 
sketch, with his parents, first travelod through 
this county in the spring of 1841, and re- 
turned in July to their home in Ohio. In 
the spring of 1853 Mr. Remsburg came with 
his mother to this county, and remained for 
a few days in Ohio Township. They then 
went to Rock Island, 111., where the mother 
remained about a month, when she returned 
to Ohio. Lewis E. remained till October of 

1854, when he came to Ohio Township, and 
worked at the carpenter's trade till June of 

1855, when he bought eighty acres of land, 
being a part of the farm on which he now 
resides. This land was bought from the Il- 
linois Central Railroad Company at $11 per 
acre, which at that time was considered a 
high price for land. This same land is now 
worth $75 per acre. Casper and Mary 
Remsburg are the parents of nine children, 
two of whom came to this county, viz. : Perry 
and Lewis E. The father died in Ohio, 
August 22, 1849, but the mother is still liv- 
ing (now in this county with her son, Lewis 
E.) at the advanced age of ninety-two, and is 
the oldest person now living in Ohio Town- 
ship. She still has a clear recollection of 
events transpiring in 1800, and tells several 
pleasing and interesting anecdotes of the war 
of 1812. In 1857, October 15, Mr. Remsburg 
was married to Mrs. Emily J. Losee, the 
daughter of Sylvester and Safrona Cowles, of 
Medina County, Ohio. She was born May 14, 
1832, in Marion, N.Y. Immediately following 
the marriage Mr. and Mrs. Remsburg came 
to Ohio Township and began housekeeping 
on their present farm, upon which Mr. Rems- 



burg had previously erected a house. Mr. 
and Mrs. Remsburg are the parents of seven 
children, all living, Mrs. R. having one 
child when they were married, Ellen T. 
Losee, born August 31, 1853, widow of 
Arthur W. Chase, Ohio, 111.; William E. 
was born November 6, 1858; Dilla E. was 
born January 5, 1862; Alta B. was born 
April 1, 1864; William S. was born March 
29, 1868; Gertie M. was born April 2, 1872; 
Minnie D. was born May 21, 1876; Ada W. 
Chase was born January 7, 1879. Arthur W. 
Chase died June 13, 1878. Mr. Remsburg 
owns 240 acres in Ohio Township, 320 acres 
in Dakota and town property in Ohio Village. 
He is a Republican, and member of Meth- 
odist Protestant Church. 

SOLOMON REMSBURG, Ohio, was born 
January 20, 1820, and is the son of Christian 
and Catharine Remsburg, of Frederick Coun- 
ty, Md., where the subject of this sketch was 
born. The father was born November 28, 
1784, and died March 29, 1874. The mother 
was born March 23, 1786, and died August 
12, 1851. The son was raised on a farm, 
where he resided till 1843, when March 
23, be married Mary A. Michael, the daugh- 
ter of John Michael, of Maryland. Mrs. 
Remsburg was born January 30, 1821, 
and died in Sandusky County, Ohio, Novem- 
ber 28, 1846. Of this marriage there is a 
family of two sons, both living: Isah W. 
Remsburg was born January 18, 1844, is 
married, and lives in Ohio Township, this 
county; Carlton J. Remsburg was born April 
6, 1845, and resides in Ford County, III., is 
married to Sarah Haninstein, and has two 
daughters and one son. November 2, 1847, 
Mr. Remsburg married Margaret Shawl, the 
daughter of Michael and Eleanor Shawl, of 
Sandusky County, Ohio, who was born Feb- 
ruary 26, 1827. The father was born in 
1803 and died July 14, 1882. The mother 
was born in 1806, and died November 27, 
1875. Of this last marriage there are two 
children, a daughter and a son: Annie R. 
Remsburg, wife of James G. Ruff, banker, 
Ohio, III., was born September 29, 1848, has 
three children; George W. Remsburg was 
born June 6, 1850, married Margaret R. Ross, 
is now a widower, and has two children. 
In March, 1857, Mr. Remsburg removed from 



632 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Ohio to this county, and settled on Section 
21, Ohio Township, where he lived till 1873, 
when he moved to the village of Ohio, where 
he now resides. He owns 230 acres in Ohio 
Township, also an interest in 390 acres in 
Missouri, and residence with other property 
in Ohio Village. In politics Mr. R. was for- 
merly a Whig, and is now Republican. He 
is a member of the Methodist Protestant 
Church. 

J. D. REYNOLDS, Indiantown, was born 
November 25, 1827, in Hadley, Hampshire 
Co., Mass. His parents, Thomas and Mary 
(Dickinson) Reynolds, were both natives of 
Massachusetts, where they died, the former in 
1834 and the latter in July, 1874, aged eigh- 
ty-six years. They reared the following chil- 
dren: Elizabeth, deceased; Thomas, a resi- 
dent of Hadley, Mass.; Frederick, deceased; 
Mrs. Charlotte Baker, of Hartford, Conn. ; 
John D., our subject, and Charles William, 
deceased. The progenitor of the Reynolds 
family in America came from England in an 
early day. Our subject was educated in his 
native town and is a well-read man. He has 
made farming his occupation in life. In the 
spring of 1856 Mr. Reynolds came to Bureau 
County, where he raised one crop and that 
fall brought his family from Belchertown, 
Mass., to this county. He resided in Macon 
Township till December, 1860, when he re- 
moved to Buda, where he lived two years and 
then came to Indiantown Township, where he 
now resides and owns a farm of 160 acres in 
Section 6. Mr. Reynolds keeps himself well- 
informed on all political matters both local 
and general and is identified with the Repub- 
lican party. He was married April 16, 1851, 
in Belchertown, Mass., to Mary J. Hannum, 
who was born December 17, 1827, in the 
above place. Her parents were Stiles and 
Lydia (Miller) Hannum, natives of Massa- 
chusetts. To Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds five 
children who are now living were born, viz. : 
Frederick A., George A., Mrs. Nellie B. Wil- 
kinson, Milton E., Frank E. Two other chil- 
dren — Charley and Lizzie — died in infancy. 
Religiously Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds are active 
members of the Congregational Church at 
Buda, 111. 

P. C. RHEA, Neponset, was born May 
16, 1828, in Washington County, Virginia. 



His father, Joseph C. Rhea, was born in the 
above place. He was a blacksmith by occu- 
pation. In 1833 he removed to Bartholomew 
County, Ind. There he followed his trade 
and also farmed. He was a good member of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and died 
there in 1836. The grandfather of our sub- 
ject, Joseph Rhea, was a native of Ireland, 
but it is supposed of Scotch descent. He 
was a weaver by occupation and came to the 
United States in early life, settling in Wash- 
ington County, Penn., where he died. His 
wife, Margaret (McCormic) Rhea, was also a 
native of Ireland, but died in Virginia. They 
reared ten children, viz. : Thomas, William, 
John, James, Robert H., George G. , Joseph 
C, Mrs. Peggy Spraggins, Mrs. Catharine 
Blackinmaker and Jennie Rhea. The mother 
of our subject, Mary (Catron) Rhea, was a 
native of Washington County, Va. She died 
in Bureau County, 111. She was a daughter 
of Philip and Elizabeth (Spraker) Catron, na- 
tives of Germany. They died in Washington 
County, Va. Their children were: Mrs. 
Peba Daniels, Stofel, Mrs. Betsey De Bush, 
Frank, Christley, John and Mrs. Mary Rhea, 
who was the mother of three children, viz. : 
Philip C, our subject, James and Mrs. Mar- 
garet E. Sharp. Our subject was educated in 
Washington County, Va ; there he learned 
and followed the blacksmith's trade. He came 
here in the fall of 1861, and has farmed here 
successfully ever since. He owns 200 acres 
of land in this county. He was married in 
the fall of 1862 to Eliza E. Parks, born Octo- 
ber 1, 1837, in Washington (/ounty, Va. She 
is a daughter of Granville and Nancy (Mc- 
Kee) Parks, natives of Virginia. Granville 
Parks, one of our most respected citizens, is 
yet liviug in Neponset Township, to which 
he came in 1854. His wife died January 31, 
1875. She was the mother of ten children, 
viz. : Robert B., Eliza J., Sarah A.. William 
A., John R. , Joseph B., Bethia, James M. 
(deceased), David O. and Clifford C. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Rhea three children were born, viz. : 
Joseph C, born November 25, 1864; Marga- 
ret E., born August 10, 1868, and Nancy C, 
born December 14, 1870. Mrs. Rhea is a 
member of the Baptist Church. He is a Re- 
publican and an I. O. O. F. 

DR. GEORGE IDEN RICE. Lamoille. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



633 



The genealogy of the Rice family in America 
is as follows: The progenitor of the family 
as far as known is Edward Rice, an Irish 
gentleman, whose sou Edward Rice, Jr., 
emigrated from the parish of Killman, 
County Tyrone, Baroay of Dunganon, Ire 
land, in the year 1736. He came to America 
and settled in Bucks County, Penn., where 
he was among the earliest pioneers, and 
reared a family of eight childreo. Of these, 
Joseph Rice was born on tlie old homestead 
where he died. He married Letitia Hartley, 
a native of North Wales, who was the mother 
of four children, viz. : William, Catharine, 
Letitia aud Joseph Rice, Jr. The latter was 
a farmer by occupation, and died there in 
June, 1863. He was married to Julia Iden, 
also a native of Pennsylvania, where she 
died in June, 1861. She was of Welsh 1 
descent, and a daughter of George and Han- 
nah (Folk) Iden, who were the parents of 
eight children, viz : Anna, Joho, Thomas, 
Greenfield, Jacob, Elizabeth, Paulina and 
Julia. Mrs. Julia Rice was the mother of 
four children, viz.: Joseph G., William H, 
George Iden, our subject, and Lewis C, who 
is also a physician. Oar subject entered a 
printing office at the age of fourteen, where 
he remained till he was nineteea years old, 
and then attended William McLean's school 
in Salem, Ohio, for two years, after which he 
taught school.' In 1856 he entered the Penn- 
sylvania Medical College at Philadelphia, 
where he graduated in 1S5S, and located in 
Morrisville, Penn. When the war clouds 
gathered Dr. Rice was not inactive, and ten- 
dered his services to his country. He re- 
ceived a commission as Assistant Surgeon, 
and was appointed to the Third Regiment of 
Pennsylvania Reserve Veteran Corps. In 
March, 1863, he was sent to the Nashville [ 
Hospital, No. 1, where he labored till Sep- 
tember, 1864. In October of the same year 
he came to Arlington, 111., and in 1870 
located in Lamoille, where he now enjoys 
the confidence and patronage of the people. 
Dr. Rice was married to Miss Julia M. New- 
port, a daughter of Nathan and Elizabeth 
Newport and a native of Belmont County, 
Ohio. She is the mother of the following 
children: Mrs. EUulia E. Morrisson, Ger- 
trude C, George I. and John Rice (deceased). 



Dr. and Mrs. Rice are members of the Con- 
arregational Church. Their ancestors were 
Quakers. He is identified with the Repub- 
lican party, and is a Master Mason of the 
A. F. & A. M. fraternity. 

O. D. RICHARDS, Wyanet, was born in 
Erie County, N. Y., April 4, 1819. He is 
the son of John M. and Mary (Foy) Rich- 
ards, both natives of Vermont. His father 
was born September 10, 1788, and died in 
Whiteside County, 111., November 6, 1867. 
His mother was born June 10, 1793, and 
died May 26, 1821, when our subject was 
only two years old. The Richards family 
originally came from Wales and settled near 
Boscawen, N. H. , at a very early date. John 
M. Richards was a soldier in the war of 1812. 
Our subject spent most of his life previous 
to 1844 in Cattaraugus County, N. Y. When 
his parents first settled there, together with 
two other families, their nearest neighbor 
was ten miles away, and they experienced all 
the privations incident to pioneer life. In 
1844 Mr. Richards went to Kendall County, 
where he remained two years, then moved to 
DuPage County, and afterward to Prophets- 
town, Whiteside County, twenty-five miles 
from the nearest market. Sterling. In 1864 
he bought his present farm of 110 acres, and 
has resided on it since 1865. October 1, 
1844, he was married, in Kendall County, 
111., to Mercy Bullock, who was born 
March 9, 1821. She is the daughter of Jesse 
and Annis (Rodman) Bullock. They made 
their home in western New York, though 
they were natives of the eastern part of the 
State. Jesse Bullock was born January 22, 
1783, in Delaware County; he died Septem- 
ber 14, 1842. His wife was born in Colum- 
bia County, February 22, 1789, and died 
January, 1864. Mr. and Mrs. Richards have 
four children living, viz.: Aras O. (born 
October 28, 1849; he lives in What Cheer, 
Keokuk Co., Iowa), Hester (wife of Perry 
Allen, of ^lanowa. 111., born December 26, 
1852), Ansel D. (born October 28, 1860, lives 
at home), Fanny A. (born July 2, 1863, at 
home). Four children died when small. 
Mr. Richards is a Republican, and for six- 
teen years was Justice of the Peace in 
Whiteside County. For many years he has 
been a member of the church, first of the 



634 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Methodist Protestant, but in later years of 
the Congregational. 

WILLIAM RILEY, the pioneer of Min- 
eral, was born July 30, 1824, in Licking 
County, Ohio. His parents, Paul and Eliza- 
beth (Laughrey) Riley, were native of Penn- 
sylvania. They farmed many years in Ohio. 
In 1835 they immigrated to Concord Town- 
ship, Bureau Co., 111., where Sheffield now 
stands. At that time Bureau County was a 
mere wilderness, scarcely vacated by the red 
man of the woods. They eventually removed 
to Mineral Township, where both died. They 
were both members of the United Brethren 
Church, and reared twelve children, viz.: 
Mary (deceased), Susan, Ellen (deceased), 
William and James (twins), Rachel, Sylva- 
nian, Elizabeth and Margaret (also twins), 
Cyrus. Emma and Perry. Mr. Riley came 
to Bureau County with his parents. In 
1842, shortly after he was married, he re- 
moved to Mineral Township, where he now 
resides. He has been a successful farmer, 
and now owns 331 acres of land He is the 
founder of the village of Mineral, and was the 
first station agent, which position he tills to 
the present day. Mr. Riley was married in 
the spring of 1842 to Eveline Baker, a daugh- 
ter of Andrew Baker, and a native of Ten- 
nessee. This union was blessed with eight 
children, viz. : Mary, Ellen (deceased), James, 
Charles, Jane (deceased), Wilson, John and 
Frank. Mi-, and Mrs. Riley are both mem- 
bers of the church. Politically he is a strong 
Republican. 

JOSEPH RILEY, Bureau, was born in 
Garrett County, Md., September 24, 1834. 
His father, Stephen Riley, was of Irish 
descent, though the family had lived in 
Maryland for generations. His wife, Cath- 
erine (Whetstone) Riley, was of German 
descent, but was born in Garret County, 
Md., where she is yet living. Her husband 
died there. They were the parents of eight 
children, six of whom are living, our subject 
.being the only one in Bureau County. Joseph 
Riley was reared on a farm, and educated in 
the schools of Garrett County. Soon after 
reaching his majority he went into the west- 
ern part of Virginia, and for five years 
worked for a Baltimore company getting out 
ship lumber, barrel staves, etc. June, 1861, 



he entered the army in the Second Virginia 
Infantry, and served for two years, and was 
then changed to the Fifth Virginia Cavalry, 
and served one year. During his service of 
three years he did not receive a wound, 
although he was in many engagements — at 
Huntersville, second battle of Bull Run, 
etc. He was mustered out at Wheeling, W. 
Va., in June, 1864. In the fall of 1864 
Mr. Riley came to McLean County, 111., but 
a year later returned to Virginia and worked 
for the Baltimore company. In 1866 he 
came to Bureau County, III., and has since 
been engaged in farming. He now owns 
160 acres in northeast Section 13, Bureau 
Township. He was married, in this county, 
December 31, 1868, to Miss Huldah Codding- 
ton, a native of Garrett County, Md. Her 
father, Jonathan Coddington, was born in 
Maryland in 1799, and came to Bureau 
County in 1853, residing here until his death 
in 1879. His wife, Rebecca Frantz, was 
born in Pennsylvania in 1811, and is living 
on the old homestead in Bureau Township. 
Of their five children, four are residents of 
this county, viz. : Mrs. Elizabeth Shugart, 
John W. Coddington, Mrs. Huldah Riley, 
Sarah A. Coddington. Asa F. is in Nebraska. 
Mr. and Mrs. Riley have five children, viz. : 
William C, John H., Cora May, Bertha D., 
James G. In politics Mr. Riley has been a 
stanch Republican since the breaking out of 
the war. He and wife are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. 

HARRY C. ROBERTS, Princeton, was 
born November 6. 1851, in Peru, LaSalle 
Co., 111. He is a son of Abraham Roberts, 
born December 7, 1804, in Waterford, Ire- 
land. He came to the United States in 1833, 
and for some years lived in Pittsburgh, 
Penn. In 1836 he went to Vicksburg, Miss., 
where he lived till, 1842, when he went to 
St. Louis, Mo After a three years' residence 
in the latter place he went to Peoria, 111., and 
in 1848 came to Dover, Bureau Co., 111., 
where he kept a general store, having fol- 
lowed the mercantile career most of his life. 
He died May 2, 1869. His father, John 
Roberts, was also a native of Ireland, where 
he was an attorney by profession. The 
mother of our subject was Elizabeth (Zear- 
ing) Roberts. She was born August 20, 1822, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



635 



in Shiremantown, Penn., and died February 
23, 1882, in Princeton, 111. She was a 
daughter of Martin Zearing, deceased (see 
sketch). She reared four children, of whom 
Harry C. and his sister, Mrs. Lizzie Colton, 
are now living. Harry C. was educated at 
the Dover Academy. In early life he clerked 
three years in Foster's book store, and then 
went to Ackley, Iowa, where he was a book- 
keeper in a bank for eight months. He then 
returned to this place, May 27, 1872, and 
began clerking in the First National Bank, 
with which he has been connected ever since. 
August 26, 1875, he became Assistant Cashier, 
and on January 9, 1877, he was elected Cashier. 
Mr. Roberts was joined in matrimony, May 
16, 1878, in Philadelphia, Penn., to Miss 
Emma Steckel, born September 13, 1852, in 
New York City. Her parents, Solomon and 
Emeline (Heinley) Steckel, are both natives 
of Pennsylvania. Her father was a merchant 
by occupation. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts are 
active workers in the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, of which he is a member, and is 
Superintendent of the Sundaj'-school. He 
is an A. F. & A. M., Princeton Lodge, No. 
587, of which he has been Secretary three 
years, and is now J. W. In politics he is a 
Republican. His father was a strong Aboli- 
tionist, although at one time he owned slaves. 
DR. F. C. ROBINSON. Wyanet. Millard 
Robinson, grandfather of the above-named 
gentleman, was born November 13, 1792, and 
his wife Electa (Grimes) Robinson was born 
May 28, 1795. Both were of Scotch descent 
and were natives of Edinbiirg, Saratoga Co., 
N. Y. They early settled on a farm in Pom- 
pey, Onondaga Co., N. Y., rearing a family 
of fifteen children, eight boys and seven 
girls, thirteen of whom survived them. Mr. 
Robinson died August 19, 1867, and his wife 
October 9, 1863. Nathaniel Robinson, sec- 
ond son of Millard Robinson, was born in 
LaFayette, Onondaga Co., N. Y., February 
26, 1813, and now resides at Paw Paw, Lee 
Co., 111. His wife, Dorcas (Wallace) Robin- 
son, was born in Fabius, Onondaga Co., N. 
Y., August 24, 1817, and died at Paw Paw, 
Lee Co., 111., February 24, 1883, cherished 
in the memories of her children and the com- 
munity where she had lived, for her many 
deeds of Christian kindness, love and benefi- 



cence. Her father, Elijah Wallace, was born 
in Vermont April 23, 1781, and died in Pom- 
pey, N. Y., December 25, 1866. He was a 
descendant of Sir William Wallace, of Scot- 
land, and for forty-live years had resided on 
the farm where he died. His wife, Dorcas 
(Burdick) Wallace, was born January 21, 
1781, and died September 22, 1822. Fer- 
nando Cortez Robinson, son of Nathaniel and 
Dorcas Robinson, was born in Pompey, 
Onondaga Co., N. Y., January 9, 1837. He 
was the oldest son in a family of eight, and 
has two brothers and two sisters living. Hen- 
ry and George are farmers in Dakota, and 
Sarah Anna a milliner in Wyanet. Seven 
years of the Doctor's childhood were spent 
in Pompey, and seven in Otisco, N. Y. His 
father's farm was on the west shore of Otisco 
Lake, and near by was the old schoolhouse 
where he first learned to read. When he was 
fourteen years old his parents moved upon a 
dairy farm in Tully, where he lived four 
years. He received his education in the 
academies of Onondaga and Cortland and at 
East Paw Paw Seminary, De Kalb Co., HI. At 
the age of sixteen he taught his first school 
in Cardiff, N. Y., (where the Cardiff giant 
was found and exhibited as a specimen of 
ancient art till the fraud was discovered). In 
March, 1855, he came to Paw Paw Grove, Lee 
Co., 111., and during the next three years 
worked on a farm or at the carpenter's trade 
in summer, and taught school in the winter 
at Paw Paw and at Four Mile Grove, LaSalle 
County. In the spring of 1858 he rode 
through Bureau County on horseback to 
Galesburg and thence to Canton, Fulton Coun- 
ty, where he was engaged in teaching for two 
years, one term in a select school, assisted by 
'W. H. Haskell, School Commissioner, and 
President of State Teachers' Association. 
Dr. Robinson commenced the study of medi- 
cine in 1860, reading in the office of Dr. J. 
W. Edwards in Mendota, and attending three 
courses of lectures in Rush Medical College, 
(Jhicago, graduating February 23, 1863. He 
then settled in Wyanet for the practice of 
medicine and now resides there, enjoying the 
confidence and respect of the community. 
In 1865 he became a member of Wyanet 
Lodge, No. 231, A. F. & A. M., was three 
years Master and several years Secretary. 



636 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



In polities he is a standi Republican and 
has voted for every Republican President 
since the party was organized. He has held 
corporation and town offices and in 1880 was 
elected Coroner of Bureau County. July 
15, 1865, he was married to Mary E. Hall. 
She was born near St Clairsville, Belmont 
Co., Ohio, December 29, 1846, and came to 
Wyanet with her widowed mother March 4, 
1861. Her father, Jacob Hall, was of En- 
glish descent, and born at Village Green, 
Chester Co., Penn., April 3, 1814, and died 
at St. Clairsville, Ohio, October 8, 1855. He 
was a Quaker in religious belief, well-edu- 
cated, a successful merchant, and high officer 
in the Masonic fraternity. The farm where 
he was born has been in the Hall family 156 
years, and the manor house where his nephew 
resides was built more than 100 years ago. 
Margaret Hall, wife of Jacob Hall, was bom 
in Belmont County, Ohio, October 3, 1813, 
and now resides with her eldest son, James. 
Her sons Hibbert and Jesse were born April 
17, 1843, the former a blacksmith in Centra- 
lia, the latter a wagon-maker in Wheeling, 
W. Va. Lambert, the youngest, was born in 
St. Clairsville, Ohio, February 24, 1851, and 
is a guard in the Illinois State Penitentiary 
at Joliet. Dr. and Mrs. Robinson have two 
children: Henry H. was born in Wyanet 
April 29, 1866, and at this date, June, 1884, 
has just completed his junior year in Mon- 
mouth College, taking firstclass honors; Amy 
A. was born in Wyanet September 25, 1868. 

J. H. ROBINSON, Indiantown, was born 
November 14, 1817, in Licking County, Ohio. 
His father, Martin Robinson, was born 
December 2, 1792, in Virginia, and when a 
young man went to Ohio with his father, 
Stephen Robinson, also a native of Virginia. 
In Ohio he farmed till 1845, when he came 
to Morgan County, 111., and the next year 
settled in Concord Township, Bureau County, 
where he died February 25, 1852. He was 
married to Christina Hass, who was born 
November 10, 1791, in Virginia. Her father, 
John Hass, was of German descent. She was 
the mother of the foUowirig children: John H. 
Robinson, Mrs. Sarah Johnson and Harrison 
Robinson. She died June 11, 1876. Our sub- 
ject came West in the fall of 1844. He stayed 
in Missouri till the foUowingMarch.then went 



to Wisconsin and then to Cass and Morgan 
Counties, 111., then through Indiana to Ohio, 
returning to Illinois in October, accompanied 
by his parents. He was married here April 
15, 1847, to Hannah Zink, born March 4, 
1825, in Pennsylvania. She is a daughter 
of Samuel and Catharine (Hanawalt) Zink, 
natives of Pennsylvania. The latter is yet 
living among her children, a wide awake, 
intelligent woman, aged ninety-five years, 
born August 26, 1789. The number of her 
descendants is 122, including great-grand- 
children. Mrs. Hannah Robinson is the 
mother of eight children now living, viz.: 
Mrs. Cliristina K. Howland, Mrs. Mary S. 
Scheottler, Mrs. Lucy J. Homey, Samuel S., 
Owen J., Emma S., Abraham L., Christ C. 
Mr. Robinson has filled township offices, 
being connected with the Republican party. 
At present he resides in Indiantown Town- 
ship, where he has a farm of 190 acres. 

J. H. ROBINSON, Princeton, was bom 
November 6, 1846, in Bureau County. He 
is a son of Joseph Robinson, a native of 
Pennsylvania. He came to this county in 
1834, and settled in Berlin Township. Ho 
was married in 1841, to Jemimah A. Britt, a 
native of Bureau County. Her father was 
Obadiah Britt. Mr. Joseph Robinson died 
in this county. He was a farmer by occu- 
pation, and was the father of the following 
children, viz. : Martha J., wife of Peter 
Nevious; Mary A., wife of Jacob Fisher; 
James H., our subject, and Ella. After the 
death of Joseph Robinson his widow mar- 
ried Isaac N. Montgomery, May 9, 1854. 
This union was blessed with the following 
children: Lenora, Janetta C. and Theodore 
J. (deceased). Our subject worked on a farm 
till he was eighteen years old, and then 
obeyed the call of his country to protect the 
stars and stripes, and enlisted February 22, 
1864, in the Thirty-fourth Regiment of 
Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was always 
ready to do his duty in camp as well as on 
the battle-field, suffering all the hardships of 
a soldier's life. He participated in the 
battles of Rockyface and Resaca, Ga. At 
the latter place he was wounded, and lost his 
left arm in the defense of his country. He 
was honorably discharged December 22, 1864. 
After the war our subject sought to gain a 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



637 



better education, and went to Mount Vernon, 
Iowa, ^vhere he studied nearly one year, and 
after he returned to Bureau County he taught 
seven terms of school. He served three terms 
as Town Clerk of Walnut Township, where 
he also served one year as Collector and 
twelve years as Constable. In the winter of 
1881-82 he was elected and served as Door- 
keeper in the House of Eepresentatives of 
the Thirty second General Assembly. In 
November, 1882, he was elected Sheriff of 
Bureau County, which office he at present 
tills. He was married July 2, 1870, to Miss 
Sarah A. Kimmell, born October 25, 1852, a 
daughter of Amos and Nancy (Hummell) 
Kimmell. Mrs. Robinson is the mother of 
three children, viz. : Joseph, born February 
26, 1873; Ettie and Nettie, who are twins, 
were born March 4, 1875. Mr. Robinson is 
a strong supporter of the Republican party, 
and a member of the G. A. R. Mrs. Rob- 
inson's father, Amos Kimmell, was born May 
15, 1813. He was married January 15, 1837, 
to Nancy Hummell, who was born February 
10,1815. Shedied January 14, 1862. She 
was the mother of fourteen children, of whom 
a number are yet living in this county: 
Oliver P., Catharine, Hannah, Elizabeth, 
Kisia, Margaret, Mary C, Alden A., Hattie 
E., William B., Joseph H., Marshall M. and 
Sarah A. (who are twins), and Louisa. 

JOHN S. ROBINSON, Macon, was born 
in Somerset County, Me., April 11, 1828. 
He is the son of Josiah and Hannah C. 
(French) Robinson. The mother was reared 
in Cornville, Me., and the father was born 
in Hallowell, Me., but both died in Corn- 
ville, she in 1850, and he in 1856. They 
were the parents of four children, viz.: John 
S. ; Richard J., who resided on the old home- 
stead in Maine; Mrs. Judith A. McDaniel, 
widow of C. C. McDaniel, of Cornville, 
Me., and George H. , a resident of Illinois. 
In early life John S. Robinson lived on the 
farm, and received such an education as the 
common schools then afforded, after which 
he attended Bloomiield Academy for three 
terms. Before leaving his native State, his 
occupation was that of a farmer and lumber- 
man, working either in the woods, on the 
river or in the ship-yards. In 1852 he came 
to Bureau County, 111., and bought land in 



Macim Township, but afterward went into 
the lumber regions of Minnesota, Wisconsin 
and Michigan, and did not locate perma- 
nently in Bureau County till 1855, since 
which time he has resided on his present 
farm and engaged in farming and stock- 
raising. His farm now contains 406 acres of 
land; but Mr. Robinson has accumulated his 
jjroperty since coming to this cpunty. In 
1857 he was united in marriage to Miss 
Rosilla Bigelow. She was also born in Som- 
erset County, Me., April 13, 1834, but came 
to French Grove, in this county, in October, 
1852, her father, A. Bigelow, having come 
the year previous. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson 
have three children, viz.: Lottie May, wife 
Charles Norton, of Neponset, Arthur M. 
and ;R. W., both on the; farm. Ai-thur is 
married to Miss E. C. Aldrich. The parents 
of Mrs. Robinson, A. and Rebecca (Bray) 
Bigelow, were both natives of Maine, he 
being reared at the foot of Mt. Bigelow. 
Both died in this county, he September, 
1859, and she February, 1882. They were 
the parents of seven children, five of whom 
yet survive. Only Mrs. Robinson resides in 
this county. Mr. Robinson is an active 
member of the Democratic party. 

S. F. ROBINSON, Princeton, was born 
May 13, 1823, in Willianistown, Orange 
Co., Vt. He is a son of David Robinson, 
who was born June 10, 1782, in Vermont, and 
died July 17, 1863, in Bureau County, 111., 
to which he had come in 1835, settling on a 
farm east of Princeton. He was a soldier 
in the war of 1812, and was at Detroit when 
Gen. Hull surrendered. The mother of our 
subject was Lenda (Farnsworth) Robinson, a 
native of Vermont, where she was born Jan- 
uary 10, 1795. She is yet living, as are also 
five of her younger brothers. She is a daugh- 
ter of Thomas Farnsworth, of English ex- 
traction, whose great-grandfather came over 
to this country in the "Mayflower." Thomas 
Farnsworth was born in Connecticut; he was 
a farmer by occupation and died in New York 
State aged eighty-four years. He married 
DemuB Ladd, who died in Alden, Erie Co., 
N. Y., aged nearly ninety-four years. She 
was a daughter of Lemuel Ladd, who was of 
Scotch descent and a soldier in the Revolu- 
tionary war. Mrs. Lenda (Farnsworth) Rob- 



638 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



inson reared nine children, viz. : Mrs. Elvira 
Sherwin; George, now a resident of Colora- 
do; Solomon F., our subject; David, a resi- 
dent of Chicago; Mrs. Laura Smith; Mrs. 
Eliza D. Baker, who died in California; Mrs. 
Ellen R. Thompson; Prentis J., a resident of 
Montana Territory, and Thomas M., a resi- 
dent of Colorado. Our subject received a 
limited^education partly in the East and part- 
ly in Bureau County, 111., to which he came 
with his parents. Here he farmed till the 
spring of 1865, when he removed to Prince- 
ton. He was married September 3, 1879, to 
Sarah A. Norton, who was born April 27, 
1839, in Cummington, Mass., where she was 
an efficient teacher for many years. She died 
September 15, 1883, in the prime of her life. 
She had the faculty of making and retaining 
many friends, who will ever revere her mem- 
ory. She was a daughter of Warner and 
Esther (Narramore) Norton, both natives of 
Massachusetts and farmers by occupation. 
Both died in Cummington, Mass. Mr. Rob- 
inson was Marshal of Princeton for two 
years, and Constable for about nine years. 
His mother is living with him. In political 
matters he has been identilied with the Dem- 
ocratic party. 

W. H. ROBINSON, Princeton, born May 
28, 1856, in Bureau County, III. He is a 
son of William Robinson, M. D , ^\ho was a 
native of Pennsylvania. He was educated 
in the East and practiced his profession in 
this county, where he was also a druggist. 
He died August 24, 1881. His parents were 
John and Eleanor Robinson, of Lancaster 
County, Penn. Dr. Robinson was the father 
of the following childi-en: John H, Ameri- 
ca V. (deceased), James M., Eleanor L. and 
William Helmer, our subject. The mother 
of our subject was Sarah (Zearing) Robinson. 
She was married May 4, 1845. She is a 
daughter of Henry and Maria E. (Rupp) 
Zearing, both of German descent. The Rupp 
family is a very old family, but the Zearing 
family is still older. Henry Zearing was a 
great-grandson of Ludwig I., who was a na- 
tive of Baden, Germany, from which he em- 
igrated about 1725, settling in Pennsylvania. 
More in regard to the family appears else- 
where. Our subject was educated in this 
county, where he has followed the occupation 



of a farmer for the last five years. He was 
married May 1, 1879, to Miss Belle Booth, 
who was born here February 12, 1859. She 
is a daughter of Hiram and Caroline (Ho.i- 
mer) Booth, ))oth natives of Massachusetts 
and yet living in this county, to which they 
came in 1853. The parents of Mrs. Booth 
are Luther and Abiah Hosmer. Two chil- 
dren are the result of this union, viz. : Edna, 
born September 14, 1880, and Ava, born Oc- 
tober 23, 1882. Mr. Robinson is identified 
with the Democratic party. 

H. G. ROSINE, Lamoille, is a native of 
Hanover, Germany, where he was born Au- 
gust 10, 1854. His parents, John and Mary 
(Brunell) Rosine, were natives of Hanover, 
where the father is yet a large and well- 
known merchant. The mother died there in 
1877. She reared a family of live childreu, 
viz.: John Rosine, Mrs. Mary Blanck, Mrs. 
Lizzie Rewinkel, William Rosine and Henry 
G. Rosine, our subject. He received his 
primary education in Hanover, and then 
attended the University of Goettingen two 
years. After this he came to the United 
States, landing in New York. From there 
he went to Chicago, where he lived about 
one year and made himself more familiar 
with the English language. From Chicago 
he went to Morrison, III., where he clerked 
five years, and then came to Lamoille, where 
he clerked three years for A. E. Porter & Co. 
About this time he, in partnership with two 
other men, bought out the old firm, but since 
August 8, 1881, he has been sole proprietor 
and conducts the largest general store in the 
town to the entire satisfaction of his numer- 
ous patrons, who realize that he always keeps 
choice goods. Thus has this enterprising 
young Hanoverian, step by step, risen in 
the world. Mr. Rosine was married, 1882, 
to Emma A. Williams, who was born here 
October 14, 1862. She is the mother of 
Myron Howard Rosine, born April 2, 1883. 
Her parents are Onam and Mary A. (Mills) 
Williams. Mr. Rosine made a trip to Europe 
in 1867, returning the following spring. 
Politically he is a Republican. 

ANDREW ROSS, Ohio, was born in Tus- 
carawas County, Ohio, May 28, 1823, and is 
the son of Rev. William and Jane Ross. 
(See sketch of James Ross.) Mr. Ross lived 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



639 



on a farm in his native county and State till 
1845, when he came to this county and set- 
tled in Ohio Township, and is the oldest set- 
tler in the township, with one exception, 
that of Mrs. Bearnard Kirk, formerly Miss 
Melvina Abbott. Mr. Ross entered the 
land on which he settled and which is 
now a pai-t of the home farm. October 
20, 1846, he married Hannah Randall, 
the daughter of William and Rebecca Ran- 
dall, of Ohio. Mr. Randall was a soldier in 
the war of 1812. Hannah Randall was born 
January 5, 1825, in Indiana, and came to 
this county immediately following her mar- 
riage, where she died August 25, 1856. In 
1857, January 18, Mr. Ross married his 
present wife. Miss Selina Ireland, the daugh- 
ter of Jonathan and Eliza Ireland, of Vir- 
ginia. Mrs. Ross was born February 8, 
1822, in Harrison County, Va., and came to 
this county with her parents in 1834. The 
mother died in 1860. The father, Jonathan 
Ireland, died in 1873. Of the lirst marriage 
there is a family of five children, all now 
living: George R. Ross, born August 23, 
1847, a merchant in Ohio, 111. ; Sarah J. 
Ross, born May 27, 1849, now Mrs. W. S. 
Mayhall, of Ohio, 111.; Margaret 0. Ross, 
born March 18, 1851, now Mrs. Milton Mat- 
son, of Ohio, 111. ; Mary A. Ross, born De- 
cember 29, 1852. now Mrs. John Walter, of 
Ohio, 111. : Joseph A. Ross, born February 
15, 1855, farmer and stock-raiser, at Cook- 
ville, Woodson Co., Kan. Of the second 
marriage there is a family of four children, 
three of whom are now living: Franklin F. 
Ross, born December 28, 1857, farmer, Ohio, 
111. ; Hannah E. Ross, born April 24, 1859, 
Ohio, 111.; Campbell Ross, born May 11, 
1862, died in infancy; Juliet Ross, born 
January 10, 1864, Ohio. Mr. Ross occupies 
a prominent place in the settlement and or- 
ganization of his township and in the church 
and political history of this county. He 
was the first class-leader of the Methodist 
Protestant Church established at Limerick, 
and is now an ordained Elder in the Church 
of Christ. In politics Mr. Ross is Kepub- 
lican, and during the late war, without wait- 
ing the result of a draft, he hired a man to 
go into the ranks of his country, though 
himself not subject to conscription at that 



time. Mr. Ross owns 360 acres of land in 
Ohio Township, and eighty acres in Dover, 
with 3,020 acres in Allen and Woodson 
Counties, Kan., and 260 acres in Sack 
County, Iowa; also property in the village of 
Ohio. Mr. R. is an extensive farmer aad 
stock-raiser, and has one of the largest barns 
in Bureau Countv. 

JACOB ROSS, Princeton, was born in 
Somerset, Somerset Co., Penn., October 12, 
1809. He is the son of William and Jane 
Whitaker Ross. The father was a native of 
Ii'eland, but the mother was born in Penn- 
sylvania. In 1816 they removed to Tuscar- 
awas County, Ohio. They came to Bureau 
County, 111., in 1851, and died here. When 
first settling in Ohio Mr. Ross selected the ' 
place where he would make his home, and 
unloaded his goods at the roots of a large 
tree. He then began erecting a shelter, 
which consisted of four posts set in the 
ground, and so arranged that a covering of 
loose boards could be put on — this sufficed 
till the cabin could be built. Under such 
circumstances was the youth of our subject 
spent, and, as is the case with boys reared on 
the frontier, with but poor advantages for a 
school education, but he did learn the lesson 
of self-reliance. In 1849 Mr. Ross came to 
Bureau County, and began to improve a new 
farm. He had bought two land warrants for 
$133 each, and Bogota half section of land very 
cheap. He remained on the farm till March 
17, 1873, since which time he has resided in 
Princeton, but still retains 200 acres of his 
original farm. In March, 1832, he was mar- 
ried in Ohio to Mrs. Jemima (Butt) Baker, 
a native of Ohio. She died October, 1866. 
She was the mother of eight children, viz. : 
William B. , of Lyon County, Kan. (his twin 
brother, Joseph W., died at the age of sev- 
enteen); George W., of Pottawatomie Coun- 
ty, Iowa; James P., of Lyon County, Kan.; 
Frank, of Page County, Iowa; David M., 
deceased; Mary J., wife of Isaac Kurtz, of 
Walnut, 111., and Jacob K., also of Walnut. 
March, 1867, Mr. Rosa was married to Mrs. 
Jane Pritchard, a sister of the first Mrs. Ross, 
and the widow of Dr. Reason Pritchard. She 
had previously been widowed by the death of 
her first husband, John Casebeer, by whom 
she has three children, viz.: Rev. Jacob B. 



640 



HISTORY or BUREAU COUNTY. 



Casebeer, minister in the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, of Marshall, Iowa; John R. 
Casebeer, of Pope County, Iowa, and Martha, 
wife of G. W. Ross, of Pottawatomie Coun- 
ty, Iowa. By her second husband she has 
one son, viz. : Dr. Harvey Pritchard, a phy- 
sician of Des Moines, Iowa. Mr Ross is a 
member of the Methodist Protestant Church, 
and in politics is identified with the Repub- 
lican party. 

JAMES ROSS, Ohio, was born February 
22, 1808, at Somerset, Penn., and is the son 
of Rev. William Ross, who was born in An- 
trim County, Ireland, November 1, 1767, and 
immigrated to America in 1803. About 1807 
he married Jane Whitaker, who was born in 
this country July 4, 1785, and they settled 
in Somerset, Penn., where the subject of this 
sketch was born and resided till he was nine 
years of age. He removed with his parents 
to Tuscarawas County, Ohio, in 1817, where 
he resided till 1851, when he came to this 
county. February 27, 1831, James Ross 
married Margaret Butt, who was born in 
Tuscarawas County, Ohio, December 9, 1812, 
and is the daughter of William and Mary 
Butt. Of this marriage there is a family of 
thirteen children, nine of whom are now liv- 
ing, viz.: Elijah Ross, Limerick, 111., born 
June 23, 1832; Mrs. Sarah A. Mulvane, 
Topeka, Kan., born May 5, 1833; Mrs. Mary 
J. Ogan, Limerick, 111., born November 10, 
1835; Jemima Ross, born November 10, 
1837, died September 6, 1846; William P. 
Ross, born November 21, 1839, died August 
28, 1844; Rachel Ross, born December 25, 
1841, died August 29, 1844; Joel D. Ross, 
Limerick, 111., born December 1, 1843, and 
served in the late war of the Rebellion, en- 
listed August 13, 1862, in Company I, 
Twelfth Illinois Infantry, and served till 
May. 1865; Mrs. Elmira Mulvane, Limerick, 
111, born June 23, 1846; Mrs. Martha E. 
Kasbeer, Altona, Iowa, born July 17, 1848; 
James W. Ross, Princeton, 111., born April 
19, 1850; Mrs. Margaret R. Remsburg, born 
March 23, 1852, died January 15, 1882; Mrs. 
Ama W. Matson, Limerick, 111., born July 
19, 1854; Abigail Ross, born April 16, 
1856, at home. Mr. Ross' grandfather on 
the mother's side (Joseph Whitaker) came to 
this country in the English service during 



the Revolutionary war, but subsequently de- 
serted the English ranks during an engage- 
ment, and joined the Continental forces. 
Thus, by his own voluntary act he forfeited 
all right which he might otherwise have had 
as an heir to his father's vast estate and 
wealth in England. Mr. Ross is a Repub- 
lican, and a member of the Methodist 
Protestant Church. He oMms 669 acres of 
land in Ohio and Dover Townships, and is a 
thrifty farmer and stock-raiser. 

REV. WILLIAM ROSS, Ohio, was born 
November 24,1814, in Somerset Coun ty, Penn., 
and is the sod of Rev. William and Jane Ross, 
who came to this county in 1851. (For history 
of parents see sketch of James Ross.) The sub- 
ject of this sketch was raised on a farm in Ohio, 
and at the age of twenty was licensed to preach 
in the Methodist Protestant Church, and two 
years later was ordained as a minister of 
the Gospel. He remained in Ohio, Virginia 
and Pennsylvania, traveling a portion of the 
time, till May, 1852, when he came to this 
county, and settled in Ohio Township, on 
Section 30. June 22, 1841, Mr. Ross mar- 
ried Mary Davis, the daughter of James and 
Elizabeth Davis, of Jefferson County, Ohio. 
She was born June 22, 1820. The father 
was born December 15, 1772, and served in 
the war of 1812, and participated in the bat- 
tle of Tippecanoe, under Gen. Han'ison. He 
died March 29, 1856. The mother died May 
21, 1852. Mr. and Mrs. Ross are the parents 
of six children, three of whom are now living: 
Mrs. Elizabeth J. Burns, was born April 18, 
1842, is the widow of the late Rev. John 
Burns, who died July 27, 1882, Piano, 111.; 
John C, lorn December 7, 1844, died Oc- 
tober 11, 1859; Sarah C. , born November 
15, 1846, died February 23, 1850; James W., 
born June 5, 1855, Princeton, 111. ; Charles 
S., born January 23, 1858, died Mav 3, 
1858; Florence V., born Decembet 3, 1860, 
teacher in public schools. Piano, 111. After 
coming to this county Mr. Ross engaged in 
farming and frequently preached to the set- 
tlers of his locality till 1863, when he re- 
moved to Princeton, 111., and afterward 
lived in various parts of this State. In 1874 
he removed to Ohio Village, where he now 
resides as Postmaster of the town, which 
position he has held for the past seven years. 



BIOGKAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



641 



HENRY RUDIGER, Manlius, was born 
in the south part of Prussia, ]\Iay 11, 1826. 
He was reared on a farm, and remained there 
till entering the Prussian Army in 1847, where 
he served for nearly four years, and was a 
soldier during the revolution of 1848. After 
returning from the army he remained at 
home till 1853, when he came to America 
and settled in Bureau County. For about three 
years he worked in the brick-yards at Prince- 
ton. In 1856 he began farming in Bureau 
Township, but in the spring of 1866 he came 
to his present farm in Section 1, Manlius 
Township. He owns 386 acres in Sections 1 
and 2, in this town. Mr. Rudiger has been 
very successful in business. He gives most 
of his attention to the stock business. In 
1856 he was married, at Princeton, to Eliza- 
beth Trum. She is a native of Bavaria, and is 
the mother of the following children: An- 
drew, married to Mary Hechtner; Mary, wife of 
Andrew Jurgeson, of Wyanet; Kate, wife 
of Mat Follett, of Bureau Town; Henry, 
George, William, Lizzie, Horace, Fred, 
John aud Caroline. In politics Mr. Rudiger 
is Democratic. He and wife are members of 
the Presbyterian Church of Princeton. 

W. H. RULE, Neponset, was born December 
19, 1859, in Bureau County, 111. His parents, 
John and Jane (Hume) Rule, are natives of 
Scotland. They came to the United States 
about 1852, and settled in Stark County, 111. 
Eventually the family removed to Neponset 
Township in Bureau County, where they now 
reside on Section 31, where they have 240 
acres of land. They formerly lived on Sec- 
tion 32. Mr. and Mrs. John Rule are wor- 
thy members of society, and are the parents 
of ten children, viz. : Alexander, Mrs. Jane 
Armstrong, Mrs. Mary Boardman, Mrs. Char- 
lotte Wright, James, William, John H, Katie, 
Walter H. and Thomas. Our subject, Wal. 
ter H. Rule, was educated in Stark and Bu- 
reau Counties, 111., and is a wide-awake 
young farmer, ever willing to fulfill his obli- 
gations. He was married December 27, 1883, 
to Miss Ellen Turnbull, who was born March 
25, 1859. Her parents are James and Ann 
(Mathesoc) Turnbull, natives of Scotland. 

E. C. RUSSELL, Neponset, was born De. 
cember 11, 1838, in Marion County, Ohio; a 
son of James Russell, a native of Ohio, where 



he was born in 1808. He died in 1862 in Bu- 
reau County. He was a farmer by occupa- 
tion, and took a deep interest and was an 
active member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. The grandfather of our subject, 
James Russell, Sr., was also a farmer, and 
died in southern Indiana. The mother of 
our subject, Harriet (Pittenger) Russell, was 
born in 1809 in Pennsylvania. She died here 
May 1, 1883. She was the mother of eleven 
children. Of these only Elnathan C. (our 
subject), Mrs. Sarah A. Vanvactor and Ste- 
phen S. are now living. William. Mrs. 
Elizabeth Ledbetter, Samuel, Marietta and 
Harriet E. reached maturity, but died here. 
Our subject came to this county with his 
parents in 1856. He was educated principal- 
ly in the district schools of his native State. 
In Bureau County he has followed farming, 
and at present owns a good farm of 160 acres. 
Here he was married November 15, 1861, to 
Margaret Fellows, who was born July 3, 
1841. She is a daughter of Philip and Eliz- 
abeth (Weatherwax) Fellows. Mrs. Russell 
is the mother of three children who are now 
living, viz. : William C, born September 26, 
1867; Jessie V., born February 6, 1871, and 
Mattie L,, born July 25, 1874. Mr. Russell 
and lady are advocates of true hospitality. 
Politically he is identified with the Repub- 
lican party. 

S. S. RUSSELL, Neponset, subject of the 
following sketch, was born April 28, 1850, 
in Marshall County, Ind. He is a son of 
James and Harriet (Pittenger) Russell (see 
preceding sketch). Our subject was educated 
in Bureau County, to which he came wifh his 
parents. He is one of our most wide-awake, 
thrifty farmers, and owns a farm of 160 acres. 
He was married here January 4, 1877, to 
Miss Eliza E. Gould, who was born July 8, 
1856, in Neponset Township. Her father, 
Abraham Gould, is a native of England. This 
union has been blessed with one child — Ward 
Russell- -who was born September 30, 1879. 
Politically Mr. Russell is a supporter of the 
Republican party. 

GEORGE SADLER, Neponset, subject of 
the following sketch, was born April 7, 1834, 
in Leavening, Yorkshire, England. His par- 
ents, William and Hannah (Bois) Sadler, 
came from England in 1853. They settled 



642 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



in Kewanee. 111., where they died. Our sub- 
ject was educated in England. He came to 
Kewanee in 1855. The next year he came 
to Neponset Township, where he has farmed 
ever since, owning eighty acres of land near 
Neponset. He was married September 17, 
1867, to Mary A. Norton, born November 12, 
1844, in Canada. She is a daughter of 
Thomas and Frances (Walker) Norton. She 
is the mother of three children, viz. : Fred- 
erick N, born June 18, 1868; Elsie E., born 
September 8, 1871; and Ida M. , born Sep- 
tember 9, 1875. Mr. Sadler is a Repub- 
lican and one of our patriots of the late war. 
He enlisted in the fall of 1862 in Company 
H of the Ninety-third Regiment Illinois Vol- 
unteer Infantry, and served till the close of 
the war. He was most of the time on de- 
tached duty as provost guard at Gen. Smith's 
headquarters. 

S. P. SALMON, Princeton, was born Janu- 
ary 8, 1830, in Morris County, N. J. His 
father, John S. Salmon, was also a native of 
New Jersey, and was born in the same house 
as his son, S. P. Salmon. He came to Bureau 
County, 111., in the fall of 1853, and was 
accompanied by his family. Here he has 
been engaged successfully as a farmer and is 
yet living in Princeton. His parents were 
William and Dorothy (Stephens) Salmon, who 
were natives of New Jersey. The mother of 
our subject was Mary Caroline (Hartley) Sal- 
mon, who was born in New Jersey. She died 
in Bureau County. Her parents were Hugh 
and Sarah (Potter) Bartley. Mr. Salmon has 
one brother, Harlan P. Salmon, who is also 
living in this county. Our subject was educat- 
ed in New Jersey, where he was also married, 
April 3, 1851, to Angeline Salmon, who was 
born April 5, 1831, in Morris County, N. J. 
Her parents, Joshua and Jane (Bodyne) Sal- 
mon, have four children, viz.: Nelson, Clar- 
inda, Angeline and Almira. Mrs. Angeline 
Salmon is the mother of two children, viz. : 
Jonathan B., born August 19, 1853, and Ser- 
ing J., who was born August 20, 1864. The 
oldest son is married to Ella Blackler. They 
have one son, Sering P. Salmon. Mr. and 
Mrs. S. P. Salmon and children are members 
of the Presbyterian Church of Princeton. He 
came to this county in the fall of 1858, and 
has been successfully engaged in farming 



ever since. He resided twelve years in Selby 
Township, and while there served satisfacto- 
rily as Supervisor and Assessor. Politically 
Mr. Salmon is a Democrat. 

H. P. SALMON, Princeton, was born July 
20, 1843, in Morris County, N. J. His par- 
ents were John S. and Mary C. (Bartley) Sal- 
mon. Mr. Salmon was principally educated 
in Bureau County, to which he came with his 
parents in 1853. Here he has devoted his atten- 
tion to farming, and at present owns a fine 
farm of 246i acres. He was united in marriage 
December 15, 1869, in his native county, to 
Miss Sarah Elizabeth Stephens, who was born 
Mayl9, 1845, in Morris County, N. J. She is 
the daughter of George W. and Elizabeth 
(Budd) Stephens, who were farmers and na- 
tives of New Jersey. This marriage resulted 
in the following children, viz. : George W., who 
was born September 11, 1871 ; Oliver H., born 
August 8, 1874; Mary C, born March 30, 
1880; and Ebon S., who was born December 
28, 1883. Mr. and Mrs. Salmon are active 
members of the Presbyterian Church. He has 
been very successful as a farmer. Politically 
Mr. Salmon is not identified with any partic- 
ular party, rather independent, aiming to 
vote for principle instead of party. 

G. H. SAMPSON, Princeton, was born 
March 19, 1835, in Woodstock, Vt. He is an 
only son, as were also his father and grand- 
father. The latter, George Sampson, was a 
native of Massachusetts. He was a land 
owner, and dui-ing the Revolutionary war 
served as a Musician in the Colonial Army. 
He died in 1841, in Vermont, aged eighty- 
two years. His son, George W. Sampson, 
was a native of Vermont, where he died in 
1870, aged seventy-four years. He married 
Roxalana Hyde, a native of Randolph, Vt. ; 
she died in the latter State in February, 
1836. Our subject came to the State of Illi- 
nois in 1854. He was married December 
24, 1862, in Chicago, 111., to Miss Jane E. 
Cumins, a native of Vermont and a daughter 
of Solon Cumins. At present Mr. Sampson is 
Secretary of the I. M. B. S., with headquar 
ters in Princeton. Politically he is identified 
with the Democratic party. 

ANDREW SAPP, Wyanet, was born in 
Kent County, Del., November 11, 1834, and 
came with his parents to Bureau County in 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



643 



1842, settling in Wyanet Township. His 
father, Hezekiah Sapp, resided here until 
1874, when he moved to Iowa, where he now 
resides. His wife, Mary Jane Bosket, died 
in this county in 1846. She was the mother 
of six children: Andrew; Elizabeth, wife of 
Nathan Harrington; Major, of Hancock 
County, Iowa; Unity, wife of M. Pierce; 
Sinia, wife of Welcome Mowry; Mary Jane, 
of Kansas. Mr. Sapp also has a half-brother 
and sister, Hezekiah and Amelia. Our sub- 
ject was reared in this county, and at the age 
of twenty began working for himself, attend- 
ing school after that time. His occupation 
was that of farming until 1865, when he re- 
moved to Wyanet, and has since made that 
village his home. For a number of years he 
was engaged in buying grain and stock at 
Wyanet, and at the same time carried on his 
farming. He has been very successful in 
business, and now owns 1,217 acres of land 
in Wyanet and Bureau Townships. Mr. 
Sapp was married in Wyanet Township April 
6, 1858, to Ann Eliza Ziegler, who was born 
in Pennsylvania in 1833. She is the daugh- 
ter of Joseph Ziegler, who now lives with 
her; her mother died when Mrs. Sapp was a 
child. Mr. and Mrs. Sapp have two children: 
William E., born June 12, 1859, married to 
Cora Sparks, and lives in Wyanet Township; 
Elmer, born June 15, 1866. In politics Mr. 
Sapp is a firm believer in the principles of 
the Democratic party. 

SOLOMON SAPP, Princeton, was born 
January 4, 1808, in Kent County. Del. He 
is the son of Elijah and Lydia (Cain) Sapp. 
The subject of this sketch was reared on the 
farm and educated in the schools of his na- 
tive county. May 8, 1828, when only twenty 
years of age, he was mai-ried to Miss Marga- 
ret Wilson, who died in January, 1829. 
October 8, 1829, he was married to his second 
wife, Margaret B. White, who lived only till 
January, 1832. She was the mother of one 
son — John W. , who lived to reach manhood. 
He enlisted in the service of his country in 
1862, but in 1863 was taken sick and came 
home and died March 3 of the same year. 
December 20, 1832, Mr. Sapp was again mar- 
ried in his native State to Miss Ann Carter. 
She was reared in the same neighborhood as 
her husband. She is the mother of eight 



children, six of whom yet survive: Henry, 
Elijah, Alfred, Sarah E. (wife of Frank 
Foreman, of Marshall County, Iowa), Ann 
Eliza (wife of Josephus Clark), and Juliet 
(wife of E. K. Mercer). April 27, 1835, 
Mr. Sapp left his native State for the lead 
mines of Illinois. July 6 of the same year 
he arrived in what is now Bureau County, 
and being well pleased with the countrj' he 
decided to buy land and settle here. How- 
ever, in 1836, he removed to Galena, but re- 
mained only about eight months, when he 
returned to his farm in this county, where he 
resided till October 20, 1875, when he re- 
moved to Princeton, where he has since re- 
sided. When first coming to the county Mr. 
Sapp bought 240 acres of land, and, as his 
capital increased, he continued to invest in 
land, until now he owns over 1,000 acres in this 
county. Mr. Sapp has done much to develop 
the farming industry of Bureau County. 
During his long residence in the county he 
has improved over 1,000 acres, and made pro- 
ductive farms where the prairie grass before 
held sway. Not only has he done much to- 
ward improving the material resources of 
the county, but has exerted his influence in 
advancing religion and morality also. In 
early manhood iie had united with the Illeth- 
odist Episcopal Church, and has been an act- 
ive member since. In political matters he 
has ever held to the principles of the Demo- 
cratic party, but not such an adherent but 
what he will vote for the man he considers 
can best fill the position. 

ANTHONY SAWYER, Dover, was born 
January 7, 1814, in Franklin County, Mass. 
The Sawyer family came from England about 
1630, and settled in Worcester County, Mass., 
where they resided for several generations. 
The father of our subject, Oliver Sawyer, 
was born there in 1772, and his wife, Polly 
Wilder, in 1779. About the year 1800 they 
removed to Franklin County, where they 
lived about forty years, afterward going to 
Westminster, Vt. , where they died, the father in 
1859 and the mother about three years previ- 
ous. They were the parents of nine children — 
two sons and seven daughters — all of whom 
are yet living except one daughter, who died 
in 1849. The oldest was born in 1801, 
being now eighty-three years of age. The 



644 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



youngest is sixfcy-six years old; she was for 
twenty-five years a missionary in India, part 
of the time at Ceylon. Our subject was 
reared on a farm, and educated in the com- 
mon schools of Massachusetts. His occupa- 
tion has always been that of farming, except 
that for some years he was a teacher in the 
district schools. In 183S he came to Bureau 
County, and has resided here ever since. His 
farm now contains 290 acres, 200 of which 
he entered in 1848. In politics he has been 
a Republican since the party was first organ- 
ized. January 1, 1849, he was married to 
Mary Warbington, who was born near Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio, in 1820. She is the daughter 
of John Warbington, who removed from 
Ohio to Terre Haute, Ind., and from there to 
Bureau County in 1846 or 1847, and died a 
few years later. His wife died when Mrs. 
Sawyer was a child. The family consisted 
of one son and four daughters. The son died 
in California, but the daughters still survive. 
Mr. and Mrs. Sawyer have three children, 
viz.: John, Mary Lillian (wife of Arthur 
Hussey of Tiskilwa), Cora Elma. 

GUSTAV SCHULTZ, Bm-eau, was born in 
Prussia, January 27, 1830. He was educated 
in the schools of his native country, attend- 
ing till he was fourteen years old. He then 
served an apprenticeship of three years at the 
shoe-maker's trade, and did journey work for 
three years, after which he was in the army 
for three years. His father, Jacob Schultz, 
died in 1853, and his wife, Mary (Goersz) 
Schultz, came to America in 1854 with her 
family, and died in Iowa in 1865. She was 
the mother of six sous and two daughters, all 
of whom, except one daughter, came to 
America and are now living in Poweshiek 
County, Iowa. Gustav Schultz arrived in 
Princeton, 111., the last of May, 1854. In 
1857 he began farming on rented land near 
Princeton, but the following year he went to 
Iowa, where he purchased land, and remained 
for five years. At the end of that time he 
returned to Bureau County and purchased the 
old homestead in Section 36, Bureau Town- 
ship. Three years later he sold out and 
again removed to Iowa, Muscatine County. 
In 1868 he again returned to Bureau County 
and purchased his present farm in Sections 
25 and 26, which contains 240 acres, and he 



has deeded 160 acres to his children. Au- 
gust 6, 1854, he was married at Princeton, to 
Mary Hechtner, sister of John Hechtner (see 
sketch). She was born in Prussia, August 
24, 1831. Mr. and Mrs. Schultz are the 
parents of four children, two of whom are 
living: Frederick, born September 25, 1858, 
in Poweshiek County, Iowa, is now living on 
the old homestead (he married Mary 
Lempke, born in Chicago, February 14, 1859; 
they have two children, viz.: Gustav, born 
March 9, 1882; Fred, born February 25, 
1884); Henrietta, born December 6, 1860, in 
Poweshiek County, Iowa. She married John 
Becker and has three children: Freddie, born 
January 6, 1881; Mary, born September 21, 
1882; John, born June 25, 1884. In poli- 
tics Mr. Schultz is a stanch Democrat. He 
and his son are members of the A. F. & A. M. 
of Wyanet, and he is also a member of 
I. O. O. F. of Princeton. His son-in law is 
also a Mason and member of I. O. O. F. 

JOHN SCOTT, Princeton, was born in 
Harrison County, Ohio, December 15, 1837. 
He is the son of John Scott, a native of 
Pennsylvania, and who in youth and early 
manhood was a book-keeper and master of 
large iron works in Westmoreland County. 
Near middle life he immigrated to Ohio, 
where his wife, our subject's mother, died. 
In 1844 he removed to Bureau County, 111., 
and settled on a farm in Dover Township, 
where he died in 1874. The subject of this 
paragraph remained on the farm till he was 
twenty-one years of age, after which he at- 
tended Knox College for two years. At the 
age of seventeen he had begun reading law 
during his leisure hours at home, and after 
quitting Knox College he went into the ofiSce 
of Judge George W. Stipp, but later read 
with Levi North, Esq., and was admitted to 
the bar by the Supreme Court of Ottawa in 
February, 1866. In 1868 he opened a law 
office in Princeton and has continued to do a 
general law practice here since, being one 
year in partnership with Milton T. Peters. 
In politics Mr. Scott has alwajs been identi- 
fied with the Republican party, and is a 
strong temperance man. He is a member of 
the Knights of Honor, Guardian Lodge, No. 
1123. He was married in Ottawa, 111., to 
Miss Carrie J. Betts, who was born in Dela- 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



645 



ware County, N. Y. , and is the daughter of 
William H. Betts, who came to Ogle County 
in 1855 or 1856, but is now a resident of 
Princeton. Mr. and Mrs. Scott have one 
daughter, viz.: Elsie L. Scott. Mr. Scott 
has been successful in his chosen profes- 
sion, but his success in life has been ob- 
tained through his own exertions, he being 
in every sense a self-made man. More of his 
career as an attorney will be found in the 
chapter on the Bench and Bar, to which the 
reader is refered. 

R. SCOTT, Neponset, was born January 10, 
1825, in Jefferson Co., Ohio. His parents, John 
and Nancy (Crouch) Scott, were natives, he 
of Pennsylvania and she of Maryland. They 
died in Jefferson County, Md. The grand- 
father of our subject was James Scott. Our 
subject did not receive the benefit of an edu- 
cation, six months being all the time he 
speat in a school room, and his desire for 
knowledge is only satisfied by constant read- 
ing. He was reared in Jefferson County. At 
the age of twenty-two years he enlisted in the 
army, and served six months in the Mexican 
war. At the close of the war he returned to 
Ohio and lived five and one-half years in 
Washington County. In 1854 he came West, 
and settled in Stark County, 111., where he 
resided one and one half years, and then re- 
moved to Henry County, where he remained 
one year, and then returned to Stark County, 
and the following year settled on Section 23, 
in Neponset Township, Bureau County, but 
afterward removed to Section 27, where he 
farmed till the spring of 18S3, when he re- 
moved to Neponset, where he now resides. 
Mr. Scott was married in Washington County, 
Ohio, October 30, 1852, to Deborah Dufee, 
who was born March 21, 1835, in Athens 
County, Ohio. She is a daughter of Thomas 
and Sarah (Styles) Dufee. Mrs. Scott is 
the mother of four children, viz. : Melvin O., 
now a resident of Grinnell, Iowa; Sidney 
W., a farmer of Neponset Township; Mrs. 
Laura A. Bennett, and Kosannah J. Finan- 
cially Mr. Scott has been a successful farmer, 
and politically he is an Independent. 

JOHN S. SEARL. Selbv. was born in 
Greene County, Ohio, July 28, 1830. He is 
the son of Brown and Barbara Ann '(Hosier) 
Searl. The father was born in Chemung 



County, N. Y., May 16, 1797. At the age of 
seventeen years he went with his parents to 
Greene County, Ohio, and remained there till 
coming to Bureau County, 111., in 1834. He 
was reared on a farm, and such was his occu- 
pation during life. When moving to this 
county he brought ox and horse teams, and ' 
drove sheep with him from Ohio. He was 
one of five brothers who came to this county. 
His brother Job came with him in 1834. In 
1835 David came, and in 1836 Timothy and 
John Searl also came. The total weight of 
these five brothers after they reached man- 
hood was over 1,000 pounds. When the del- 
egates from Princeton to Hennepin went to 
examine the poll books after the election 
forming Biu'eau County, four of the Searl 
brothers went along with the delegates as 
protectors, and their presence did much to 
keep down the opposition. The Sear! broth- 
ers have all passed away, but left families 
behind, but of their families all have gone 
from this county except a son and daughter 
of John Searl. and the widow and two 
daughters of Timothy Searl (his widow has 
passed her eighty-eighth year), and the widow 
and one son of Brown Searl. When our 
subject's father, Brown Searl, came to the 
county he brought some money with Lim, 
and bought out the claim of John Hall, and 
lived on the same farm till his death, Jan- 
uary 28, 1867. His widow was born near 
Wheeling, Va., January 31, 1799, and is yet 
living. She is a member of the Methodist 
Church, as was also her husband. She is the 
mother of five children, viz. : Timothy, who 
is a farmer in Page County, Iowa; Peter H. , 
a farmer living near Brooklyn, Iowa; John 
S., of this county; Williaai, who is in the 
hotel business in Clarinda, Iowa, and Mrs. 
Malissa Hoskins, wife of Jesse Hoskins, a 
farmer in Page County, Iowa. All are mar- 
ried and have families. Our subject was 
reared on a farm, and was educated in such 
schools as could then be found on the frontier. 
In starting in life for himself he chose the 
occupation he has since followed — that of 
farmer and stock dealer. When married 
he had but little property, but his wife had 
a capital of $800, with which they bought a 
home and made a start, and have been very 
successful in accumulating a good property, as 



646 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



he now owns twenty- three eighties of land, etc. 
Mr. Searl's life has been that of a buainess 
man, but he has taken an active and leading 
part in local politics. He is a stanch Repub- 
lican, and has held nearly all the ofBces in the 
township. He is a member of the Bureau 
Lodge, No. 112, A. F. & A. M. His father 
was a member of the same order, having be 
come a Mason in 1818. August 28, 1851, 
Mr. Searl was united in marriage to Miss 
Amanda Miller, who was born in Greene 
County, Ohio. January 29, 1830. She is the 
daughter of Isaac and Sarah Miller, both of 
whom died in Ohio. Mrs. Searl is the 
mother of nine children living and one de- 
ceased, viz.: William W., Benjamin F., 
Sarah A. (who died at the age of twenty 
years), Mary A., Andrew J., Millard F., Sa- 
mantha J. , Samuel L. , Grant E. and Maria D. 
SEATON FAMILY, Selby. James Sea- 
ton (deceased) was born near Winchester, 
Frederick Co., Va., March 27, 1796. In 
1803 he removed to Louisville, Ky., and 
lived near there until 1835, when he came to 
Bui-eau County, 111 His occupation during 
life was that of farming. His father, Hou- 
sen K. Seaton, was a Revolutionary soldier 
He was reared in this country but was of 
Scotch ancestry. James Seaton was married 
in Jefferson County, Ky., December 16, 1819, 
by Rev. James Ward, to Nancy Wilhoit, who 
was born in old Virginia July 25, 1801. She 
is the daughter of Aaron Wilhoit, of German 
descent. Mrs. Seaton removed with h^r par- 
ents to Kentucky while young, and after 
marriage lived in Oldham County, Ky., till 
1835. Mr. Seaton came to Bureau County 
in the spring of 1835, and bought the claim 
on the southeast quarter of Section 13, in 
Selby Township, of Elisha Isaac. In Octo 
ber, 1335, Mr. Seaton moved his family to his 
farm and resided there until his death, March 
28, 1879, having lived one hour and twenty - 
six minutes over his eighty-third birthday. 
He was known far and near, as he was Post- 
master for many years, and also kept a tavern 
while the stages passed through here. He 
was a liberal contributor toward the building 
of bridges and improvement of roads, and it 
was through his exertions that the road from 
Princeton to Peru was made. Mrs. Seaton is 
still living. They were the parents of the 



following children: William C. , born in 
Jefferson County, Ky., February 7, 1821, was 
married to Melinda Williams December 21, 
1848; he died in Bureau County, January 
11, 1854; Isom W^ilhoit, born in Oldham 
County, Ky., November 19, 1823, has lived 
on the old homestead in Selby Township 
since 1835. His principal occupation has 
been that of farming, but he has now retired 
from active life. He owns 389 acres, besides 
five eighths of the old homestead of 200 
acres. In June, 1880, he engaged in mining, 
owning a coal shaft in partnership with his 
brother, James H. ; Eliza J., born in Oldham 
County, Ky., January 12, 1826, married H. W. 
Munson October 23, 1844, now residing in 
Hall Township; James Henry, born in Old- 
ham County, Ky. , February 2 1 , 1828, married 
Elizabeth A. Harris April 8, 1857, now of 
Hall Township; Sarah C, born in Oldham 
County, Ky., June 12, 1830, married Philip 
R. Porter, June 24, 1856, of Concord Town- 
ship; Mary Ann, born in Oldham County, 
Ky. , September 29, 1832, died in Bureau 
County, September 21, 1849; Martha E., 
born in Oldham County, Ky., April 5, 1835, 
died December 1, 1861, in Bureau County; 
America, born July 4, 1837, in Bureau Coun- 
ty, 111., now living on the old homestead; 
Nancy, born in Bureau County, January 19, 
1840, married William C. Ott, October 15, 
1861, now residing in Hyde Park, III.; Lu- 
cetta, born June 22, 1842, in Bureau County, 
married October 9, 1873, to James F. Lee, of 
Selby Township. 

JAMES H SEATON, Hall, was born Feb. 
ruary 21, 1828, in Oldham County, Ky. He 
is the son of James and Nancy (Wilhoit) 
Seaton. (See sketch of Seaton family.) 
James H. Seaton came to Bureau County 
with his parents in 1835, an 1 has been en- 
gaged in farming most of his life. He first 
boiight a farm of 120 acres, which he im- 
proved and has added to it till he now owns 
600 acres in Selby and Hall Townships. Po- 
litically he is a Democrat. He has filled va- 
rious school and township offices, has been 
Justice of the Peace four years, Assessor, 
Commissioner and Supervisor four terms. 
He was married in this county April 8, 1857, 
to Eliz.abeth A. Harris, a native of New Jer- 
sey, but reared in Ohio. Her parents, Jacob 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



647 



M. and Mary A. (Shurts) Harris, came to this 
county about 1855. Mr. and Mrs. Seaton 
have four children living, viz. : Mrs. Emma 
I. Nelson, of this county; Oliver H., William 
A. and George P. Franklin W. and Nora E. 
died, the former at the age of fourteen, the 
latter two years. 

SOLOMON SEELIG, Princeton, was born 
in west Prussia, December 3, 1845. He is 
the son of Isaac and Bertha (Kuthner) Seelig. 
The father died when our subject was but 
four years of age. The mother yet survives 
and is a resident of Thorn, west Prussia. 
She is the mother of five daughters and three 
sons. Two of her daughters live in Brook- 
lyn, N. Y., one son in Memphis, Term., and 
one in Princeton, 111., but the remainder still 
live in Germany. In 1866 Mr. Seelig came 
to America, and for three months remained 
in New York City. From there he went to 
Quincy, 111., but six months later came to 
Princeton and has since resided here. For 
nine years he clerked in one store, which 
he afterward owned. He then was engaged in 
the sewing-machine business for one year. In 
1877 he bought a stock of merchandise and 
did a successful business till, July 24, 1884, 
he sold his stock of goods to Swan, Linn & 
Co. Mr. Seelig came to this county without 
any capital whatever and he has been suc- 
cessful in business, but not without his 
reverses, for he lost heavily diu'ing the hard 
times of 1876 and 1877. May 24, 1874, he 
was married to Miss Lizzie Barks, who was 
born in Germany, October, 1855. She came 
to America with her parents when young. They 
remained in Canada for about a year and 
then came to Princeton, 111. Her father, C. 
F. Barks, by profession is a music teacher, 
but is also engaged in farming. He now 
resides in Marysville, Kan., where his wife 
died in February, 1883. Mr. and Mrs See- 
lig have one son — Arthur — born June 29, 
1877. While on a visit to Scotland, Ger- 
many, etc., in 1882, Mr. Seelig joined the 
Kennengate Lodge, No. 5, A. F. & A. M., of 
Leith, Scotland. He is a member of the 
Bureau Lodge, No. 428, I. O. O. F., also of 
the Bureau Encampment, No. 86. He is also 
a member of the Knights of Pythias, Beau- 
seant Lodge, No. 19, and Uniform Rank, No. 



8. In politics he holds to the principles of 
the Democratic party. 

J. JACOB SEIBEL (deceased) was born 
November 23, 1816, in Breidenstein Arch- 
duchy, Hesse, Germany. He attended school 
the required number of years, and then as- 
sisted his father on the farm. However, after 
his day's work was done he would walk to the 
adjoining village and attend the drawing 
school. While yet a young man he learned 
engineering and for some time followed that 
business in his native country, but in 1850, 
thinking that he could do better in his busi- 
ness by coming to America, he immigrated to 
this country, but not knowing how to speak 
the English language, he could obtain no 
employment as an engineer. For some time 
he did carpenter work in Ohio, and then at 
St. Louis, but in the same year of his com- 
ing, 1850, went the overland route to Califor- 
nia, where for a year he was a successful 
miner. He then returned to the States via 
the Isthmus. He remained in Pennsylvania 
for a short time, and was there married Febru- 
ary 9, 1852, and immediately came to Btu-eau 
County. He first purchased 160 acres of land 
in Manlius Township, and began its improve- 
ment. His first residence was a rude affair, 
as it was built for a stable, but as soon as was 
possible he erected a more commodious and 
comfortable home. Bureau County has had 
but few men who possessed more energy, or 
a stronger determination to make a success of 
life. His was a mind and body which did 
not think of rest, and while others were 
asleep, he was either at work with his brain 
or hands. During the war, when laborers 
were hard to get, he began inventing and ex- 
perimenting on labor saving machines. He 
purchased an engine and erected shops on his 
farm, and there built machines. He was the 
first to begin building harvesters to carry 
the binders, and made them work success- 
fully on his farm, but it was hard to in- 
troduce new machines, and before this could 
be accomplished, others had patterned after 
him, and reaped the benefit of his thought, 
and so in the enterprise instead of making 
money he lost $30,000 or $40,000, and final- 
ly the engine and machinery were put into 
the Buda Manufacturing Company, and after 



648 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



\ 



the failure of the company the machinery was 
sold, and Mr. Seibel's estate received noth- 
ing. Although in this Mr. Seibel lost money 
yet as a farmer and stock-dealer he made a 
success, and at the time of his death owned 
about 1,600 acres of land in Bureau County. 
March 11, 1880, while on his way to Chicago 
with stock, there was a collision on the rail- 
road at Englewood, and Mr. Seibel and his 
son Frank were both killed by the accident. 
Mr. Seibel's marriage was to Priscilla P. Fol- 
lett, who was born in Susquehanna County, 
Penn., March 4, 1828, and was there reared 
and lived till marriage. She is the mother 
of twelve children, viz.: CeliaK., bornFebru- 
ary 17, 1853, is the wife of George W. 
Briggs, of Glidden, Iowa; George E. , born 
November 5, 1854, married Eva McNaughton; 
Chloe F.. born November 13, 1856; Charles 
H., born October 25, 1858; Fred, born Au- 
gust 6, 1860, died at the age of six months; 
Frank L., born November 21, 1861, killed 
by accident; Mark B. , born November 27, 
1863; Clark J., born October 8, 1865; Her- 
man M. , born August 30, 1867, died at about 
one year of age; P. Max, born April 8, 1869; 
Lilly M., born November 16, 1871, died April 
8, 1875; Carl B., born April 80, 1875. 

CHARLES H. SEIBEL, Manlius, is the 
son of J. Jacob Siebel. He was reared 
and educated in this county. January 5, 
1881, he was married to Susan Osborn, who 
was born in Bureau County, 111., September 
3, 1858, and is the daughter of Joseph and 
Mary Osborn, who have been residents of 
Bureau County for about thirty years, and 
now live in Gold Township. Mr. and Mrs. 
Seibel have two daughters, viz.: Cordelia 
Maud, born November 10, 1881, and Lilly 
May, born December 22, 1882. Although a 
young man, Mr. Seibel has made rapid strides 
as a successful farmer and stock- dealer. He 
now owns in this and Gold Townships 313 
acres. He gives most of his attention to 
stock-raising, and now owns two splendid 
Clydesdale horses: Royal Stamp, imported 
August 17, 1882, by Lawton Webb Bros., 
and purchased by Mr. Seibel March 2, 1883, 
and Jock O'Hazeldean, which he purchased 
April 30, 1884, of Ezra Stetson & Sons, im- 
porters. Mr. Seibel has the pedigree of each 
with the Government seal attached. In poli- 



tics Mr. Seibel is identified with the Repub- 
lican party. 

R. W. SHARP, Buda, was born in Abing- 
don, Washington Co., Va., October 14, 1858. 
He is the son of William C. and Nancy R. 
(Kelley) Sharp, both of whom were born in 
Washington County, Va. , and he died there 
in 1869, at the age of fifty-four years. The 
mother yet survives, and lives in her native 
county, at the age of sixty- four years. She 
has seven sons and three daughters now living, 
and three of the sons are dentists, in Illinois, 
viz.: S. J., of Kewanee, J. W., of Toulon, 
and our subject. R. W. Sharp was reared 
OQ a farm, and was educated in Emory and 
Henry College, of Washington County, Va. 
In 1877 he removed to Kewanee, 111., aud 
I studied dentistry with his brother and for 
some time was in partnership with him. In 
March, 1881, they established a dental oflice 
in Buda, but in the August following our 
subject purchased his brother's interest, and 
has since conducted the business alone, and 
with success. In January, 1883, he was 
united in marriage to Miss Lucy Hamner, 
who was born and reared in this county. She 
is the daughter of W. and Josephine (Emer- 
son) Hamner. The father was a native of 
Virginia, and died in this county; the mother 
was born in Massachusetts, and is now a resi- 
dent of Buda. In politics Dr. Sharp is iden- 
tified with the Republican party. 

CHARLES C. SHEPARD, Buda, son of 
Jeremiah Shepard, was born in Kendall 
County, 111., December 14, 1858. In 1867 
he moved with his parents to Aurora, HI., 
where his father still resides. He attended 
school there until 1874, when he entered the 
employ of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 
Railroad, in the mechanical department. In 
1878 was made Chief Clerk of that depart- 
ment, and in 1879 was employed in the Gen- 
eral Manager's ofBee in Chicago. In 1880 he 
became Chief Clerk to the Superintendent of 
the Chicago division of the Chicago, Burling- 
ton & Quincy at Aurora. In April, 1881, he 
came to Buda as business manager for George 
F. Chalender & Co., of the Buda Foundry & 
Manufacturing Company, and in January, 
1882, was made a partner in the business, 
and when the company was incorporated was 
made Secretary and Treasurer. He is also 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



649 



Superintendent, and has absolute control of 
the business. Mr. Shepard was married, 
November 8, 1882, to Miss Virginia, young- 
est daughter of Dr. Abner Hard, of Aurora, 111. 

ALBERT SHIFFLET, Ohio, was born 
April 21, 1826, in Rockingham County, Va. 
He is the son of Garland and Peacha Shiif- 
let, of Virginia, who removed to Ohio at an 
early day, and came from there to this county 
in 1844. They settled in Dover Township, 
where they remained three years, when they 
removed south of Princeton and lived several 
years. Afterward a part of the family removed 
to the Doolittle settlement, where the father 
died in 1863. The mother died in Ohio 
Township, at the home of the subject of this 
sketch, May 21, 1879. In 1850 Mr. Shifflet 
began the improvement of a farm in Ohio 
Township, Section 33, where he remained 
till 1865, when he removed to his present 
home on Sections 21 and 22. In 1856, June 
29, he married Ellen Hansel, the daughter of 
John and Rachel Hensel, of Ohio. She was 
born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, April 15, 
1835. The father was born iu Pennsylvania 
in 1800, and died in Ohio in 1870. The 
mother was born in Pennsylvania, in 1801, 
and died in Ohio, September 22, 1855. 
Mrs. ShifSet's grandfather, Frederick Hen- 
sel, was a soldier in the war of 1812, and 
died in a hospital, Mr. Shifflet' s grand- 
father was a soldier of the Revolution. Mr. 
and Mrs. Shifflet are the parents of nine chil- 
dren, six of whom are now living: William 
C, born July 13, 1857, died July 15, 1857; 
Dell M. J., horn September 4, 1858; John 
A., born March 27, 1860; Mary M., born Sep- 
tember 21, 1861; Edson G., born May 9, 
1863, died December 28, 1863; Asher W., 
born June 26, 1866; Ella L., born February 
1, 1869; Jessie M., born October 18, 1872; 
infant son, born December 16, 1874, died an 
infant. Mary M. was married November 25, 
1880, Ohio, 111., to William F. Inks. They 
have one son. John A. was married May 
13, 1884, to Nettie Whitver. He is a 
hardware dealer in Ohio, HI. Mr. Shifflet 
owns 253 acres in Ohio Township. Is a 
Republican. 

NELSON SHIFFLET, Ohio, was born 
July 23, 1823, in Rockingham County, Va., 
and is the son of Garland and Peacha Shifflet. 



The father was born in Rockingham County, 
Va., in 1799, and died in this county in 1863. 
The mother was born in Rockingham County, 
Va., in 1808, and died in this county. 
They were the parents of twelve chil- 
dren. The subject of this sketch was raised 
on a farm in his native State until he came 
to this county with his parents at the age of 
nineteen, and settled on the farm at present 
owned by James Wilson, of Dover Township. 
Subsequently the family moved southeast of 
Princeton, where the father died. March 
27, 1850, Mr. Shifflet married Mary R. Hunt, 
the daughter of Abel and Mary Hunt, former- 
ly from Massachusetts. Mrs. Shifflet died 
February 18, 1865. In 1851 Mr. Shifflet 
moved to Ohio Township and settled on his 
present home farm of 160 acres. Of the 
above marriage is a family of seven children, 
four of whom are living, namely: William 
M., born June 6, 1851, now living at Mal- 
com, Iowa; Albert F., born February 
15, 1853 (is now living at Malcom, 
Iowa); JIda P. (now Mrs. A. L. Jones) 
Van Orin. 111., was born March 26, 1856; 
Harry E., born October 6, 1864; Hannah R., 
died in 1866 aged six years; Clementine 
died in infancy. In July 9, 1865. Mr. 
Shifflet was married to Eliza Ogden, daugh- 
ter of Samuel and Tamar Ogden. The 
father was from Virginia, the mother from 
Pennsylvania. The father died February 
27, 1843, age forty-three. The mother is 
still living and is past eighty. Of this last 
marriage there was a family of two children: 
The first died in infancy; Hattie T. was 
born March 6, 1870. Mr. Shifflet was for- 
merly a Whig, and is now a Republican. 
Owns 160 acres in Ohio Township, and 185 
acres all improved, in Powesheik County, 
Iowa. Mrs. Shifflet's grandfather, Samuel 
Ogden, was a soldier in the Revolutionary 
war. Her grandfather on the mother's side, 
Francis Johnston, was in the war of 1812. 
Mr. Shifflet's grandfather, John Self, was a 
soldier of the Revolution and also of the war 
of 1812. Mr. Shifflet's parentage on the 
father's side is French, and his grandfather, 
Richard Shifflet, was a soldier in the French 
and English war, while his uncle, on the 
mother's side — John Self — was in the war of 
1812. 



650 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



REUBEN SHILTS, Ohio, was born May 
21,1852, in Kane County, III., and is the 
son of Michael and Agnes Shilts, who came 
to this country from Germany in 1851. The 
father was born in Germany in 1816, and 
died in Ford County, III., February 12, 1884. 
The mother was born in Germany in 1827, 
and died in Ford County, III., February 19, 
1875. Michael and Agnes Shilts were the 
parents of eight children, all living, viz. : 
John and Joseph live in Ford Coiinty, 111. ; 
Reuben, our subject. Limerick, 111.: Mary, 
wife of Robert Underwood, Ford County, 
111.; Frank, Milan, Ford Co., 111.; Matthew, 
Maggie and Katie, Ford County, 111. The 
parents came to this county in 1858, and 
settled in Westfield Township, residiug there 
till they went to Ford County in 1868, where 
they lived till they died. The subject of this 
sketch lived in Ford County four years; the 
remainder of the time he has lived in this 
county since 1858. In 1874, December 24, 
he married Sybil E. Lakin, who was born in 
this county October 5, 1854, and is the 
daughter of Henry and Mary Lakin. The 
father was born November 5, 1804, in Maine, 
and died in this county October 20, 1870. 
The mother was born in England, October 13, 
1822, where she married her first husband, 
John Rodwell, by whom she had three chil- 
dren: Mary J., widow of John Stanard; 
John, of Oakland, Iowa, and Thomas, of 
Arlington, 111. Of the second marriage there 
is a family of seven children, five living: 
Josiah Lakin, Neosho Falls, Kan. ; Lemuel, 
Marshalltown, Mo.; Sybil, subject's wife; 
Henry, Arlington, 111. ; Frank E., of 
Iowa; Mary E., died July 25, 1865, and Ly- 
man, died April 15, 1873. The mother died 
in this county April 26, 1882. Mr. and Mrs. 
Shilts are the parents of three children: 
Charles H., born March 6, 1876; Frank J., 
December 11, 1877, and Clarence R., Febru- 
ary 23. 1880. In January, 1882, Mr. Shilts 
bought a farm of 132 acres on Section 34, 
Ohio Township, on which he now resides. 
In politics Mr. Shilts is a Democrat. 

MARK SHIRK, Walnut, was born in Lan- 
caster County, Penn., March 8, 1816. His 
father, David Shirk, was also a native of 
Lancaster County, Penn., born March 13, 
1781, and died November 17, 1861. His 



wife, Susannah Mark, was born in Lebanon 
County, Penn., April 14, 1783, and died De- 
cember 12, 1837. They were the parents of 
ten children, only three of whom are now 
living. Mark Shirk learned the trade of har- 
ness-making in his native State, and followed 
that business in Lancaster and Lebanon 
Counties for about fifteen years. In the 
spring of 1852 he removed to Peru, 111., and 
the following spring to Walnut Township, 
where he has since resided. He settled on 
the raw prairie, when there were but few 
settlers in the township, and gave his atten- 
tion to farming until 1882, when he removed 
to Walnut Village, and retired from active 
life. He still retains his old homestead of 
240 acres. Mr. Shirk was married in Penn- 
sylvania to Rebecca Sheetz, a daughter of 
Peter Sheetz. She was born in Lancaster 
County, Penn., in 1815, and died in this 
county December 17, 1854. She was the 
mother of six children, viz.: Edwin, born 
December 7, 1840, enlisted in Company I, 
Twelfth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infan- 
try, died at Corinth, June 5, 1863; Charles 
J., born August 12, 1843, died May 8, 1862; 
Franklin S., born June 18, 1845, a farmer in 
Adair County, Iowa, married to Calista 
Hodges; Thomas, born August 1, 1847, died 
in infancy; Emma R., born July 3, 1852, 
wife of William Conklin, of Greenfield, Iowa; 
Rebecca, born December 17, 1854, died Jan- 
uary 30, 1855. Mr. Shirk was again married 
September 20, 1856, to Mary M. Kingsley, 
born in Kane County, 111., May 15, 1836. 
Her father, John M. Kingsley, was born at 
Becket, Mass., September 18, 1799, and died 
at Bed Rock, Kane County, 111., September 
21, 1839. His wife, Annis Avery, was born 
in Paris, Oneida Co., N. Y., January 9, 1801, 
and died February 20, 1884, in Poweshiek 
County, Iowa. Mrs. Shirk is the mother of 
six children, viz.: Melora C, born July 10, 
1857, married to Stiles Pierce, of W^hiteside 
County, 111. ; James B., born May 17, 1859, 
a farmer in this county, married to Ida Bur- 
ress; Mark E., born September 19, 1861, a 
farmer in this county; Mary E., born Sep- 
tember 11, 1863; George A., born November 
20, 1865, died September 18, 1866, and Ida, 
born January 10, 1879. In politics Mr. 
Shirk has always been a Democrat, and has 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



651 



held various township offices. He and his 
wife are members of the Christian Church. 

JOHN SHUGART, Princeton, was born 
May 31, 1824, in Bedford County, Penn. 
His father, John Shugart, Sr. , was born and 
reared in Pennsylvania, where he kept tavern 
for many years; afterward he engaged in the 
mercantile business. In 1840 he went to 
Ashland County, Ohio, where he farmed till 
1850, when he came to Bureau County, 111., 
where he died. His grandfather was Eli 
Shugart, who entered the Colonial army and 
fought through the Revolutionary war. He 
was at the battle of Bunker Hill and numer- 
ous other battles, also at the surrender of 
Yorktown. He eventually attained the rank 
of Lieutenant, and at one time was ordered 
with his company to burn five flouring-mills, 
stored with floiu', on the bank of a river, 
which were about to fall into the hands of 
the enemy; he accomplished it, although the 
British bullets were flying thick, but it was 
a sad task and much regretted by him as the 
provisions were much needed by the Ameri- 
cans. After the war Eli Shugart settled in 
Chester County, Penn., where he served many 
years as Sheriff; afterward he moved to Fay- 
etteville, Penn., where he died. The mother 
of our subject was Mary Elizabeth (Reed) 
Shugart. a daiighter of Philip Reed, a native 
of Germany. She was born in Franklin 
County, Penn. ; she died in Chicago while 
visiting in that city. She was the mother of 
thirteen children, of whom ten reached ma- 
turity, viz.: Philip R. , John, our subject, 
Joseph, a physician, Washington, Zachariah, 
Eli, Jacob H., Mrs. Phoebe Harrison, Mrs. 
Elizabeth Enyart and Mrs. Mary Crossley 
(deceased), former wife of Dr. George Cross- 
ley, Jr. (deceased.) Mr. John Shugart lived 
in Pennsylvania till he was sixteen years old. 
He then lived ten years in Ohio, where he 
learned the mason's trade, and in 1850 came to 
this county. Here he followed his trade two 
years, after which he turned his attention to 
farming, and for a number of years to rais- 
ing blooded stock. When Mr. Shugart first 
came to this county he had only about |200. 
He lirst entered 320 acres of land in Section 
6, in Dover Township, which he traded for 
180 acres where he now resides in Section 5, 
in Princeton Township; to this he has added 



till at present he owns about 500 acres of fine 
land. Oui- subject was joined in matrimony 
February 9, 1853, to Mrs. Frances E. Ed- 
wards, the widow of Noah H. Edwards. She 
was born March 5, 1827, in Ontario County, 
N. Y. Her parents were Luther and Eliza 
(Hogeboom) Denham; the foi-mer was born 
May 12, 1804, in Conway, Mass.; he died 
here September 1, 1856; the latter was born 
July 9, 1806, near New York City; she died 
here November 19, 1854. Their children 
were: Frances E., Cornelius, Oliver, Elizabeth 
A., Luciuda and Butler L. Of these only 
I Mrs. Frances E. Shugart, Cornelius and Oliver 
are now living. To Mr. and Mrs. Shugart three 
children were born, viz. : Frances E. , born 
June 23, 1860 (she married Isaac Philips, a 
banker in Wyanet; they have one child, Mol- 
lie Frances), William R., born May 19, 1866, 
and May Belle, born May 9, 1871. Mr. and 
Mrs. Shugart are active members of the 
Methodist Protestant Church of Princeton. 
He is also an A. F. & A. M. In political 
matters Mr. Shugart is connected with the 
Republican party. His career has been a 
success financially and otherwise, and in the 
evening of life, surrounded by his pleasant 
family, he can take a retrospective look and 
be satisfied with the view. 

GEORGE W. SISLER, Wyanet, was born 
June 9, 1814, in Lycoming County, Penn. 
He is a son of Louis Sisler, who was a na- 
tive of Pennsylvania. He died in New York. 
He was a tiller of the soil and reared a large 
family. The mother of our subject was 
Margaret (Marsh) Sisler, a native of Penn- 
sylvania. She died in Ohio. She was the 
mother of nine children, six of whom are now 
living. Our subject received a limited school 
education in Pennsylvania and New York. 
Early in life he chose farming as his voca- 
tion. He came to Bureau County in 1839, 
and settled in Princeton Township, where he 
resided about six years, and then bought a 
farm in Wyanet Township, where he now re- 
sides, a part of his farm lying in Princeton 
Township. Mr. Sisler was married twice. 
His first wife was Nancy Perkins, who died in 
1854. She was the mother of five children, 
viz.: Elizabeth, deceased; Margaret, who is 
the wife of Amos Greenamyre; Louis, who 
married Zilpha Triplett; Lucy, who is the 



653 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



wife of Henry Franks, and Mary, deceased. 
Mr. Sisler's second wife, Mary A. Whit- 
marsh, was a native of Massachusetts. She 
died here February 1, 18S2. She was the 
mother of eight children, viz. : Edward, Annie, 
Houston, Nellie, Mason A., Thomas, Henry 
L. and Mary E. Mr. Sisler is a member of 
the Presbyterian Church. In political mat- 
ters he is connected with the Republican 
party. 

M. SKEFFINGTON, Westfield, was born 
December 15, 1837, in Ottawa, Canada. His 
parents, Patrick and Nora (Staokpole) Skeff- 
ington, were natives of Ireland. They were 
married in Canada, where they farmed till 
October 1, 1850, when they came to West- 
field Township, Bureau Co., 111., where they 
died. Here they bought first 160 acres at 
$2.25 per acre, but bought more land after- 
ward. They were the parents of eleven chil- 
dren, viz. : Michael, our subject; Maria; Ann, 
deceased; Peter; Patrick; William, deceased; 
John, deceased; Dennis; Joseph; Frank and 
Martha J. Skeffington. Our subject came to 
this county with his parents. He received 
his education in Canada and Bureau County. 
He has made farming his occupation and has 
now a fine farm of 240 acres, which is well 
improved and on which he has just built the 
finest residence in the township. He was 
married here March 5, 1867, to Elizabeth 
Coakley, a daughter of Cornelius Coakley, 
the old pioneer of Hall Township. She was 
born October 3, 1850, in Hall Township. 
She is the mother of seven children, viz.: 
John, Patrick, Teresa, Elizabeth, Ellen, 
Joseph and James Skeffington. Mr. and 
Mrs. Skeffington are members of the Catholic 
Church at Arlington. Politically Mr. Skeff- 
ington is identified with the Democratic 
party; he has filled school offices and been 
Supervisor five years, filling that office at 
present with tact and ability. 

RICHARD M. SKINNER, Princeton, is a 
native of New Jersey, where he was born April 
13, 1847. He is a son of John C. Skinner, born 
November 11, 1813, in New Jersey. The 
latter came West in 1854, settling in Prince- 
ton Township Bureau Co., 111., where he farmed 
till his death, which occurred April 28, 1877. 
The mother of our subject, Mary (Stephens) 
Skinner, was born November 8, 1815, in 



New Jersey, a daughter of Richard Stephens, 
of English extraction, and is yet living. She 
is the mother of five children, viz, : Sarah S. 
Bacon, Richard M., George S., Mary E. 
Lovejoy and Eliza J. Oar subject received 
his primary education in the common schools 
of this county, graduating in the first class 
of the Princeton High School. As an 
evidence that he had improved his time at 
the high school here, is the fact that he was 
enabled to enter the sophomore class at the 
Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. After one 
year of study there he made up his mind to 
enter the legal profession, and subsequently 
entered the Albany Law School at Albany, 
N. Y., where he graduated and received the 
degree of LL. B. , and was admitted to the 
bar. In the summer of 1872 he returned to 
Princeton, 111., and in the fall of the same 
year was admitted to the bar of Illinois. In 
order to be more able to cope successfully 
with the intricacies of the law he spent the 
following year in reading law. In Septem- 
ber, 1873, he commenced to practice and has 
been doing a general law business ever since. 
At present he is in partnership with his 
brother George S. In 1876 he was elected 
States Attorney by the Republican party, 
serving till 1880. Our subject was joined in 
matrimony June 12, 1878, in Hackettstown, 
N. J., to Miss Mary E. Sharp, born Decem- 
ber 1, 1853, in Drakestown, N. J. She is a 
daughter of John N. and Nancy (McCracken) 
Sharp. Her father is a native of New Jersey 
and a merchant by occupation, Mrs, Mary 
E. Skinner is the mother of two children, 
viz. : DeWitt, born June 20, 1880, and Wal- 
ter R., born July 30, 1882. Mrs. Skinner is 
a member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. 
Skinner has gained for himself an enviable 
reputation as a successful lawyer, and we 
predict that he will gain greater laurels in 
his chosen profession. 

HON. BENJAMIN L. SMITH, Prince- 
ton, was born in western Oneida County, N. 
Y., September 15, 1806. His father, Benja- 
min Smith, a tailor by trade, was born in 
Connecticut, July 18, 1769; immigrated to 
Oneida County, N. Y., in boyhood. He was 
married May 8, 1790, to Miss Abigail Piatt, 
who was born August 10, 1770, in Oneida 
County, N. Y. She was the mother of four 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



653 



sons and four daughters; one died in infancy, 
and the remainder grew to maturity, but all 
are now deceased except one. Abigail 
(Piatt) Smith died June 20. 1805. Novem- 
ber 14, 1805, Benjamin Smith married Miss 
Abigail Lord, who was born in Norwich, 
Conn., March 7, 1775. She was the daugh- 
ter of Benjamin Lord, which was also the 
name of her grandfather and great-grand- 
father. This union was blessed with four 
sons and one daughter, Benjamin L. beirsg 
the oldest; one son died in infancy; Nathan, 
Caroline L. and Edward reached maturity, 
and are now deceased. Benjamin Smith 
died August 11, 1816, and his wife, Abigail 
(Lord) Smith, died May 1, 1833. Benjamin 
L Smith was placed on his uncle's farm at 
the age of twelve years, and worked till the 
spring of 1826, when he was obliged "to seek 
other employment on account of ill-health. 
For the following three and one-half years 
he followed lighter pursuits, and regained 
something of his lost health, and also added 
to his limited education by observation and 
practice. In the autumn of 1829 he engaged 
in the mercantile and lumber business in 
Theresa, N. Y., and in 1833 he with his 
brother Paschal engaged in the manufacture 
of varnishes in New York City. In 1835 his 
impaired health necessitated a change of 
climate, and he arranged for a trip to the 
western wilds. On the 26th of September 
he left Sackett's Harbor and came to Detroit 
by steamboat. There he purchased a French 
pony, and with a buggy, which he had 
shipped from Sackett's Harbor, started on 
his tour through the Western States. He 
traveled through Michigan, into Illinois as 
far as LaSalle County, thence iuto Wiscon- 
sin, and southward through Princeton to the 
southern part of Illinois, and into Missouri. 
Being as well pleased with Princeton and its 
surroundings as any point examined, he re- 
turned, arriving here November 26, 1835. 
A stock of goods purchased before leaving 
Sackett's Harbor was received in December, 
and Mr. Smith opened a store, continuing in 
the business about two years. The follow- 
ing summer he went East, and September 15, 
1836, was joined in marriage to Miss Sarah 
C. Seeley in Malone, Franklin Co., N. Y., 
and the next day the twain started for Prince- 



ton, arriving October 11. Sarah C. Seeley 
was born in Constable, Franklin Co., N. Y., 
March 26, 1816. Her father, Nathan Wheel- 
er Seeley, was born in New Haven, Conn., 
December 22, 1788. He was married in 
Constable, N. Y., April 16, 1815, to Betsey 
Erwin, who was born in Fairhaven, Vt. June 
25, 1796. She was the mother of five sons 
and seven daughters. One son, Alfred Erwin, 
died in childhood, two sons died in infancy, 
and the remaining nine grew to maturity. 
Laura Ann and Clara M. have since died. 
Mr. and Mrs. B. L. Smith are the parents of 
four children: Caroline, the eldest daugh- 
ter, died at the age of four years, four months 
and six days; the eldest son died in infancy; 
Laura A. and Selby L. now reside with their 
parents. Mr. Smith took an active part with 
others in the division of Old Putnam, and 
the creation of Bureau County and location 
of its county seat. In December, 1839, he 
moved with his family to his farm in Selby 
Township and commenced farming. He rep- 
resented Bureau County and part of Stark in 
the General Assembly during the session of 
1844-45. In November, 1849, having been 
elected Clerk of the County Court, he re- 
moved to Princeton and entered upon the 
duties of that office in December, 1849, serv- 
ing until September, 1853, when he resigned. 
He was elected Judge of the County Court, 
and served from December, 1853, until his 
resignation in June, 1855. Since that time 
he has been in feeble health, and has retired 
from active life. 

C L. SMITH, Priticeton, was born January 
10, 1843, in New Berlin,Union Co. , Penn. The 
grandparents of our subject were Philip and 
Betsey Smith. The former was a soldier in the 
Revolutionary war, and participated in the 
battle of Brandywine. They reared six chil- 
dren. Of these, John Smith was the father 
of our subject. He was born in New Berlin, 
Penn. .where he entered a printer's otfice when 
but fourteen years old, and after mastering the 
business edited the Star. In 1848 he re- 
moved to Pekin, 111., where he edited the 
Mirror till 1856, when he went to Toulon, 
Stark County, where he started the Prairie 
Advocate, which was the first paper ever 
published in that county. After four years' 
labor in Toulon he returned to Pekin, where 



654 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



he edited the Republican till 1862. From 
Pekin he went to Hennepin, and there pub- 
lished the Republican till 1863. The same 
year he bought the Bureau County Patriot, 
which he edited till 1870, when he sold out 
and retired from the newspaper business, 
which he had conducted successfully for 
many years. His success was owing largely 
to his thorouErh knowledge of the business, 
which enabled him to do much work himself 
instead of depending upon others. Perhaps 
another reason for his success was that he 
never discussed a subject on the street cor- 
ners which he had handled in his paper. The 
last ten years of his life were devoted to his 
farms. He died August, 1880, in Princeton, 
111. He was married May 28, 1836, to Ce- 
linda Seebold, born 1817 in Union County, 
Penn., a daughter of Philip Seebold, who 
lived to be eighty-four years old. She is yet 
living in Princeton and is the mother of four 
children: Mrs. Cecelia Groudenberg, of Pe- 
kin, 111.; Palmer J., deceased; Charles L., 
our subject, and Mrs. Mary M. Merriman, of 
Toulon, 111. Our subject attended the Tou- 
lon Seminary, but was principally educated 
in his father's printing office. In March, 
lS63, he came to Bureau County with his 
father. In December, 1872, in partnership 
with P. D. Winship, now a prominent phy- 
sician in Marshalltown, Iowa, he bought the 
Bureau County Tribune of H. W. Mesenkop. 
The following year Winship sold out to E. 
K. Mercer, to whom our subject sold out in 
June, 1881. In December, the same year, 
Mr. Smith formed a partnership with G. M. 
Radcliffe, and is now editing the Bureau 
County News. Our subject was married May 
14, 1864, to Charity I. Mercer, born May 14, 
1846, daughter of William Mercer, deceased. 
Four children have blessed this marriage: 
Charles K., Lora, Mertie A. and John E. 
Smith. 

D. H. SMITH, Princeton, was born 
December 2, 1835, in Orwell, Vt. He is the 
son of Joab and Mary D. (Horton) Smith. 
The father was born November 10, 1805, in 
Orwell, Vt. , and has followed the occupation 
of a farmer; he now resides at Brandon, Vt. 
His father's name was also Joab, but he was 
a native of Massachusetts. The mother of 
our subject was born August 11, 1815, and 



was the daughter of Daniel G. Horton, a 
native of Vermont, and a farmer and woolen 
manufacturer by occupation. Mrs. Smith 
died in Brandon, Vt., August 19, 1881. She 
was the mother of three sons, but only one^ — 
Daniel H. — now survives. His early life was 
spent on the farm and in attending the com- 
mon schools i'.nd academies of Orwell. At 
the age of seventeen he was employed in a 
store at Sheldon, Vt. , and remained there 
two years. In 1855 he came to Princeton, 
and for two years clerked in a store, then 
engaged in grain buying at the depot, and 
continued in the same till December, 1859, 
with the exception of a short intermission in 
1858, when he was in Fort Dodge, Iowa, 
engaged in the real estate business. From 
the latter part of December, 1S59, till the 
summer of 1866, Mr. Smith was in Sheldon, 
Vt. , where he was engaged in manufacturing, 
and also in the mercantile business. In the 
fall of 1866 he returned to Bureau County, 
and was soon afterward appointed Deputy 
Circuit Clerk, serving as j)eputy till 1876, 
when he was elected Circuit Clerk of the 
county, which office he has since tilled. May 
27, 1862, in Fairfax, Vt., Mr. Smith was 
united in marriage to Miss Jane M. Hubbell, 
who was born February 13, 1834, in Fairfax, 
Vt. , and is the daughter of Homer E. and 
Maria (Gove) Hubbell, both natives of Ver- 
mont. Mr. Hubbell is an attorney by pro- 
fession, but is retired from active practice. 
Mr. and Mrs. Smith have one son — Louis J. — 
born October 31, 1863, in Sheldon, Vt. 
He is now in the United States Postal Serv- 
ice, and is on the fast through mail train, 
and runs from Chicago to Ottumwa, Iowa. 
Since 1870 Mr. Smith has been extensively 
engaged in loaning money on real estate, he 
being agent for some Eastern capitalists. 
February, 1882, he was elected President of 
the First National Bank of Princeton, in 
which bank he is a large stockholder. 

DANIEL P. SMITH, Ohio. Daniel 
Smith, deceased, father of the gentleman 
whose name heads this sketch, was born 
in Boston, Mass., May 10, 1800. In later 
years he removed to Northampton, Mass., 
where he was engaged in the boot and shoe 
business. He was married in Northampton 
to Electa Pomeroy, born September 15, 1801, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



655 



in that place. In 1831 they immigrated to 
Bureau County, III., coming by water when 
possible and landing at Naples, 111., where 
they stopped for some time, while Mr. Smith 
and Roland Mosely came on and explored this 
county. In July the Smith, Musgrove and 
Mosely families came up the Illinois River 
and landed at Hennepin about August 1. 
Mr. Smith then laid claim to what is now 
the Col. Austin Bryant farm August 8, 
1831, Mr. Smith died and was buried about 
half a mile north of the Princeton depot, 
and is thought to be the first white man bur- 
ied in Bureau County. He had three sons: 
Daniel P., George (deceased), and Dwight, 
who resides in Ohio Township. Mrs. Smith 
is still living and resides with her sons. 
Daniel P. Smith was born in Northampton, 
Mass., June 27, 1824. He came to this 
county with his parents and has resided here 
since 1831, except during the Black Hawk 
war, when they were in the fort one year at 
Hennepin and one year at Florid, in Steward's 
barn. Mr. Smith resided in Princeton Town- 
ship till 1848, when he moved to Ohio Town- 
ship. He attended the first school in the 
county, near the present home of M. Kitter- 
man. Mr. Smith has given his attention 
entirely to farming and stock raising. When 
he came to Ohio Township he went in debt 
for his first quarter section, but has since 
been very successful without speculation, and 
is now one of the largest land-owners in Ohio 
Township, his farm containing over 1,000 
acres in one body. He has been Supervisor 
of Ohio Township for six terms; is also one 
of the Directors of the Farmers' National 
Bank, of Princeton. In early life Mr. Smith 
was a Whig, but has been identified with the 
Republican party since its organization. He 
was married in this county March 15, 1849, 
to Miss Rachel Matson, who was born Sep- 
tember 5, 1829, a daughter of Peter Matson, 
an old settler of Bureau County. Mrs. Smith 
died October 26, 1874. She was the mother 
of seven children, six of whom are living, 
viz. : Mary J., born August 26, 1852, wife of 
Leander Chambers, of Ohio Township; Pru- 
dence A., born November 4, 1853, died March 
25, 1877; George W.,born October 18, 1855; 
John M., born December 20, 1857; William 
N., born November 14, 1859; Aaron M., born 



July 28, 1863; Daniel E., born August 13, 
1867. All of the sons are on the home farm. 

EDWARD SMITH, Manlius, was born in 
Leicestershire, England, March 17, 1820. 
His parents, Stephen and Sarah (Wesson) 
Smith, lived and died in England. They 
were the parents of six boys and five girls, 
three of whom came to America: Thomas 
(now deceased), Edward and Mrs. James Her- 
rick. Edward Smith came to America in 
1851, via New Orleans to St Louis. He 
started at once for Hennepin, but when he 
reached Alton found the river blocked with 
ice, so he stayed in Alton that winter and cut 
wood, as he was penniless. In the spring of 
1851 he reached Hennepin, and worked one 
year for a farmer. He then bought thirty 
acres of timber land, which he improved and 
sold in 1866 for $1,000. He then settled on 
his present farm of eighty acres in Section 
13, Manlius Township, which is now in a 
good state of cultivation and well improved. 
He has made his property through hard work 
and economy. Mr. Smith was married in 
Putnam County, 111., to Jane Danforth, who 
was born in Ireland but came to America 
with her parents when a child. Mr. and 
Mrs. Smith have eight children living and 
one dead, viz. : Sarah, wife of F. Taylor; 
Stephen W., married to Julia Vaughan; Mary 
Luella, deceased; Eliza A., Rosa, Edward T. 
William John, Adah M. and Emma A. All 
are residents of Bureau County. In politics 
Mr. Smith^is a stanch Republican. He cast 
his first vote for Abraham Lincoln. He and 
his wife are members of the Wesleyan Meth- 
odist Church. 

HENRY C. SMITH, Princeton, was born 
on the old Smith homestead, in this coun- 
ty, September 18, 1846. He is a son 
of Eli Smith, who was born November 
15, 1804, in Massachusetts. He died Aug- 
ust 30, 1871, in this county, to which 
he came in 1831, making a part of the 
journey with an ox team, the rest by water, 
landing in Bureau County in June. He came 
here accompanied by his wife, whose maiden 
name was Clarissa Childs. She was born Octo- 
ber 5, 1804, in Deerfield, Mass. She is a 
daughter of David W. and Eunice (Clapp) 
Childs, natives of Massachusetts, and the 
parents of five children. Eli Smith and wife 



656 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



first halted at Mr. Foristal's cabin, and then 
lived a short time on Section 5 with Elijah 
and Sylva (Childs) Smith. The former was 
a brother of Eli Smith and the latter a sister 
to Mrs. Eli Smith. Eventually Mr. and Mrs. 
Eli Smith settled on Section 4, where they 
afterward entered 240 acres of land. They 
reared a family of seven children who reached 
maturity, viz.: Harriet A., Mary A., Lucy, 
Owen, Allen, Henry C. and Eli. Of these 
Harriet A. and Lucy are deceased. Henry 
C, our subject, is the only one that now 
resides in the county where their parents 
took such an active part in the pioneer his- 
tory (see general history). Henry C. Smith 
yet resides on the old homestead; his mother, 
who is yet a hale and well-preserved lady, 
though nearly eighty summers liave passed 
over her head, is living with him. He 
is a farmer, but the last few years he has 
been in the stock business, and is now a mem- 
ber of the firm of Curtis, Warfield & Co. 
He was married here to Anna M. Cusic, born 
August 4, 1849. Her parents were Dennis 
A. and Betsey (Cox) Cusic. She has two chil- 
dren, viz.: Cora A., born June 12, 1873, and 
Marshall H, born October 19, 1881. Mr. 
and Mrs. Smith are active members of the 
Methodist Protestant Church. He is a 
Kepublican, and a K. of H., Guardian Lodge. 
No. 1123. 

JONATHAN SMITH, Berlin, was born in 
Rockingham County, Va., October 25, 1814. 
His parents, John and Eleanor (Bnrnside) 
Smith, were also natives of Virginia, but re- 
moved to Greene County, Ohio, when their 
son, our subject, was less than one year old. 
There he was reared and resided until he 
came to this county, in 1846. He then had 
barely enough money to bring him here, and 
for some time rented land in various parts of 
Berlin Township, until he settled on his pres- 
ent farm. His efforts here have been success- 
ful, and he now owns 400 acres of land, and 
has retired from active life. He was married 
in Greene County, Ohio, May 14, 1840, to 
Malumba Ary, who was born in the same 
county, January 13, 1819. Her parents, 
Charles and Rosa (Long) Ary, were natives 
of Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have live 
children living and one dead, viz. : Charles 
A., born April 15, 1842; Mark, born January 



I 15. 1845; Lewis, born November 29, 1847; 
Samantha, born April 12, 1851; Zimri, born 
February 5, 1858; James, born May 13, 1860, 
died September 6, 1883. In politics Mr. 
Smith has been a life-long Democrat. 

C. P. SNOW, Princeton, was born Sep- 
tember 9, 1834, in Boston, Mass. His par- 
ents, Thomas J. and Caroline (Wilbur) Snow, 
were natives of the same vicinity. The form- 
er was a teacher by occupation, and won 
considerable fame as an instructor in differ- 
ent States. The first part of his life was 
spent in teaching in different institutions in 
his native State, the latter part in Kentucky, 
where he left a fair record in his chosen pro- 
fession. He finally came to Peoria, this 
State, where he taught two years and there 
died. During his life he spent much of 
his leisure time in instructing his children, 
who thus received the benefit of the superior 
education which he had acquired at Cam- 
bridge, Mass., being a graduate of that place. 
The early life of our subject was spent in the 
schoolroom, and when a young man he 
worked a few years on the farm. At the age 
of eighteen he became an assistant teacher, 
having inherited from his father a love for 
the profession. He has been a teacher near- 
ly thirty years, and almost half of that time 
in the schools of Princeton, which speaks 
volumes for his ability as an instructor. His 

, first regular school was taught in Chicago in 

' 1854, where ho and his two brothers. Hector 
O. and Oren T., were employed as teachers in 
the "Garden City Institute," a private school 
which was burned in 1860, after which he went 
to Peoria, 111., where he was Principal of one 
of the city schools for eight years. In the 
spring of 1864 he enlisted as a private in the 

■ Fourteenth Regiment Illinois Volunteer In- 
fantry, Company H. He was promoted to 
First Lieutenant and served till the close of 
the war, after which he resumed his school at 
Peoria. On the 1st of Septpmber, 1869, he 
came to Princeton, Bureau County, where 
he was appointed Superintendent of city 
schools, and has filled that position to 
the present day. Here he was also joined 
in matrimony, July 23, 1872, to Miss 
Elizabeth D. Paddock, who was bovn March 
20, 1850. She is a daughter of Solomon A. 
and Angelica H. (Boyd) Paddock. He was a 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



657 



native of Charleston, S. C, and died in 
Blooniington, 111. She was a native of 
Boyds Grove, 111., named in honor of her par- 
ents, who were Charles S. and Elizabeth 
(Dixon) Boyd, both natives of New York and 
among the first settlers of this county. They 
came here in company with "Col. John Dix- 
on" and were forty days on the road from 
New York to this county. Mrs. Snow is the 
mother of two children, viz.: Allan P., born 
April 4, 1881, andCorydon P., born Novem- 
ber 29, 1883. Mr. Snow is a member of the 
Swedenborgian Church. He is also a mem- 
ber of the A. F. & A. M. fraternity, Prince- 
ton Lodge, No. 587, a Sir Knight of Malta, 
Temple Coramandery, No. 20, and G. A. R. 
In politics he is a stanch Republican. 

HENRY SNYDER, Hall, was born No- 
vember 9, 1816, in Hessen-Cassel, Germany. 
His parents, John and Elizabeth (Hose) Sny- 
der, were natives of Germany, where the lat- 
ter died. She was the mother of three chil- 
dren — Henry, John and Catharine. Our 
'subject's father was again married to Eva 
Hemmel, also a native of Germany, and now 
living in Peru, 111. She is the mother of 
five children, viz. : William and John, of Cal- 
ifornia; Edward and Mrs. Julia, Schafer, of 
Nebraska, and Mrs. Martha Miller, of Cal- 
if ornia. Our subject's father came to Bureau 
County, and died in Peru, 111., in March, 
188-4, aged ninety-one years. Henry Snyder 
emigrated to Detroit when he was nineteen 
years old. He afterward went to Chicago, 
and from there to LaSalle. In the fall of 
1839 he came to Hall Township, Bureau 
County, and worked on a farm. He soon 
after bought a farm, and pow owns 450 acres 
of land as the result of industry and hard 
work. He was Township Supervisor two 
years during the war, and afterward served 
twelve years in succession. He has also been 
Commissioner of Highways at different times, 
and School Director twenty years. He has 
always voted with the Democratic party. Mr. 
Snyder was married in this county to Cecelia 
Doll, a native of Bavaria, a daughter of 
Philip Doll, an old settler of Selby Town- 
ship. She is the mother of nine children, 
all living, viz. : Jacob, George, William, Mrs. 
Martha Heintz, Frank, Edward, Flora and 



John. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder are members of 
the Lutheran Church. 

S. G. SOVERHILL, Indiantown, was born 
November 28, 1835, in Arcadia, Wayne Co. , 
N. Y. His father, Isaac Soverhill, was born 
in the same place, and also died there in 
1846. He was a blacksmith by occupation 
in early life, and a farmer in later life. He 
had also been a soldier in the war of 1812. 
The grandfather of our subject, Samuel Sov- 
erhill, Sr., came from Long Island in com- 
pany with his brother, Isaac Soverhill, and 
was one of the pioneers of Arcadia, N. Y. , 
where he died. He was a blacksmith by oc- 
cupation. His wife, Sally (Clark) Soverhill, 
was the mother of five children, viz. : Isaac, 
Hiram, Joel, Mrs. Susan Luce and Mrs. Pol- 
ly Cronise. The mother of our subject was 
a native of Lyons, Wayne Co., N. Y. She 
died in Arcadia in 1844, aged forty-five years. 
She was the mother of six children, viz.: 
Mrs. Eliza Parks, Mrs. Sarah Rowe, Mrs. 
Susan Robinson, Mrs. Emma L. Dator, Mar- 
vin A., and Samuel G., our subject. The 
latter received a common school education 
in his native town, where he firmed, rais- 
ing peppermint principally. In the fall 
of 1866 he came West, intending to go 
to Iowa, but was induced to stay in this 
county, where his brother resided. After a so- 
journ of two years he visited his old home in 
Arcadia. Since then he has made this county 
his home, and at present resides in Indiantown 
Township, where he first bought eighty acres 
of land, but owing to good management and 
success as a farmer he at present owns a farm 
of 234 acres. For the last eleven years he 
has been engaged in the dairy business, and 
was one of the original stockholders and or- 
ganizers of the Tiskilwa cheese factory. 
When it burnt down he, in partnership with 
P. C. Bacon, rebuilt it and carried on the 
business for two years, when he sold out. At 
present he is one of the largest patrons that 
supplies the factory with milk. Mr. Sover- 
hill was married twice. His first wife, Jane 
Whitback, a native of Arcadia, N. Y, died 
here October 8, 1875. His second wife, 
Laura Couch, is a native of Bureau County, 
and a daughter of B. C. Couch, Esq., of 
Tiskilwa. She is the mother of three chil- 



658 



HISTORY" OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



dren, viz. : Harvey A., George and Wilber R. 
Mr. and Mrs. Soverhill are both active mem- 
bers of the church. He is also a member of 
the A. F. & M. fraternity, Sharon Lodge, 
No. 550, and the Princeton Chapter and 
Commandery. Politically he is identified 
with the Republican party, has filled township 
offices, and for the last four years has been 
an efficient Supervisor. 

J. Y. SPANGLER, Greenville, was born 
in Muskingum County, Ohio, April 11, 1826. 
His father, George Spangler, was a native of 
Maryland, and died in Kansas, September, 
1882. His wife, Catharine (Anderson) 
Spangler, was born in Virginia, died June 
16, 1845, in Ohio. J. Y. Spangler came to j 
Bureau County, 111., October 11, 1817, and 
settled in Center Grove. In 1852 he moved 
to Manlius Township, where there were but 
very few settlers at that time. In 1876 he 
settled on his present farm of forty acres in j 
Greenville Township. Mr. Spangler was 
married in this county October 11, 1849, to 
Jane Clark. She was born in Ohio, June 27, 
1830, and came to this county with her father, 
Thomas Clark, in 1831. Mr. and Mrs. 
Spangler are the parents of the following 
children: Theodore and Theory, born July 
11, 1850 (Theodore lives in Tabor, Iowa; 
Theory died March 1, 1877, in Wyoming 
Territory); Ida May, died at the age of one 
year and twenty-five days; Ella, born No- 
vember 19, 1858, wife of E. C. Thompson, 
of Marne, Cass Co., Neb.; Mary, born No- 
vember 29, 1879. Mr. Spangler is a stanch 
Republican, and has always taken an active 
part in political matters. For about twenty 
years he has been a delegate from his town- 
ship to the Countv Convention. He is a 
member of the A. F. & A. M., No. ]42, of 
Sheffield. 

JOHN W. SPRATT, New Bedford. 
George W. Spratt, deceased, was born in 
Richland County, Ohio, April 10, 1814. He 
was married in his native county December 
11, 1833, to Mary Ann Hill, who was born 
in Delaware, February 11, 1814. October 
31, 1838, they arrived in Bureau County, 
111. , and lived on Green River for one year, 
afterward removing to Mt. Carroll. A year 
later they located in Princeton, where Mr. 
Spratt worked at his trade of tinner for ten 



years. They then settled on a farm in 
Bureau Township, where Mr. Spratt died 
February 11, 1876. Mrs. Spratt is still liv- 
ing, the only surviving member of a family 
of nine children, most of whom died in this 
county. She is the mother of nine children, 
five of whom are living, viz. : John W., born 
October 31, 1886; James M., born May 7, 
1840, is now in the stock business in Wyanet; 
Nehemiah, born December 2, 1841, a farmer 
in Gold Township; Samuel R., born July 
2, 1846, a farmer in Bureau Township; Le- 
viey Ann, born March 26, 1850, wife of 
Richard Allen, a farmer in Clay County, Neb. 
John W. Spratt was born in Martinsbui-g, 
Knox County, Ohio. He came to this coun- 
ty with his parents, and received his educa- 
tion in the schools of Princeton. He was 
engaged in farming until March, 1880, when 
he came to New Bedford and entered the 
mercantile business. He carries a stock of 
goods valued at about ^7,000, with annual 
sales of from $12,000 to $20,000. In the win- 
ter of 1864 and 1865 he enlisted in the 
service of his country in Company I, Four- 
teenth Illinois Infantry, and was mustered 
out in June, 1865. Mr. Spratt was married 
in this county June 11, 1863, to Miss lantha 
Mott, who was born in Oneida County, N. 
Y. , August 6, 1845. Her parents, Edward 
and Catharine (Brower) Mott, are now resi- 
dents of Harvard, Neb. Mr. and Mrs. 
Spratt have- nine children, viz.: Mary C, 
born March 18, 1864; William, born Sep- 
tember 25, 1865; Samuel, born January 16, 
1867; Nellie, born October 10, 1869; Milton, 
born January 31, 1871; Rosa, born Decem- 
ber 21, 1873, died January 14, 1881; Ed- 
ward, born December 9, 1875; Franklin, 
born January 10, 1877; Harry, born March 
18, 1881. All are living at home. In po- 
litical matters Mr. Spratt is independent. He 
is serving his second term as Supervisor of 
Greenville Township. He is a strong tem- 
perance man, and a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, being a local preacher of 
that denomination, and an active worker in 
the Sunday-school. 

G. T. SQUIRES, Mineral, was born August 
27, 1845, in Mineral Township. He is a son of 
George W. Squires, who is one of the pioneers 
of Mineral Township. He was born May 4, 



I 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



659 



1809, in Steuben County, N. Y. His parents, 
Josiah and Lucinda (Martin) Squires, were 
natives of Vermont. The latter died in Ohio, 
and the former in Mineral Township. They 
were the parents of eleven children. George 
W. Squires was reared in New York and Ohio. 
He came to Providence, Bureau County, 
in 1836; there he resided till about 1840, 
when he removed to Mineral Township, where 
he now resides. He married Susan Riley, 
whose parents, Paul and E. Betsey (Laugh- 
ery) Riley, were natives of Pennsylvania. 
They settled in Concord Township, Bureau 
Co., 111., in 1835, but died in Mineral Town- 
ship. Mrs. Susan Squires is the mother of 
five children, viz.: Riley J., George T. , 
Mary L. (deceased, aged twenty-two), William 
P. and Mrs. Elizabeth Rollins. George T. 
Squires, our subject, received a common 
school education in this county. Here he 
farmed till March, 1862, when he enlisted 
in the Sixty-fifth Regiment of Illinois Vol- 
unteer Infantry, Company E, and served 
till the close of the war, participating in the 
battles of Harper's Ferry, Knoxville, Atlanta 
campaign, Franklin, Nashville and minor 
engagements. He enlisted as a private at 
the age of sixteen, but was promoted at the 
age of eighteen to Second Lieutenant. After 
the war he resumed farming, which he fol- 
lowed till six years ago, when he removed to 
Mineral, where he sold agricultural imple- 
ments three years for Conibear & Son. 
Since then he has been engaged in that bus- 
iness for himself, and for six years followed 
auctioneering. Mr. Squires was married Oc- 
tober 15, 1865, to Miss Elma F. Rollins, 
born July 30, 1849, in Manchester, N. H. 
She is a daughter of Lyman P. and Olive 
L. (Wadley) Rollins, the latter a native 
of Maine, yet living, and the mother of four 
children, viz. : Byron, Ora L. , Albert W. 
and Elma F. Mr. Rollins was formerly an 
overseer in a woolen-mill. Later in life he 
farmed. He came to Mineral Township, 
Bureau County, in 1860, and died here in 1875. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Squires two children were 
born, viz. : George O., born January 6, 1868, 
and Susie O., January 15, 1872. Mrs. Squires 
is at present Postmistress of Mineral. Mr. 
Squires is a member of the Tristen T. Dow 



Post, No. 290, G. A. R., of Annawan, 111. 
Politically he is a Republican. 

CHRISTIAN STABLER, Hollowayville, 
was born in Bavaria, Germany, May 20, 
1821. He attended school in his native 
country, and at the age of fifteen began as 
an apprentice to learn the trade of wagon- 
making, and followed that until he came to 
America in 1846. He came to Bureau County 
by water via New Orleans, St. Louis and 
Peoria, and from there by team to Selby 
Township, where he has since resided. For 
four years he worked at his trade and farmed 
on rented land. He then bought a farm of 
eighty acres, built a shop on it and continued 
to farm and work at his trade till 1857. He 
then started a grocery store in Hollowayville, 
continuing in that till 1860, when he changed 
to general merchandise, in which business 
he is still engaged, carrying a complete stock 
of dry goods, boots and shoes, etc. In 1858 
he was appointed Postmaster, and although 
a Democrat, has held the office, with the ex- 
ception of a few years, ever since. Altogether 
he has been Postmaster twenty years. Dur- 
ing his residence in the village he has also 
been a landowner. His farm now contains 
ninety acres. When he came to Bureau 
County he was $25 in debt, but through in- 
dustry and perseverance has been successful 
in his business. He was married in this 
county in 1848, to Elizabeth Lehrer, who 
was born in Bavaria, Gei-many, March 9, 
1829, and came to this county in 1846. They 
are the parents of twelve children, four of 
whom are living, viz. : Lewis C, born April 
17, 1857, married Mary Markel — (he is in 
the store with his father); Hanna, October 
22, 1858; Lizzie, September 13, 1864; Chris- 
tian G., June 1, 1867. All are at home. 
Mr. Stadler is a member of the I. O. O. F., 
Venus Lodge, No. 536, of Hollowayville. He 
is a member of the Lutheran Church. 

CHARLES STAMBBRGER, Clarion, was 
born September 1, 1843, in Beickheim, 
Bavaria, Germany. He came to America 
with his parents, Frederick and Elizabeth 
(Bauer) Stamberger, who settled in Clarion 
Township, Bureau Co., 111., June, 1850. 
They were the parents of the following chil- 
dren: Charles and Mrs. Elizabeth N. Grosz 



660 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



are deceased; Charles our subject, Mrs. Cath- 
arine Geuther, Henry and George. Fred- 
erick Stamberger first bought 160 acres of 
N. Edwards. He has been a hard-working 
man and his wife aijd children have stood by 
him and assisted in the accumulation of 
property. At present he has 882 acres of 
choice land, most of which his family work. 
He was born February 17, 1812, in Beickheim, 
Bavaria. His parents were Henry and 
Christina (Hoffman) Stamberger. The for- 
mer was a miller in Germany. Mrs. Eliza- 
beth Stamberger was born November 6, 1815, 
in Beickheim. She is a daughter of 
Andrew and Anna M. Bauer. Charles Stam- 
berger is working one of his father's farms. 
He was married here February 17, 1867, to 
Barbara M. Grosz, who was born July 14, 
18-13, in Germany. She is a daughter of 
George Grosz. To Mr. and Mrs. Charles 
Stamberger six children were born, viz. : 
George, Paulina C, Emma C. , Anna M., 
Bertha E. and Willie J. Our subject and 
wife are members of the Lutheran Church. 
He is one of the most wide-awake Germans 
in the township, and takes an interest in all 
public matters. 

STILLMAN STANNARD, Clarion, was 
born September 19, 1813, in Madison County, 
N. Y. He is a son of Libbeus and Luceba 
(Fay) Stannard, with whom he came to 
Bureau County in November, 1840. Libbeus 
Stannard was born in Vermont, and at the 
age of twenty-one removed with his father, 
Libbeus Stannard, Sr., to New York State, 
where he farmed till he came to Bureau 
County, where he entered land east of Per- 
kins' Grove. He died October 10, 1858, aged 
seventy-three years. The mother of our 
subject was a native of Massachusetts, born 
in March, 1793. She died here January 4, 
1842. She was the mother of the following 
children: Cornelia, Stillman, David and 
Philo (deceased), Newton, Edward (deceased), 
Emeline, Marrila (wife of Rev. S. Holroyd), 
Hiram, Oscar, Caroline and Joseph Stannard. 
Our subject was reared in his native State, 
where he was also married March 9, 1837, to 
Mary A. Dean, who was born April 21, 1815, 
in Eaton, N. Y. She is a daughter of John 
and Lucinda (Goddard) Dean, who were of 
English extraction. Mr. and Mrs. Stannard 



are the parents of the following children: 
Mrs. Mary E. Bowman (of Madison County, 
Iowa), Lavisa A., Mrs. Lucinda J. Johnson 
(of Winfield, Kan.), Mrs. Julia F. Frost (of 
Atlantic, Iowa), Harriet L., and Henry A. 
Stannard (of Madison County, Neb.) Mr. 
and Mrs. Stannard and children are members 
of the Baptist Church. Politically he is a 
Republican. He owns a farm of 150 acres, 
on which James Kendall had first made a 
claim. Mr. Stannard then bought the land 
of Mrs. Maria Kendall. 

JOHN STAUFFER, Wheatland, was born 
September 15, 1854, in Alsace, France. He 
is a son of Joseph and Anna (Tschantz) 
Stauffer, both natives of France. They came 
to the United States in 1855, and farmed in 
Davis County, Iowa, till 1863, when they 
came to Arispe Township, Bureau County, 
where the mother died. They were the pa- 
rents of sixteen children; of these eleven are 
yet living. John Stauffer, our subject, is a 
successful farmer. He owns a farm of 100 
acres in Wheatland Township. Mr. Stauffer 
was married P'ebruary 28, 187S, to Amelia 
Schertz, who was born March 1, 1854. She 
is a daughter of Joseph and Barbara (loder) 
Schertz, who are among our best German 
citizens. Mrs. Stauffer is the mother of two 
children, viz.: Clara, born December 5, 1880, 
and Ada, born February 13, 1884. Mr. and 
Mrs. Stauffer are religiously connected and 
are active members of theMennonite Church. 
Politically he is Independent. 

CAPT. CHARLES STEDMAN, DePuo, 
was born in Suffolk, England, February 24, 
1825. He is the son of Barnard and Char- 
lotte Stedman. The mother was born in 
Edinburgh, Scotland, but the father was of 
English birth. When our subject was eight 
years of age his parents moved to Nova 
Scotia, and it was there he was reared till he 
was about fifteen years old. His father died 
in 1882, at the advanced age of eighty-seven 
years and sis months. The mother died a 
month later at the age of seventy-five. At 
the age of fifteen our subject became a sailor 
and followed that business till 1849, when he 
came to the United States and has since been 
engaged in the ice business, first at Peru, 
111., where he was in the employ of Capt. J. 
L. McCormick, of Peru, who was one of the 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



661 



first to ship ice to the Southern markets. In 
1854 he retired from the business, and Capt. 
Stedman was then with Capt. Bowers till 
1858 and would go to Memphis, Vicksburg 
and Natchez with ice. In 1858 he went into 
the employ of Hughes, Loomis & Co., of St. 
Louis. Capt. Stedman was then sent out 
with the boats as soon as trade opened 
in the spring, and his business extended 
from Peru, 111., to New Orleans. By trade 
he is a shipbuilder, and so as soon as the ship- 
ping season was over he had charge of the 
yards at St. Louis, and did repairing and 
building of boats for the company. In 1876 
he began in his present business for William 
J. Lamp, of the Western Brewery, St. Louis, 
Mo. The business has grown so that now 
instead of having the two or three barges 
with which they commenced, they have four- 
teen barges, steamboat, etc., and a storing 
capacity for 50,000 tons of ice, with three 
steam elevators, and everything complete for 
the extensive business they carry on. They 
expend annually at DePue about $27,000 for 
labor, repairs, etc. Everything is complete 
for repairing or building oE boats. Part of 
the time they employ 300 men during the 
winter season. The fourteen barges average 
1,000 tons each, and each trip to St. Louis 
Capt. Stedman takes three barges and aver- 
ages about one trip a week. Capt. Stedman 
is the manager of the entire business here 
and has through his management made a 
grand success of it. In 1853 he was mar- 
ried in Peru, 111., to Miss Catherine Landers, 
who was born in Canada West. She is the 
mother of the following children: Harriet, 
wife of Warren Sweely, who is mate on the 
Joseph Flemming, the ice boat; Charles Ed- 
win, the book-keeper of the ice business at 
DePue; John, in business at DePue for him- 
self; Annie, a teacher in the schools here; 
Burton, clerk on the boat, and Lottie. 

A. L. STEELE, Dover, was born in Erie 
County, N. Y.. March 8, 1827. His parents, 
Danford and Lydia (Abel) Steele, were both 
natives of Vermont, and were early settlers 
in Erie County, N. Y. Danford Steele was 
born April 19, 1797, and his wife, September 
11, 1799. They were the parents of three 
children: Henry D., a successful merchant of 
Denver, Col. ; our subject, and a daughter 



Lydia L., who died in 1850 at Dover. Dan- 
ford Steele died December 8, 1830, when our 
subject was about four years old. His 
mother being left destitute, he was bound 
out to a farmer, and his opportunities for an 
education were of the most meager descrip- 
tion. When he was ten years old, the wife 
of ±he man to whom he was bound died, and 
he was sent to his grandfather, Simon Abel, 
and worked at whatever he could find to do 
till 1848. Simon Abel was a native of Leb- 
anon, Conn., born October 2, 1767. His 
wife, Rachel Farnsworih, was born in New 
Ipswich, N. H., September 9, 1770. In 1848 
they came to this county, and our subject and 
his mother accompanied them. Simon Abel 
died here September 28, 1851, and his widow 
March 20, 1857. Mr. Steele's mother died in 
Dover, January 3, 1861. The first two years in 
Bureau County, Mr. Steele farmed on rented 
land, but on account of his health left the 
farm and clerked in Dover till 1858, for M. 
W. Abel, and also for Stacy Bros. In 1858 
he engaged in business for himself in part- 
nership with C. D. Hubbard and after four 
years became sole owner. He still continues 
in the business and is one of the oldest mer- 
chants in the county. He began the mercan- 
tile business with a cash capital of $500, and 
he and his partner borrowed $5,000. He now 
has, besides his mercantile and other inter- 
ests, 460 acres of land in Dover and Prince- 
ton Townships. Mr. Steele was married at 
Dover, November 28, 1852, to Miss Susan 
Zearing, born April 2, 1829; she is a daugh- 
ter of Martin Zearing, deceased (see sketch). 
Mr. and Mrs. Steele have seven children liv- 
ing: Charles D., born November 16, 1853; 
George, June 24, 1855; Lydia, April 12, 
1857, died October 21, 1858; John A., born 
August 21, 1859; Dick, November IS, 1861; 
Louis L., May 18, 1863; Lottie, October 18, 
1866; Harry b., June 17, 1869. Mr. Steele 
is a member of I. O. O. F. 

STEVENS FAMILY. Simon Stevens 
came from England in 1640; landed in Salem, 
settled in Byfield, Mass. Of his sons, three 
in number, one went to Andover, one went to 
Hampstead and one settled in the South. 
Simon, the son who settled in Hampstead, had 
a son Simon, who also lived in Hampstead. 
This Simon had two sons, Asa and Simon. 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Asa was slain in the war with the Provinces. 
He had a son named after him. His widow 
married Deacon David Moi-rill, of Canterbury, 
N. H. Her name was Abigail Emerson. She 
died June 30, 1833, at the advanced age of 
ninety -five years and ten months. She had 
twelve children, eighty-eight grandchildren, 
one hundred and fifty-two great-grandchil- 
dren, and fifty-two of the fifth generation. 
Simon was born March 12, 1754, and died of 
numb palsy, June 19, 1825. He married 
Elizabeth Boyenton, who was born Novem- 
ber 10, 1754, and died February 9, 1846. 
They lived in Canterbury, N. H. Their chil- 
dren are: Otho, born July 22, 1776 (had 
one son who married his cousin, daughter of 
Abiah); Edmund, born July 3, 1778, died 
December 13, 1854 (had two children, Will- 
iam and Eliza; he was the only Whig of 
Simon's twelve children) ; David, born Novem- 
ber 10, 1780, died December 3, 1800; Betsey, 
born December S, 1782, married a Sargent 
of Canterbury; John, born July 29, 1785, 
died July 8, 1869; Jesse, born September 29, 
1788, died of cholera September 2, 1849 
(his children were Sylvester and Albert) ; Pol- 
ly, born September 13, 1791 (married an 
Emerson of Newburyport, Mass.); Abiah, 
born October 12, 1793 (married a Batchelder; 
settled in Columbus, Ohio; had two sons 
and one daughter; daughter married Otho's 
son); Moses, born July 29, 1796 (married 
Mary Stevens; had two children, Elbridge 
and David; settled in Bureau County 111.; 
died February 18, 1864); Abigail, born Sep- 
tember 11, 1790 (married a Davis of Canter- 
bury; had two daughters) ; Thomas Jefferson, 
born July 18, 1801 (married twice; had 
seven children, one died in infancy; settled 
in Bureau County, 111.; died in June, 1878); 
Simon, Jr., born July 18, 1803, died Decem- 
ber 16, 1806. 

JOHN STEVENS was born in Canterbury, 
N. H., July 29, 1785. He was married to 
Submit Neweomb in March, 1810. Submit 
Newcomb was born in Greenwich, Mass., 
September 3, 1790. They lived in that part 
of Boscawen which is now called Webster, 
N. H. The homestead land was purchased 
of Daniel Webster and the deed is still in 
possession of the family. John Stevens was 
a merchant and general business man. His 



wife died September 30, 1825, and was bur- 
ied in the old burying ground in Boscawen. 
This epitaph is ujaon her tombstone: "She 
died lamented as she lived beloved.'' In 
1835 Mr. Stevens entered land in Illinois 
and moved thither in 1842, settling in Tis- 
kilwa, Bureau County. Here he carried on a 
large and prosperous mercantile business in 
company with his sons. He married Mrs. 
Mary Campbell Lawyer in Reading, Mass., 
December 31, 1829. She was born September 
16, 1794, and died August 10, 1879. They 
had no children. John Stevens died in Tis- 
kilwa, July 8, 1869. The children of John 
Stevens and Submit Newcomb, his wife, are: 
David, born January 19, 1811, moved to Illi- 
nois in 1843 and settled in Buda, Bureau 
Couaty (he was married to Hannah Loverin, 
of Springfield, N. H. ; they had two sons 
and one daughter; David Stevens died May 
6, 1872); Bradford Newcomb, born January 3, 
1813; Adaline, born February 17, 1815 (mar- 
ried Fitz Henry Boyden; resides in Chicago, 
111.; five daughters); Calvin, born March 15, 
1817 (came to French Grove, 111., in 1839; 
afterward settled in Tiskilwa in business with 
his father and brothers. He married Jane 
Greeley, of Salisbury, N. H. They had seven 
children, one dying in infancy. Calvin 
Stevens died September 7, 1864); Justus, 
born January 8, 1819; Louisa, born March 
2, 1821, married Edward Sawyer, lived in 
Tiskilwa, 111. ; (they had ten children); Sub- 
mit, born March 2, 1823, died September, 23, 
1825; Elizabeth Phelps, born February 2, 
1825, married John Weeks; lives in Chicago. 
They had three daughters, two died in in- 
fancy. 

JUSTUS STEVENS was born in Bosca- 
wen, no wWebster, adjoining Concord on the 
north, January 18, 1819. He was educated 
at Franklin Academy and Patridge's Military 
School at Norwich, Vt. In 1842 he settled in 
Illinois in the town of Princeton, Bureau 
County, where he has resided ever since. 
For nearly twenty years he carried on a 
large mercantile business, buying grain and 
shipping all kinds of agricultural products to 
St. Louis and Chicago. His business 
extended over four counties and he was one 
of the best known men in his part of the 
State. At an early day he entered a large 



I 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



668 



tract of land in Bureau County and in 1860 
turned his whole attention to its improve- 
ment. He has 4,000 acres in one general 
farm, twelve miles northwest of Princeton, 
and it is now devoted principally to stock- 
raising. Mr. Stevens has been thoroughly 
identified with all local interests such as the 
Princeton public schools, high school, etc. 
He was one of the first to move in organizing 
the Chicago & Rock Island Railroad Com- 
pany, of which he was a Director for several 
years. He also had a contract on the Chi- 
cago, Burlington & Quincy Road. While 
Chairman of the Board of Supervisors he 
attended to the building of the jail and the 
purchasing of the County Farm. Mr. Stev- 
ens was one of the first to advocate the use of 
gravel for the building of the roads in and 
about Princeton and also supervised the 
drainage of the city. He was elected its first 
Mayor in March, 1884. Justus Stevens was 
married June 9, 1842, to Lurena McConihe, 
daughter of John McConihe, of Merrimack, N. 
H. They had eight children. Five reached 
maturity: Mandana, married to James W. 
Templeton, Postmaster at Princeton; Fanny 
Harper, Darlene and Blanche Newcomb. 
Their only son, Justus Massillon Stevens, was 
born December 30, 1846. He was educated 
at Racine College, Wisconsin. He was mar- 
ried to Mary Louisa Knox, daughter of Judge 
S. M. Knox, of Princeton, November 9, 1883, 
in London, England. J. M. Stevens entered 
into partnership with his father in 1872, and 
is general manager of the farm and business. 
B. N. STEVENS, Tiskilwa, was born Jan- 
uary 3, 1813, in Boscawen, now Webster, 
N. H. His early life was spent in his 
native town, where he attended the com- 
mon schools and also the academy, after 
attending the academy at Hopkinton. He 
was a student at the "La Petite Seminary" of 
Montreal one year, and then entered Dart- 
mouth College, where he graduated in 1835. 
He then established the "Pestolozzian Insti- 
tute," named in honor of the Swiss teacher, 
in Hopkinsville, Ky. After three years of 
active work in the institute be returned to 
his old home in New Hampshire, where he 
was married September 26, 1839. in the town 
of Lebanon, to Lydia P. Alden, who was 
born October 22, 1811, in Lebanon, N. H. 



She is a direct descendant of John Alden, 
who came to America in the " May Flower. " 
Her parents, Ziba and Sybil (Allen) Alden, 
were also natives of New Hampshire. They 
were the parents of six children, of whom 
only four reached maturity, viz. : Phineas, 
Lydia P., Horace and Mrs. Delia Smith. Of 
these only the latter and Mrs. Stevens are 
now living. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens have two 
sons living, viz. : Alden N. and Charles M. 
Stevens. After Mr. Stevens was married he 
went to New York City, where he taught select 
school for a period ot three years. In Sep- 
tember, 1843, he came to Bureau County, 111., 
which he had visited in 1836. He formed a 
partnership with his father, John Stevens, 
and his brother Justus, and afterward Calvin 
Stevens also. The firm was known as J. Ste- 
vens & Sons, and did a large mercantile busi- 
ness in Princeton and Indiantown, now Tis- 
kilwa, to which he removed his family in 
1845. In 1848 the firm was changed to Ste- 
vens & Sons, who did business after this in 
Tiskilwa. In 1857 Calvin Stevens bought 
out the store, and our subject engaged in 
milling, farming and the lumber business. 
In 1877 he formed a partnership with John 
H. Welsh, and opened the Tiskilwa Bank. 
His two sons are equally interested in the 
bank and also the real estate, which consists 
of many valuable farms and town property. 
Mr. Stevens also established a store in Buda, 
and one in Tiskilwa, which he continued for 
a number of years, but finally sold out. At 
present Mr. Stevens is practically retired from 
active life. He lived nearly four years in Chi- 
cago, but now resides at his home in Tiskilwa. 
Religiously he and his wife are connected 
with the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Stevens 
has been an active man in his time in Bureau 
County. He is the only Democratic Con- 
gressman ever elected from this county (see 
General History) and was elected Supervisor 
of his township when it was Republican, 
and held that otfice for nine years. 

ALDEN N. STEVENS was born Septem- 
ber 25, 1846, in Tiskilwa. He received his 
education in Knox College and Davenport, 
Iowa. He has made farming his occupation, 
and is managing the real estate interest of 
the Stevens family in Tiskilwa. He was mar- 
ried December 23, 1871, in McLean, Tomp- 



664 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



kins Co., N. Y., to Miss Romelia C Lyon, a 
nahiveof Grand Rapids, Mich. Her parents, 
Otis and Ziporah (Thomas) Lyon, are de- 
ceased. They were natives of New York and 
reared three children, viz. : Mrs. Imogene 
E. LeFevre, Mrs. R. C. Stevens and Mrs. 
Julia Kinney, deceased. Mrs. Stevens is a 
member of the Episcopal Church, and is the 
mother of Bradford Newcomb Stevens, who 
was born February 4, 1879. 

CHARLES M. STEVENS was born Feb- 
ruary 6, 1848, in Tiskilwa. He was educated 
at Ann Arbor, Knox College and Racine Col- 
lege. He is now a banker in Tiskilwa. He 
was married September 6, 1876, to Rosalie 
Balch, who was born September 6, 1855, in 
Lebanon, N. H. She is a daughter of Al- 
fred and Elizabeth (Cora) Balch, natives of 
New Hampshire. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens have 
three children, viz. : Arline A., born May 10, 
1880; John A., born October 26, 1882; and 
Charles H., born November 29, 1883. Polit- 
ically Mr. Stevens, like his father and brother, 
is a Democrat. He has been School Trustee 
ever since he attained his majority. 

ELBRIDGE STEVENS, Buda, was born 
January 10, 1825, in Canterbury, N. H. He 
is the youngest son of Moses and Mary 
(Stevens) Stevens. Moses Stevens was born 
July 29, 1796. He was married January 4, 
1820, to Mary Stevens, who was born Octo- 
ber 19, 1798. In early life he learned the 
clothier's trade, and in later years the tan- 
ner's, but most of his life was spent in farm- 
ing. In 1836 he removed from the old home 
at Canterbury, N. H, to Bureau County, 111., 
and settled in Concord Township. When 
coming here he had but little property, but 
through his industry he was successful in ac- 
cumulating a competency. He died Febru- 
ary 22, 1864. His widow sui-vived him till 
June 28, 1870. They were the parents of 
two sons: David and Elbridge. David 
Stevens was about two years the senior of his 
brother, and followed various occupations 
during life, first as a farmer in this county, 
in the hotel business in Sheffield, 111., in bus- 
iness in Chicago, and during the war was a 
well-known cotton speculator at Memphis, 
Tenn. He died at Boone, Iowa, at which 
time he was in the insurance business. 
He had one son, who is also deceased. El- 



bridge Stevens came to this county with his 
parents in 1836, and since that time he has 
made Concord Township his home. His early 
life was full of the hardships such as youth 
is subject to in a new country, and for thirty 
years he never had gone out of the State, but 
worked hard all the time. Their market for 
grain or produce was Chicago, and he would 
haul loads there and return with lumber, etc. 
His last trip that way he sold the wheat for 
55 cents per bushel, and during the trip suf- 
fered with fever and ague, and to make mat- 
ters worse, one of his horses died before get- 
ting home. He was married April 10, 1849, 
to Phebe Schoettler, who was born April 30, 
1827. She is the daughter of Christian and 
Eliza (Summer) Schoettler. The father was 
born in Gifflitz, Germany, September 28, 
1768, and the mother was born in Dammers- 
tield, Germany, May 9, 1785. They were 
married in 1812. He died February 23, 1832, 
but she March 2, 1870. Mr. and Mrs. El- 
bridge Stevens are the parents of the follow- 
ing named children: Mary L., born March 

28, 1850, married to Charles Holmes August 

29, 1876; Arthur F., born January 18, 1852, 
died August 24, 1866; Flora E., born Sep- 
tember 11, 1853, died October 3, 1853; David 
M., born February 4, 1857; George, born 
February 14, 1858, married to Allie Burr, 
August 12, 1878; Sylvester, born August 
16, 1862, died September 6, 1862, and 
Emma, born January 31, 1869. The grand- 
parents of Elbridge Stevens were Simon and 
Elizabeth (Boynton) Stevens. He was born 
March 12, 1754, and died June 19, 1825. 
She was born November 10, 1754, and died 
February 9, 1846. They resided at Hamp- 
sted, N. H., and were the parents of twelve 
children. 

THOMAS J. STEVENS, deceased, was 
born August 12, 1801, in Canterbury, N. H, 
and died June 14, 1878, in Buda, 111. He 
was the son of Jesse and Elizabeth Stevens, 
of Canterbury, N. H. Mr. Stevens was 
reared on a farm and was educated in his na- 
tive town, and was there married to Miss 
Elizabeth Smith, who died in Buda, 111., 
March 22, 1853. She was the mother of five 
children now living: Mrs. Lurana Fitield, 
Mrs. Mary Dow, Joseph, Mrs. Emeline Wilk- 
inson and Frank; also the following de- 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



665 



ceased: John, Mrs. Caroline Dean, Mrs. Sarah 
J. Cobb, and Mrs. Elizabeth Dow. In 1854 
Mr. Stevens was married in Concord, N. 
H., to Mrs. Eliza Simpson, a native of 
Epsom, N. H., and a daughter of Simon 
and Hannah (Babb) Grant. Both died in 
Epsom. John Grant, the grandfather of 
Mrs. Stevens, was born In Portsmouth, N. 
H. ; he was of Scotch descent and died in 
Epsom, N. H. Mrs. Stevens' mother was 
a* native of Portsmouth, N. H., but died at 
Epsom in 1847, at the age of seventy-three 
years. She was the mother of eight chil- 
dren. Mrs. Stevens' first husband, Mr. 
James Simpson, was a native of Philadel- 
phia, Penn., and was born February 16, 
1812, and died May 27, 1853. By this hus- 
band she is the mother of the following 
named children: Mrs. Mary F. Jameson, 
John, George E., and James (deceased). In 
1861 John Simpson enlisted in Company K, 
Fifty-seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
and served for about eighteen months, when 
he was honorably discharged because of in- 
juries received. He had participated in the 
battles of Shiloh, Lookout Mountain, etc. 
He is now a resident of California, where he 
is engaged in railroad business. George E. 
Simpson is General Superintendent of the 
telegraph lines from Milwaukee to St. Paul. 
Immediately after her marriage to Mr. Stev- 
ens, she came with her husband to Buda, 
111., where he was engaged in farming. Mr. 
Stevens was a sober, industrious man, and 
accumulated a good property, but Mrs. Ste- 
vens has acted well her part in building up 
their competency; she being an industrious, 
frugal wife, ever willing to add to the accu- 
mulated property the proceeds of her industry. 
In 1878 she removed to Princeton, where she 
now resides, and is an active member of the 
Congregational Church. 

A. N. STEVENSON, Lamoille, is a son 
of George and Elizabeth (Hayes) Stevenson. 
George Stevenson was born March 1, 1808, 
in Brooke County, W. Va. He was a tanner 
by occupation in Ohio for thirteen years. 
In October, 1848, he came to this county, 
and lived one year near Dover. The next 
year he bought 170 acres, on Section 30, in 
Lamoille Township, where he now owns 260 
acres. He is a son of Thomas and Sarah 



(Ramsey) Stevenson, who died in Tuscarawas 
County, Ohio. They came from West Vir- 
ginia and settled in Jefiferson County, Ohio, 
where they farmed and reared a family of 
eight children, viz. : George, Samuel, John, 
Thomas, Mrs. Amy Hayes (deceased), Mrs. 
Nancy Overholt, Aaron L. , and Mrs. Hulda 
Shull. Mrs. Elizabeth (Hayes) Stevenson 
was born February 6, 1813, in Jefferson 
County, Ohio. She is the mother of the fol- 
lowing children: Mrs. Sarah J. Garten, 
Mrs. Mai-y A. Mutchmore, Martha M. 
(deceased), and Albert N. Stevenson, who 
was born August 4, 1851. He is farming the 
home farm. He was married here March 20, 
1879, to Susan Mallonee, who was born in 
Belmont County, Ohio. She is a daughter of 
Lewis and Sarah A. (Ewers) Mallonee, and is 
the mother of two children, viz. : E. Darlene, 
born March 10, 1880, and Alma M., born 
March 31, 1884. 

WILLIAM STEVENSON, Neponset, was 
born July 28, 1817, in Hannibal, Oswego Co., 
N.Y. His father, Wm. Stevenson,Sr., was born 
in 1794, in "Washington County, N. Y., shortly 
after his parents landed in America. He 
died March, 1883. The grandparents of our 
subject, Samuel and Margaret (Jimmeson) 
Stevenson, were natives of Ireland, and as 
far as known their ancestors were Protest- 
ants. She was of Scotch descent. They 
died in Washington County, N. Y. The 
mother of our subject, Marilla Dunton, sup- 
posed to be of Puritan descent, was a native 
of Dorset, Vt. She died in 1850, in Hannibal, 
N. Y. She was the mother of eight children, 
viz.: William, Nancy, George; Mary and 
Sarah are twins; Clarissa, Samuel aud Ma- 
villa. Our subject was educated in the com- 
mon and select schools of his native town. 
In 1851 he came to Marshall County, 111., 
where he farmed thirteen years, and then 
moved onto a farm of eighty acres in Nepon- 
set Township, Biu-eau Co., 111., where he 
at present resides. As a farmer, Mr. Steven- 
son has been very successful, and been ena- 
bled to assist his children. Mr. Stevenson 
was married twice; the first time July 4, 
1843, in Sterling, N. Y., to Ellen E. Van- 
petten, who was born October 15, 1815, in 
Albany County, N. Y. She died April 18, 
1881. Her parents were Peter and Lydia 



666 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



(Bullock) Vanpetten; the former of Holland- 
ish descent, the latter of English. Both died 
in New York State. Mrs. Ellen E. Stevenson 
was the mother of five children, viz. : Mrs. 
Lydia Malaney, Eliza E., Mrs. Margaret 
Blake, William J. and George H. Our sub- 
ject's present wife, Mrs. Ruby Vanpetten, 
nee Ruby Emery, is the mother of seven 
children now living, by her first husband, 
Matthew B. Vanpetten. The names of the 
children are Mrs. Elizabeth Robinson Emery, 
John B., Matthew B., Mrs. Mary Traxler, 
Edwin and Bina. Mr. and Mrs. Stevenson 
are active members of the church. She is a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
and he has been a member of the Congrega- 
tional Church since his boyhood. Politically 
Mr. Stevenson is a Republican. As the even- 
ing twilight of life gathers around him he 
can take a retrospective view of life, be sat- 
isfied and quietly and peacefully await the 
result in the future. 

JAMES B. STEWART, Buda, was born in 
Venango County, Penn., February 5, 1818. 
He is the son of Elijah and Lydia (Reynolds) 
Stewart. Elijah Stewart was born in Ches- 
ter County, Penn., June 14, 1783. He em- 
igrated to Venango County, Penn., in 1802. 
By trade he was a tanner, and he and his 
brother built a tannery in Venango County 
soon after settling there, and he continued 
the business until his death, which occurred 
August 14, 1847. His wife, Lydia (Reynolds) 
Stewart, was born in England, and was the 
daughter of William Reynolds, who settled 
in Venango County in 1797, and was the first 
settler in Cherry Tree Township. Mrs. Stew- 
art was born August 23, 1786, and died April 
19, 1864. She was the mother of twelve 
children, nine of whom grow to maturity; 
however, only five now survive. James B. 
Stewart's early life was spent on the farm 
and in the tanyard. October 30, 1866, he 
was united in marriage to Miss Hannah J. 
Sweet, who was born in Richland County, 
Ohio, and is the daughter of Curtis Sweet, 
who died in Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart are 
members of the Congregational Church. In 
politics he is Republican. In 1867 Mr. Stew- 
art came to Buda, 111., from Venango County, 
Penn., and to him Buda owes much, for 
through his enterprise much was done to bene- 



fit the village. His first business was that of 
building the Buda Flouring Mills in 1869. 
The mill was overhauled in 1882, and the 
latest improvements in machinery added. In 
February, 1884, it was partially destroyed by 
fire, since which time the machinery has been 
removed to Rushville, 111. Mr. Stewart was 
also one of the originators of the Buda Man- 
ufacturing Company, and for some years has 
been buying and shipping grain from this 
station. 

DAVID C. STICKEL, Manlius, was born 
in Muskingum County, Ohio, March 29, 1831. 
His father, Thomas Stickel, was a native of 
Ohio, and his mother, Phebe (Spangler) 
Stickel, of Maryland. In 1842 they removed 
to Wyandot County, Ohio, and in 185-5 to Ill- 
inois, where the father died November 21, 
1866. The mother is still living, and makes 
Bureau County her home. Of their family 
of ten children, six are yet living; two reside 
in this county, David C. and Mrs. Eliza 
Mowry, of Wyanet. David C. Stickel came 
to Bureau County March 31, 1854. For three 
years he worked at his trade of carpentering, 
and then began farming, settling on Section 
25, Manlius Township. At that time there 
were no improvements whatever, and he built 
the first five houses in Section 25, Manlius 
Township. He has given most of his time to 
farming, and owns 120 acres of land. Mr. 
Stickel was married in Bureau County, No- 
vember 16, 1856, to Rebecca White, born in 
Harrison County, Ohio, January 13, 1839. 
She is a daughter of James White (see sketch 
of J. P. White). Mr. and Mrs. Stickel are 
the parents of eight children, viz.: Laura 
Emma, born July 15, 1858, wife of A. Q. 
Wark, of Adair County, Iowa; Tribby J., 
born December 2, 1859, a farmer in Manlius 
Township, married to Mary R. Scott; James 
T., born May 14, 1862; Tephrona, born No- 
vember 11, 1863; Philinda, born August 2, 
1865; Clara, born November 8, 1869; Ida T., 
born September 11, 1872; Frank E., born 
July 24, 1881. Politically Mr. Stickel is 
identified with the Republican party, and 
takes an active part in local matters, and has 
held various oSices. He is a member of the 
United Brethren Church. 

ALVAH STILES, Bureau, was born in 
Greene County, Ohio, February 21, 1831. He 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



667 



is the son of Abram and Sarah (Martin) 
Stiles, both natives of New York State, but 
who moved to Ohio in childhood, where they 
were married and lived until 1852, when 
they settled in this county. Abram Stiles 
was born January 1, 1806, and is still living 
in this county. His wife was born in 1808 
and died in February, 1882. They were the 
parents of thirteen childi-en, eight of whom 
reached maturity, viz.: Alvah; Urana Key- 
nolds, of Washington Territory; Lucretia 
Pierce, of Bureau Township; Druzilla Clay- 
ton, of Walnut Township; Minerva Marsh, 
of Iowa; Elzina Phillips, of Walnut Town- 
ship; Henry Stiles, of Iowa; Ellen Epperson, 
of Walnut Township. Alvah Stiles was 
reared in Logan County, Ohio, his parents 
having moved there when he was two years 
old. He was reared on a farm and educated 
in the common schools; many days of his 
young life were spent in the woods clearing 
and making rails. In the spring of 1854 he 
came to Bureau County, though he had been 
through the county prospecting in 1S51 and 
1852. He has since made this his home, 
with the exception of eighteen months in Kan 
sas in 1859 and 1860. He was married in Lo- 
gan County, Ohio, October 31, 1853, to Elvira 
Darrin. She was born in New York August 
9, 1835, youngest daughter of Abel and 
Millison (Vermilya) Darrin. The father was 
a native of Massachusetts and the mother of 
New York; both died in Ohio. Mr. and 
Mrs. Stiles have seven children, viz. : Miner- 
va E., born February 9, 1855, wife of David 
Wallace of Bureau Township; Amanda A., 
born April 20, 1861, wife of Frank Wallace 
•of Manlius Township; Sanford Marion, born 
April 27, 1864; Laura V.,born May 4, 1867; 
Etta Florence, born December 11, 1869; 
George A., born March 29, 1873; Jesse F., 
born May 18, 1877. Mr. Stiles came to this 
county with little property, and has been suc- 
cessful, mostly through the growing of hogs 
for market. One year he sold 118 head of 
his own raising, which averaged 418 pounds. 
His farm in Sections 13 and 14 contains 286 
acres, and 200 acres in Manlius Township. 
In politics he is a Democrat. 

JUDGE GEORGE W. STIPP, Princeton. 
From a recently published biographical 
work, we obtain the following sketch. One 



of the most eminent men on the circuit bench 
in Illinois is George W. Stipp, who is self- 
educated and self-made in the true sense of 
the terms. He began and ended his school 
days in a log-schoolhouse in Champaign 
County, Ohio, where he was born March 2, 
1818. His father was Peter Stipp, a farmer 
in early life, later a school teacher and 
preacher, he belonging to the so-called New 
Light denomination. He was born in Vir- 
ginia and was a soldier in the second war 
with England. He married Elizabeth Har- 
rison, a native of Kentucky. Mr. Stipp 
commenced reading law at Bellefontaine, 
Ohio, with William Lawrence; came to Can- 
ton, this State, in 1845, before finishing his 
legal studies; went into the Mexican war in 
1846 as First Lieutenant Company K, Fourth 
Illinois Infantry, Col. E. D. Baker Com- 
mander; returned to Bellefontaine the next 
year and resumed his studies; finished them 
at the Cincinnati Law School. He returned 
to Canton, 111., March, 1848, and was ad- 
mitted to the bar in Mason County, this 
State, in May of that year, Hon. Richard 
Yates being one of his examiners. Mr. Stipp 
practiced law a few years at Lewiston, Ful- 
ton County, being at one time partner of Hon. 
Lewis W. Ross, since a member of Congress. 
In the autumn of 1853 Mr. Stipp settled in 
Princeton, 111., and soon took a high position 
at the Bureau County bar. He was elected 
Prosecuting Attorney of the county in 1857, 
and held that oflBce between one and two 
years. In September, 1861, he went into the 
army as Captain, Company B, Yates' Sharp- 
shooters, afterward Sixty-fourth Illinois In- 
fantry, and served till December, 1862, when 
he resigned on account of ill health. He 
came out as Major of the regiment. Mr. 
Stipp has a judicial turn of mind, and it be- 
came evident some years ago that he had, in 
a marked degree, the qualities which fitted 
him for a jurist, and in June, 1879, he was 
elected Judge of the Ninth Judicial Circuit, 
an office he yet tills with much credit to the 
bench, and great satisfaction to the public. 
He has profound legal attainments, seems to 
be equally well versed in criminal and civil 
law, has no disposition to reward fi-iends or 
punish enemies, if he has any, and hence is 
unbiased by prejudice, impartial, cool, 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



self-poised and emphatically a just judge. 
In politics he was originally a Whig; voted 
for Stephen A. Douglas for President in 
1860, and has since affiliated with the Demo- 
cratic party. Judge Stipp was married May 
29, 1849, to Miss Louisa C. Wolf, of West 
Liberty, Ohio, and they have ten children, 
four of whom, two sons and two daughters, 
are married. 

GEORGE W. STONE, Princeton, was born 
October 22, 1830, in Worcester County, Mass. 
His father. Independence Stone, was born 
April 6, 1809, in Worcester County, Mass., 
and yet resides in Lamoille, Bureau Co., 111., 
to which he came in 1857. He was a farmer 
by occupation. The grandfather of George 
W. Stone was Daniel Stone, a native of Mas- 
sachusetts, where he died. He was born 
Jauuary, 1760, and died September 27, 1829. 
He married Ann Gibson, who was born March, 
1770; she died April, 1856, in Massachusetts, 
the State of her nativity. She was the mother 
of thirteen children, viz.: Daniel, Jr., who 
died in infancy; Daniel, Jr., 2d; Jonathan, 
Ann B., John, Eliza, Jonas, Lydia, Thomas. 
Independence, George Z., Liberty and Han- 
nah. Of these Jonas resides in Westboro, 
Mass., Independence in Lamoille, III., and 
Liberty in Buda, Bureau Co., 111. The mother 
of our subject was Mary (Coy) Stone, who 
was born August 3, 1810, in Belchertown, 
Mass. She died in 1864 in Princeton. She 
was the mother of three children, viz. : Mrs. 
Augusta Hannover, of Lamoille; George W., 
our subject, and Mrs. Caroline Robinson, of 
De Witt, Iowa. Our subject was educated in 
Massachusetts and is a self-made man. In 
early life he was engaged in the mercantile 
business in the East. In 1852 he went to 
California by water via the Isthmus of Pan- 
ama. He was delayed by different causes, 
and it took him five months to reach his des- 
tination. His labors in the gold mines were 
successful, and after a sojourn of three years 
he embarked for home on the steamer Golden 
Age, which foundered off the coast of Pana- 
ma. The passengers were all safely landed 
on a small island in the Pacific Ocean, from 
which they were rescued by the steamer John 
L. Stevens. Mr. Stone only remained home 
a few months, and then came West, arriving 
in Princeton in August, 1855. Here he fol- 



lowed the mercantile business for a number 
of years. In 1868 he was appointed United 
States Assessor of Internal Revenue, which 
position he filled for four years. In 1872 he 
was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court of 
Bureau County, serving one term of four 
years. Since then he has farmed and dealt 
extensively in land both here and in the West, 
owning land in Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas, 
to which he makes frequent trips. Mr. Stone 
has been married twice. His first wife was 
Ann M. Wadham, a native of Massachusetts; 
she died in Princeton; she was the mother of 
Mary Stone, who was born January 19, 1860. 
His present wife's maiden name was Miss Jen- 
nie E. Elliott, a daughter of John and Mary 
(Hughes) Elliott. Mrs. Jennie E. Stone is the 
mother of two daughters, viz. : Maude H. was 
born November 25, 1862, and Cora B. was l)orn 
September 6, 1864. Mrs. Stone and the two 
oldest children are members of the Christian 
Church. Mr. Stone has always taken a deep 
interest in all matters pertaining to the wel- 
fare of the people and has filled a number of 
offices and given general satisfaction. He is 
much interested in all agricultural matters, 
and has been Secretary of the Bureau County 
Agricultural Society for a number of years. 
He has also been Vice-President of the State 
Agricultural Board for this District. In po- 
litical matters Mr. Stone has been identified 
with the Republican party. He is a 
member of Temple Commandery Knights 
Templar, No. 20. 

LIBERTY STONE, Buda. The subject of 
this sketch was born in Shrewsbury, Worces- 
ter Co., Mass., May 15, 1813. He is the son 
of Daniel and Anna (Gibson) Stone, both na- 
tives of Massachusetts, where they lived and 
died. Mr. Stone was reared on a farm till 
he was fifteen years of age, when he went 
into a currier's shop, and then learned the 
trade of shoe-making. For two years he was 
in partnership with his brother in manufac- 
turing boots and shoes; at the end of that 
time he retired from the business and came 
West, landing in Peoria, 111., May 6, 1838. 
In coming to Peoria he had traveled most of 
the distance by water, having gone by steam- 
er from Providence, R. I., to New York City; 
then after reaching Philadelphia, Penu. , he 
took canal and railroad to Pittsburgh, and 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



669 



from there to Peoria he made the trip by 
steamboats on the rivers. He brought a stock 
of goods with him to this State, but sold the 
goods out as soon as possible, and for some 
months worked at a brick yard in Peoria, but 
during the season purchased land at Osceola, 
Stark Co., and removed to it in September, 
1838, and began its improvement. A few 
years later he settled on Section 5, Range 14, 
Township 7, and within one-half mile of the 
Bureau County line, but in the fall of 1873 
came to Buda. He was married March 31, 
1830, in Westboro, Mass., to Julia M. Wins- 
low, who was born in Worcester County, Au- 
gust 17, 1811, and was the daughter of Ezra 
and Martha (Fisher) Winslow, both natives 
of Massachusetts. Mrs. Stone died July 15, 
1853. October 5, 1853, Mr. Stone was uni- 
ted in marriage in Stark County, 111., to 
Thankful B. Lesan, who was born in Mont- 
ville. Me., May 14, 1821, daughter of John 
and Elizabeth (Brooks) Lesan, both natives 
of Maine, who in 1830 had removed to Ohio, 
and six years later, in 1836, came to Bureau 
County, 111. They remained here but a short 
time, when they settled in Knox County, but 
in 1838 removed to Osceola, Stark County. 
The mother died in Illinois, but the father 
in Iowa. They came to Illinois across the 
country in a " prairie schooner " drawn by 
four yoke of oxen. Mr. and Mrs. Stone are 
members of the Congregational Church. In 
politics he is Republican, but his first vote 
for President was for James G. Birney, the 
Abolition candidate. Mr. Stone was an act- 
ive anti -slavery man, and was associated with 
Owen Lovejoy and others on the "underground 
railroad." By his first wife Mr. Stone has 
the following children; Henry S., born in 
Westboro, Mass., April 5, 1837 (he went 
into the service in Company F, One Hundred 
and Twelfth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Col. 
Thomas J. Henderson, and at the battle of 
Franklin, Tenn., he lost his right arm; he 
was married November 2, 1857, to Martha L. 
Stacy, and now resides in Republic City, 
Kan.); the second child, Almira L., was born 
July 27, 1840, in Osceola, 111., and died 
March 27, 1841; Louisa A. was born Febru- 
ary 11, 1843, married February 3, 1869, to 
William Jackson, and now resides at Elmira, 
Stark Co., 111.; Celia L., born January 23, 



1844, married December 23, 1868, to George 
S. Emerson, now of Havana, Mason Co., 111.; 
George G. , born April 4, 1846, served in 
Company F, One Hundred and Twelfth Illi- 
nois Volunteer Infantry, and was wounded at 
Resaca, Ga. (he was married June 2, 1868, 
to Hannah Mooney, and now lives at Plain- 
view, Pierce Co. , Neb. ) ; Oscar T. , born Octo- 
ber 15, 1847, died February 15, 1848; Ellen 
F., born September 11, 1848, married October 
14, 1807. to Newell H. Blanchard, now of 
Creston, Iowa. By the second wife he is the 
father of the following-named children: Otto 
A., born August 18, 1854, married January 
17, 1881, to Lizzie Floyd, and now lives in 
Buda; Julia W., born August 6, 1856, mar- 
ried March 11, 1880, to Edmund J. Swope, of 
Macon Township; Millie B., born April 7, 
1859, died October 4, 1859; Chester M., born 
March 13, 1861, died December 27, 1865; El- 
bert S. , born August 6, 1804, died February 
27, 1865. 

L. H. STREETER, Princeton, was born 
January 7, 1827, in Phelps, Ontario Co., N. 
Y. He is a son of Simeon D. and Aborene 
S. (Danielson) Streeter. The former was a 
native of New Hampshire, but reared in New 
York, where he was a broadcloth manufactui-- 
er. He died in Phelps, N. Y., aged sixty- 
three years. He was a soldier in the war of 
1812. The mother of our subject was a na- 
tive of Cooperstown, N. Y. Her parents, 
Frederick and Fanny (Huntington) Daniel- 
son, were of English extraction. Mrs. Ab- 
orene S. Streeter was the mother of twelve 
children. Our subject was educated princi- 
pally in his native town. At the age of 
eighteen he was appointed Deputy Clerk of 
the United States District Court at Key West, 
Fla. In early life he was a clerk and book- 
keeper for many years. He has also been 
collecting and general agent for several of 
our large reaper manufactories in diflerent 
States. Eventually he located in Chicago, 
where, in the spring of 1802, he was appoint- 
ed United States Assistant Assessor for the 
first division of that city. In 1866 he re- 
moved his family to Waukegan, and for ten 
years traveled between that city and Chicago, 
at which latter place he did business. First 
he started the United States Revenue Agency, 
for which business he was well qualified, owing 



670 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



to his large acquaintance among business 
men, but as the revenue laws were continu- 
ally changing he closed the office after one 
year and engaged in the insiu'ance and real 
estate business. In June, 1877, he came 
to Princeton, and the following March was 
appointed Deputy County Treasurer by E. 
A. Washburn, and has filled that office ever 
since to the entire satisfaction of Mr. Wash- 
burn and the people of Bureau County. Mr. 
Streeter was married in Beloit, Wis., to So- 
phronia Ames, a native of St. Lawrence 
County, N. Y. She is the mother of Mary 
A. and Margaret N. Streeter. Our subject is 
a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
and the A. F. & A. M. fraternity. His knowl- 
edge of business laws and contact with busi- 
ness men have qualified him for any position 
of public trust. 

THEODORE P. STREETER, Princeton, 
was born in Phelps, Ontario Co., N. Y., Jan- 
uary 14, 1842. He is the son of Simeon D. and 
Aborene (Danielson) Streeter. The father 
died in Phelps, N. Y., but the mother in Chi- 
cago, 111. In 1851 our subject removed with 
his mother to Racine, Wis., and at a later 
date to Beloit, "Wis. At the age of twelve 
years he went into a printing office, and has 
almost constantly followed the same occupa- 
tion since. In 1856 he came to Bureau 
County, 111., but after a short stay at Dover 
he went to Iowa, but returned to this county 
in 1859. September 16, 1861, he enlisted 
in Company B, Fifty-seventh Illinois Volun- 
teer Infantry, and served till July 7, 1865, 
when he received his discharge. During the 
first part of his service Mr. Streeter partici- 
pated in many severe engagements, among 
which were the battle of Fort Donelson, the 
siege and battle of Corinth, the fall of Re- 
saca, Ga. For about eighteen months he had 
charge of a Government printing office at 
Rome, Ga., and published a paper called Our 
Flag, at Rome. During this time he was on 
detached service, and so continued until his 
discharge. During the march to the sea, and 
till the close of the war, he was on duty at 
the headquarters of Gen. J. M. Corse, 
Fourth Division Fifteenth Army Corps. At 
the close of the war he again returned to 
Princeton, and has been in a printing office 
most of the time since, and since 1873 has 



been the lessee of the job department of the 
Republican printing office. September 4, 
1865, he was married in this county to Miss 
Harriet E. Triplett, who was born here, and 
is the daughter of McCayga and Emily (Wis- 
wall) Triplett. Mr. and Sirs. Triplett came 
to Bureau County, 111., in about 1834, and 
Mrs. Triplett died here, but he is now a resi- 
dent of California. Mr. and Mrs. Streeter 
have two children, viz. : George M. and Hen- 
ry C. He is a member of Princeton Lodge 
A. F. & A. M., No. 587; Princeton Chapter, 
No. 28; Orion Council, No. 8, R. & S. 
M. ; Temple Commandery, No. 20, K. T. ; 
Princeton Lodge of Perfection, A. & S. R. ; 
Princeton Council, P. of J., A. A. S. R. ; 
Princeton Chapter, Rose Croix, A. A. S. R. ; 
Princeton Consistory, A. A. S. R. He is a 
member of the Beauseant Lodge, No. 19, K. 
of P. ; Princeton Division, No. 8, U. R. K. 
of P. He is First Assistant Grand Com- 
mander of the First Grand Division of the 
Uniform Knights of Illinois K. of P. He is 
also Commander of the Ferris Post, No. 309, 
G. A. R., and is First Lieutenant Company 
E, Sixth Regiment Illinois National Guards. 

THOMAS STUDLEY, Neponset, was born 
Ajpril 23,1832, in Yorkshire, England; son 
of William and Ann (Chapman) Studley, the 
pioneers of Neponset Township. Our sub- 
ject was reared and educated in Bureau 
County, where he has made farming his oc- 
cupation, and for the last twenty years been 
engaged in the stock business. He has now 
about 600 acres of land in Neponset and Min- 
eral Townships. He was married here to Han- 
nah Dunn, a native of Michigan. She is the 
mother six children, viz. : IL-s. Minerva J. 
Motheral, a resident of Iowa; Mrs. Eva Mar- 
ton, of Vermont; Elma, Mary, Victor and 
Emma. Politically Mr. Studley is identi- 
fied with the Democratic party. 

JOSEPH SUTHERLAND, Milo, was born 
February 16, 1824, in Washington County, 
Ind. His great-grandfather was a native of 
Scotland. His grandfather, Roger Suther- 
land, was a native of New York; he died in 
Missouri. The latter's son, Isaac Sutherland, 
who is the father of our subject, was born in 
1804 in New York State. At the age of sev- 
enteen he went to Indiana, where he farmed 
till November, 1839, when he came to Milo 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



671 



Township in Bureau County, but soon after- 
ward went to Fulton County, where he lived 
five years and then returned to this county. 
Here he resided till August, 1876, when he 
went to Iowa, where he died two years after- 
ward. He was married twice. His first wife, 
Sylvia Hackett, was born in Ohio. She died 
in 1835. She was the mother of eight children 
of whom four are yet living, viz.: Joseph, 
Sylvester, Mrs. Philena Whipple and Darius. 
His second wife, Mrs. Margaret Keerns (nee 
McKeaig), was the mother of three chil- 
dren by her first marriage and six by her 
last. Of these, Harrison and Harvey, who are 
twins, Lemuel and Charley, are yet living in 
Iowa. Oui- subject is principally self edvi- 
cated. He was married January 13, 1850, 
to Matilda Weidman, born November 18, 
1830, in Champaign County, Ohio. She is 
a daughter of J. W. Weidman, and is the 
mother of the following childi-en: Edwin, 
Clara E., Elzora (deceased, aged sixteen 
years), Mrs. Emma Kelso, Mrs. Hulda Shim- 
mel, Frank (deceased), Nettie, Sylva and 
Walter Sutherland. Joseph Sutherland is a 
Republican, and is one of the most intelli- 
geDt and leading men in Milo Township. 
He has been Constable six years, Commis- 
sioner twelve years, Treasurer six years and 
filled school offices. He has been a success- 
ful farmer and owns 300 acres of land in this 
county and 3,360 acres in Nebraska. 

FERDINAND SUTTON, Maiden, was 
born in St. Clairsville, Belmont, Co., Ohio, 
September 30, 1823. His father, Manoah 
Sutton, was born September 15, 1791, at 
Dover, N. J. He was a bricklayer and 
plasterer by trade, but also engaged in farm- 
ing; he died in York, Penn., October, 1855. 
He was married November 16, 1820, at 
Flushing, Ohio, to Elizabeth Frazier, born in 
Culpepper, Va., February 14, 1798, and now 
residing in Maiden. They were the parents 
of eight children, four of whom are now liv- 
ing, viz.: Alice Ann, born August 11, 1821, 
wife of Joseph Morrison; Ferdinand, born 
September 30, 1823; William, born June 12, 
1828, of Maiden; Phebe E., born January 
10, 1832, wife of Freeman Rackley, of Mai- 
den. In 1852 the family came to Bureau 
County, settling first in Dover Township and 
afterward in Berlin. Ferdinand Sutton has 



made this county his home since 1852, being 
engaged in farming and in the grain and 
stock business. For some time he lived on 
the farm, also three years in Princeton, but 
for several years past has resided in Maiden, 
and carried on the grain and stock business, 
though he and wife still own a farm of 526 
acres in Selby Township. Mr. Sutton's 
opportunity for gaining an education was so 
limited that he only attended school fourteen 
days; nevertheless, through his own energy 
he has overcome all difficulties and made life 
a success. He was married in this county, 
April 1, 1858, to Nancy J. Field. She was 
born in Harrison County, Ohio, February 10, 
1838,' and died April' 9, 1865, in Berlin 
Township, 111. She was the mother of 
three children: Charles, born January 16, 
1859, married to Lena Callinan, October 11, 
1882; Frank, born February 20, 1861, a 
merchant of Cheney, Neb. ; Mary, born Feb- 
ruary 22, 1863. Mr. Sutton was married 
September 25, 1867, to Angelia (Adams) 
Pierce. Her father, William B. Adams, was 
born in Otsego, Otsego Co. , N. Y., February 
11, 1806, and his wife Priscilla was born at 
the same place February 16, 1806. Their 
children were also born in Otsego County, 
N. Y. Lyman B. was born January 27, 1833; 
Angelia A., born June 22, 1835. Lyman B. 
Adams was married to Rebecca Burnham, 
September 20, 1853, at Fredonia, N. Y. 
Their son, Charley B., was born November 27, 
1855, in Selby, 111., and died December 16, 
1882, at Maiden. Rebecca Adams died 
March 19, 1882, at Maiden, 111. Angelia A. 
Adams was married to Rhodolphus F. Pierce, 
June 22, 1851, at Hartwick, Otsego Co., N. 
Y. He was born September 10, 1830, in 
Otsego County, N. Y., and died May 2, 1861, 
in Selby, 111. William B. Adams and all of 
his family came to Selby, Bureau Co., 111., 
May 5, 1854, and settled on the old John 
Hall farm. William B. Adams died August 
18, 1869, at Maiden. His widow, Priscilla, is 
still living at Maiden, 111. 

NEWTON B. SWAN, Hall. William 
Swan, grandfather of the gentleman whose 
name heads this sketch, came from Morgan 
County, 111., in the fall of 1833, and settled 
on land now owned by H. W. Munson, in 
Hall Township, known as the McNamara 



673 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



farm, the McNamaras having come here about 
1836. William Swan was the father of the 
following children: James G., John W., Mrs. 
Mary Hall, wife of John W. Hall, who 
escaped from the Indian Creek massacre, 
William, Wilson, Mrs. Jane Combs, George, 
Franklin, Martha and Mrs. Sarah A. Melick. 
The Swan family all came here together, but 
there are no descendants here now except the 
family of James G. Four of William Swan's 
sons removed to Nebraska. James G. Swan 
was born October 30,1808, near Murfreesboro, 
Tenn. He came to Illinois in 1831, and to 
Bureau County in 1833. Ho made a claim 
and entered eighty acres of land, and after- 
ward tifty-two acres in Hall Township, 
where his son, Newton B., now resides. In 
1870 he removed to Peru, where he died. 
His quiet and good-humored jokes are still 
fresh in the memories of all Peruvians. He 
was a man who made no enemies, and dur- 
ing his long residence in the county he built 
up a character that will preserve his memory 
green in the hearts of hundreds of warm 
friends, and cause the exclamation "another 
good man has passed away." James G. Swan 
was married in Tazewell County, 111., to 
Susan Larimore, a native of Virginia. She 
died in Harmon, Lee County, in 1876, at the 
age of sixty-one years. They were the par- 
ents of nine children, viz.: Mrs. Sarah E. 
McKenuey, Mrs. Nancy J. Berlin, William 
G., George W., Mrs. Martha A. Graver, New- 
ton B., James M., John T. and Mary C. 
Smedley. Newton B. Swan was born Febru- 
ary 4, 1846, in Hall Township. He was 
married in this county July 3, 1866, to 
Samantha Miller, born February 2, 1851, in 
Hall Township. She is the daughter of 
Edward H. and Matilda E. (Munson) Miller, 
now living near Princeton. Mr. and Mrs. 
Swan have two children: Edith M. and 
Vernie M. Politically he is a Democrat, as 
was also his father. He owns 170 acres in 
Hall Township. 

JACOB L. SWEET, Concord, was born 
in Richland County, Ohio, October 10, 1818. 
He is the son of Barton and Sarah (Van 
Wormer) Sweet. The father was born in 
Rutland, Vt., but the mother was a native of 
Now York State. They both died in Ohio, 
to which State they had removed in 1816. 



They were the parents of ten children, only 
four of whom yet survive. The eldest, Na- 
than Sweet, was born in 1797, and is now an 
active old man, living in this county. The 
others now living, are Jacob L., Cyrus, and 
Mrs. Elizabeth Welsh, who now lives in At- 
lantic, Iowa. The three brothers are all in 
Bureau County. Our subject was reared in 
Ohio, and in early manhood learned the car- 
jaenter's and joiner's trade, and followed it 
for many years. April 23, 1842, he landed 
in Bureau County, having traveled the dis- 
tance from his old home on horse back, and 
most of the time alone, and when there was 
but one house between Urbana, 111., and Leroy, 
near Bloomington, 111. In 1843 he returned 
to Ohio, and remained there till the spring 
of 1844, when, in company with his brother 
Cyrus, he again came to Bureau County. He 
first settled in Macon Township, on Section 
5, when there was but one other family living 
in the township, that of Thomas Motherell. 
Mr. Sweet remained in Macon till 1848, 
when he removed to Section 32, in Concord 
Township, and in 1864 to his present farm 
in Section 33, which was hrst settled by 
Joseph Foster, who kept what is known as 
the French Grove Hotel. For many years 
after coming to this county Mr. Sweet hired 
men to work the farm, and he gave his atten- 
tion to carpenter work, and he finished the 
work on the first frame house ever built in 
Toulon, 111. Mr. Sweet has experienced the 
hardships of a pioneer, but his labors have 
not been without their reward. He now owns 
in Concord and Macon Townships about 600 
acres of land besides lands elsewhere. In po- 
litical views he is Republican, but in early 
life was a Whig. For several years he was 
Supervisor of Concord Township, and now 
holds his sixth commission as Justice of the 
Peace. He and wife are active members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. June 25, 1844, 
he was united in marriage in this county to 
Florenda T. Stevens, who was born in Mas- 
sachusetts, and was a davighter of Benjamin 
Stevens, one of the early settlers in this coun- 
ty. She was the mother of four children, viz.: 
Sarah M., born September 19, 1845, died in 
Iowa, November 8, 1866 — she was the wife of 
Wesley D. Barnes; Arvilla A., born March 7, 
1848, wife of Charles W. Ellis, of Dallas 



II 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



673 



County, Iowa; Henry L. Sweet, born May 3, 
1849, now of Kent, Loup Co., Neb.; John 
B. Sweet, born May 17, 1851, resides at 
Aurora, Neb. Mrs. Sweet, died in 1853. Mr. 
Sweet was married April 10, 1854, in this 
county, to Emiline Newbaker, who was born 
in Perry County, Penn., September 21, 1828. 
She is the daughter of George W. and Ann 
(Buchanan) Newbaker, both natives of Penn- 
sylvania. The father died in Pennsylvania, 
but the mother carae to Bureau County and 
died here. She was the mother of two chil- 
dren now living, viz. : Amos B. Newbaker, 
on Section 16, Concord Township, and Mrs. 
Sweet. Mrs. Sweet is the mother of the fol- 
lowing named children: Orrie E., born May 
24. 1858, wife of Frank D. White, of Sioux 
Rapids, Iowa; Alfred G., born May 17,1862, 
and Effie A., born Februaiy 14, 1871. The 
two younger live in this coanty. 

JAMES W. TEMPLETON, Princeton, 
The gentleman whose name heads this para- 
graph is a native of St. Clairsville, Belmont 
Co., Ohio. Since 1863 Mr. Templeton has 
been closely identified with the history of 
Bureau County, III, as he settled permanent- 
ly in Princeton that year, and the following 
spring was appointed Deputy County Clerk. 
He served in that capacity till the fall of 
1869, when he was elected County Clerk, 
which office he filled till 1873. In April, 
1875, he was appointed Postmaster of Prince- 
ton, which position he still occupies. De- 
cember 21, 1870, Mr. Templeton was united 
in marriage to Miss Mandana M. Stevens, 
a daughter of Justus Stevens, of Princeton. 
Mr. and Mrs. Templeton are the parents of 
one son and one daughter. 

MARCUS THACKABERRY. Fairfield, 
was born April 25, 1817, in Queens County, 
Ireland. His grandfather, William Thacka- 
berry, was a native of Palatine, Germany, 
from whence he and bis two brothers emi- 
grated to Ireland when young men. The 
parents of our subject were William and 
Elizabeth (Christian) Thackaberry, natives 
of Ireland, where they died. The former 
died May 15, 1833, aged fifty-two years; the 
latter died many years afterward, aged 
seventy-five years. She was the mother of 
six children, viz. : Mary A., deceased; Rich- 
ard; Mrs. Deborah Lawler. of Hartford, 



Conn. ; Marcus, our subject; Jane and Henry. 
Marcus Thackaberry came to the United 
States in 1846. He landed in New York, 
where he worked in the forge till 1850; from 
there he went to Pennsylvania, where he lived 
till 1852, and then he came to Bureau County, 
111., and rented a farm four miles north of 
Princeton, where he resided till the fall of 
1857, when he bought eighty acres of land in 
Fairfield Township, where he now resides and 
owns 520 acres. He came to Bureau County 
a poor man; $13 was the extent of his wealth, 
with which he bought a cow. To-day he is one 
of the richest men in the township. He was 
married, in Dublin, Ireland, to Mary Gray, 
who was born there. She is the mother of 
nine children, viz. : Mary J., died in infancy; 
Mrs. Anna E. Rowe, William H., Israel C, 
Marcella R., Milton L., Marcus, Mary A. and 
Mrs. Alverette Berry. Of these only the last 
named, Marcus, Mrs. Anna E. Rowe and Mil- 
ton L., an attorney at law in Chicago, are now 
living. Mr. and Mrs. Thackaberry are mem- 
bers of the United Brethren Church; they 
were formerly Episcopalians. He is a Dem- 
ocrat, and a member of the A. F. & A. M. 
fraternity. 

ALEXANDER H. THOMPSON, M. D., 
Princeton. Among those of the medical 
fraternity of Bureau County who have be- 
come eminent in the profession is the gen- 
tleman whose name heads this sketch. The 
parents of Dr. Alexander H. Thompson were 
Henry and Sarah ( Grant) Thompson, both 
natives of New York. The former was born 
1798, and died 1845; he was a builder and 
contractor by occupation. He was a gallant 
soldier in the war of 1812, participating ia 
many thrilling scenes and skirmishes with the 
Indians, by whom he was taken prisoner, but 
eventually gained his freedom, after many 
months of captivity. The mother was born 
1803, and died December 31, 1SS3. Her 
parents were Peter and Hannah (Banker) 
Grant, of Scotch extraction. She was the 
mother of seven children, of whom four are 
now living, viz.: John W . Peter G., Byron 
S. and our subject. John W. is a Lieutenant 
on the flag ship "Trenton," of the European 
squadron. Peter G. is Superintendent of a 
jwwder-mill in Schaghticoke, N. Y. ,of which 
his brother, Byron S., is Assistant Superin- 

40 



674 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



tendent. Our subject was born NoTember 12, 
1825, in Pittstown, Rensselaer Co., N. Y. He 
attended the common schools of Pittstown, 
N. Y., till he was sixteen years old, and then 
became a student in the Troy Conference 
Academy, at West Poultney, Vt. At the end 
of three years of close application to study 
he became a teacher, following this profes- 
sion for three years, after which he com- 
menced the study of medicine in Troy, N. Y., 
with Simeon A. Cook as preceptor, graduat- 
ing at Castleton, Vt., in 1851. He com- 
menced to practice medicine in Walden, 
Orange Co., N. Y., where he remained till 
1856, when he came West, locating in 
Kenosha, Wis. During the war he was 
appointed Surgeon of the Twenty-tirst Regi- 
ment of Wisconsin Volunteers, but was pre- 
vented from accepting the position on account 
of the ill health of his wife. After the bat- 
tles of Shiloh and Perryville he was appointed 
by the Governor as a member of the Sanitary 
Committee, which repaired to the seat of war 
and looked after the health of the Wisconsin 
troops. In 1864 he removed to Chicago, 
where he remained one year, and dm'ing that 
time built up a large and lucrative pi-actice, 
which he was compelled to leave on account 
of the failing health of his wife, and in 1865 
we find Dr. Thompson in Princeton, Bureau 
Co., 111. He has followed his profession here 
ever since, and soon gained an enviable repu- 
tation as a physician, his services being of ten 
requested in consultations. He is a member 
of the Military Tract State Medical Society, 
and has twice been a delegate to the Ameri- 
can Medical Association. The Doctor is an 
A. F. & A. M., Princeton Lodge, No. 587, 
also member of the Princeton Chapter, No. 
28, and received the thirty-second degree of 
Scottish Rite. He is a member of I. O. O. F., 
and Director of the I. M. B. S. For three 
years he has been President of the Town 
Council, and in 1878 he was a candidate for 
the Senatorship of this district, being identi- 
fied with the Democratic party. Dr. Thomp- 
son was married, October 28, 1856, in Wal- 
den, Orange Co. , N. Y. , to Miss Mary Louisa 
Capron, born May 27, 1829, in Walden, N. 
Y. She is a member of the Episcopal Church. 
Her parents were Seth M. and Caroline (Sco- 
lield) Capron, both natives of New York. He 



was a descendant of the Huguenots, and was a 
woolen manufacturer by occupation. After 
graduating at West Point he was for some 
years instructor in military tactics. In 1821 
he came to St. Louis, Mo., with a regiment 
of United States troops, of which he was 
Major; with these he ascended the Missis- 
sippi River in flat-boats, and occupied Fort 
Snelling near St. Paul, which had just been 
completed. He finally returned East, where 
he followed his vocation. The life of Dr. 
Thompson has been a busy one, and in the 
summer of 1882 he made an extensive tour to 
Europe, enjoying a long needed rest, and 
visiting Scotland, England, Switzerland, and 
Naples, in Italy, returning the same year to 
his home and to his many friends in Bureau 
County, 111. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson have 
one adopted daughter — Ella Thompson. 

CHARLES THOMPSON, Lamoille, who 
is the subject of the following biography, is 
a native of Worcester County, Mass. , where he 
was born March 12, 1 813. His parents, Robert 
and Lizzie Thompson, were both natives of 
Massachusetts, where they died. They were 
the parents of eight children; of these four 
boys, viz. : Dwight, John, Orren and Charles 
Thompson, came to this county. Our subject 
came West to Bureau County in 1841. In 
1845 he went to Clarion Township, where he 
farmed successfully for about thirty years, 
and in 1876 he removed to Lamoille, where 
he now resides. Mr. Thompson was married 
in this county in 1848 to Sarah Rice, who 
was born in 1823 in Maine. She was a 
daughter of Ephraim and Eliza (Foss) Rice. 
Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are members of the 
Congregational Church, and are the parents 
of one child, Mrs. Frances M. Frizzell. Po- 
litically Mr. Thompson is a Republican. He 
has no enemies, and his life as a citizen is 
above reproach. 

J. H. THOMPSON, M. D., Walnut, was 
born in Bath, Steuben Co., N. Y, October 8, 
1834. His father, John H. Thompson, was 
also a native of Steuben County, N. Y., and 
died in Lettsville, Iowa. He married Olive 
C. Curtis, who was born in Pennsylvania, 
but reared in New York. She died in Bu- 
reau County, 111. Our subject spent his early 
life on a farm, attending school in the win- 
ter, and was able to obtain a good common 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



675 



school education. In 1857 lie began the 
study ot medicine in Lettsville, Iowa, where 
he had gone in 1856. He attended one 
course of medical lectures at Ann Ai-bor, 
Mich., in 1858 and 1859, and in February, 
1860, graduated from the Eclectic Medical 
Institute of Cincinnati, Ohio. He then lo- 
cated for the practice of his profession at 
Lettsville, Iowa. la February, 1864, he 
entered the service, during the late war, as 
Acting Assistant Surgeon, being located at 
Vicksburg, Goodrich Landing, La., and at 
Memphis, Tenn. After serving about one 
year he gave up his position on account of 
ill-health and returned home. He continued 
in the practice of medicine in Lettsville, 
Iowa, until 1875, being also engaged in the 
drug business, and was Postmaster from 1860 
until he resigned in 1875. In February of 
that year Dr. Thompson graduated from the 
Rush Medical College of Chicago, and in the 
fall of 1875 came to Bureau County. He 
located in Walnut, where he has since been 
engaged in the practice of his profession, 
and has met with excellent success. He was 
married June 11, 1863, to Emma J. Kim- 
ball, in Muscatine, Iowa. She is a native of 
Michigan, born April 27, 1839, a daughter of 
Alvin Kimball, who died at Muscatine, Iowa, 
in 1865. Her mother, who was a Stevens, 
was of an early family at Oberlin, Ohio, and 
died during Mrs. Thompson's youth. Dr. 
and Mrs. Thompson are the parents of three 
children, viz.: Alvin H., born July 13, 1864; 
Florence, November 18, 1866, and Edmund 
L., July 15, 1878. The winter of 1883 and 
1884 the Doctor spent in Arizona and Cali- 
fornia. He is interested in the Mineral 
Mountain Mining Company, whose head- 
quarters are at Tucson, Arizona. Politically 
he is identified with the Republican party. 
He is a member of the Walnut Lodge, No. 
722, A. F. & A. M., but was made a Mason at 
Lettsville. He is also a member of the Wal- 
nut Camp of Modern Woodmen. He is a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
of Walnut. 

JOSEPH V. THOMPSON, deceased, was 
born October 31, 1814, in London, England. 
When but twelve years of age his father died, 
and he was bound out to learn the shoe- 
maker's trade, which he learned, and by the 



time he was twenty years old had a shop of 
his own and several journeymen under him. 
Before he was twenty-one years of age he 
was married to Mary E. Kent, who was born 
in 1810. About a year after marriage they 
removed to the United States, and for two 
years was engaged in farming in Genesee 
County, N. Y. He then came to Bureau 
County, III., and was here engaged in farm- 
ing till 1848, when he was elected Sheriff of 
the county. After serving his term as Sheriff 
he removed to a farm west of Princeton, 
where he remained till elected County Clerk 
in 1853, after which time he resided in 
Princeton, and after retiring from office 
he engaged in no active business, except 
to look after his interests in the county, 
and to frequently settle up estates, etc. He 
was one of the Directors of what was known 
as the Illinois Grand Trunk Railroad, and 
helped secure the right of way, and then the 
roadbed was sold to the Chicago, Burlington 
& Quiucy Railroad, and is now the Clinton 
branch. Not only in this enterprise did Mr. 
Thompson take an active part, but in all 
others which were calculated to improve the 
condition of the people or county, and to the 
poor, industrious man, he was truly a friend. 
In politics he was Democratic, and strongly 
partisan, till after the defeat of Douglas in 
1860. He then took but little part in po- 
litical matters. His was a disposition which 
ran to ''the extremes. He was either all life 
and buoyancy, or else very despondent when 
matters went wi-ong. While at Tiskilwa, 
May 13, 1871, he died from a stroke of apo- 
plexy, and at the time of the stroke was tell- 
ing a story. His first wife died September 
15, 1847, and February 11, 1849. he was 
married to Miss Axia M. Moseley, a daughter 
of Roland Moseley, By the first marriage 
he had two sons, viz. : Lewis K., of Walnut 
Township, and George P., a resident of Den- 
ver, Col., and engaged in the railroad busi- 
ness. By the second marriage there are three 
children, viz.: Mary S,, an elocution teacher 
in New York City; Lucy, wife of O. G. Love- 
joy, of Princeton, and Joseph A., an attorney 
in New York City. 

LEWIS K. THOMPSON, Walnut, eldest 
son of Joseph V. Thompson, was born Sep- 
tember 16, 1844. He was reared in this 



676 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



county, and educated in the schools of 
Princeton and Notre Dame University of 
Indiana. After leaving school in 1864 he 
kept books for Fisher & Co., of Princeton, 
for one year. May, 1805, he vyent to Deca- 
tur Junction, Ala., where he was with Lieut. 
Harris on the Freedman's Bureau for about 
two years, and was then on a cotton planta- 
tion for one year. January 5, 1868, he re- 
turned to Bureau County, and has since been 
engaged in farming and the stock business, 
and now owns a well improved farm of 160 
acres in Walnut Township. June 3, 1867, 
he was married in Atliens, Ala., to Miss Re- 
becca E. Boshart, a daughter of Rudolph and 
Cynthia (Gribson) Boshart. He was of Ger- 
man descent. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are 
the parents of the following children: George 
R., Lewis K., Herbert S., Mary K. and 
Joseph v., and Inez (deceased). In politics 
Mr. Thompson is a stanch Democrat. He is 
serving his third term as Supervisor of Wal- 
nut Township. 

JAMES THOIVISON, Princeton, was born 
in Portsea, near Portsmouth, Engand, July 
15, 1809. His father, Benjamin Thomson, 
was born April 10, 1772, in Gloucestershire, 
England, and was married May 5, 1805, to 
Miss Elizabeth Moore, born January 10, 
1786. In 1818 they came to the United 
States, and the following year settled in 
Wooster, Ohio, where he was engaged in the 
drag business until his death, which occurred 
November 26, 1834. In 1844 his widow re- 
moved to Bureau County, 111., and settled on 
a farm near Princeton, where she died Octo- 
ber 11, 1857. She was the mother of thir- 
teen children, nine of whom lived to reach 
maturity, and five still survive, viz. : James, 
a resident of Princeton, 111.; Benjamin A., 
farmer and stock dealer in Iowa; Mrs. 
Matilda McGugin, who resides near Ironton, 
Lawrence Co., Ohio., where her husband is a 
member of the firm of Campbell, McGugin & 
Co., owners of "Olive" and "Buckhorn" fur- 
naces for the manufacture of iron; Mrs. 
Selina Richmond, whose husband is a farmer 
in Bureau County, 111., and Henry Thom 
son, a farmer near Topeka, Kan. The sec- 
ond son, Edward Thomson, D. D.,LL. D., was 
born in Portsea, England, October 10, 1810. 
In early manhood his profession was that of 



a physician. He graduated from the Uni- 
versity of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, in 
1829. In 1832 he became a minister in the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and was a 
worker in the church in various capacities 
until his death in Wheeling, W. Va., March 
22, 1870. He was Principal of the Meth- 
odist Seminary, at Norwalk, Ohio, from 1837 
to 1844; editor of the Ladies' Repository at 
Cincinnati from 1844 till 1846, and was first 
President of the Ohio Wesleyan University, 
at Delaware. Ohio, where he remained fi'om 
1846 to 1860. The following four years he 
was editor of the Christian Advocate, of New 
York, and in 1864 was elected Bishop. His 
first wife was a daughter of Gov. Bartley, 
of Ohio. Alfred Thomson (deceased), an- 
other son, was born in Wooster, Ohio, No- 
vember 14, 1824. At the early age of twenty - 
one years he was editor of a paper in Pom- 
eroy, Ohio, and from that place entered the 
Ohio State Legislature. He was engaged in 
the book and newspaper business till 1868. 
In 1860 he removed to Central City, Col., 
and edited the Mining Ai-gus (now the Reg- 
ister and Call). After the death of his wife 
he sold out that establishment. In 1868 he 
went into the Government printing office 
and continued there until his death in De- 
cember, 1883, at which time he had been 
advanced to the leading position of preparing 
copy for the Supreme Court work. He was 
married in Pomeroy, Ohio, May 1, 1855, to 
Louisa Ann Earhart, who died .Tulv 11, 
1862, at Central City, Col., in the thirty- 
fifth year of her age. She left a little boy, 
Alfred Thomson, Jr., who is now a young 
man employed in the Government printing 
office at Washington. James Thomson, the 
subject of this sketch, was in the land 
office at Tiffin and Bucyrus, Ohio, from 1829 
to 1834, but returned home at the time of 
his father's death. He was elected County 
Recorder of Wayne County, and tilled that 
office for eight years. He was then book- 
keeper in the Bank of Wooster, Ohio, after 
which he went to New York City and was 
a book-keeper in a broker's office in Wall 
Street. In 1844 he came to Illinois, but 
soon returned to Wooster, Ohio, where he 
remained until 1848. He then came again 
to Princeton, 111, and located permanently, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



677 



engaging in the mercantile business with Dr. 
Converse. In 1S61 Mr. Thomson sold out 
and retired from active lite. February 3, 
1853, he was united in marriage to Miss 
Mandana JlcConihe. (See sketch of McConihe 
family.) Mr. and Mrs. Thomson have two 
daughters — Eliza and Mary. Politically Mr. 
Thomson is a stanch supporter of the Demo- 
cratic party. 

ANDREW THULEAN, Princeton, was 
born April 3, 1815, in Sweden. His father 
was Tofve Thulean. a native of Sweden, 
where he was a blacksmith by occupation. 
His mother's name was Chasta (Nelson) 
Thulean. She was the mother of three boys 
and two girls, viz. : Bell, Peter, Nelson, 
Andrew and Anna. Mr. Thulean was mar- 
ried June 24, 1850, in Sweden, to Miss Belle 
Nelson, who was born April 18, 1829, in 
Sweden. She is the mother of four children 
now living, viz.: Alfred F., who was born 
September 3, 1861, married Amanda Lin- 
gren; Victor C. January 28, 1864; Henry, 
January 1, 1867, and Ellen C, November 80, 
1869. Mr. Thulean came to Bureau County 
in July, 1854, and followed the carpenter's 
trade in Princeton till 1867, when he bought 
a farm of eighty acres in Princetown Town- 
ship. He is a Republican, and with his 
wife is a member of the Swedish Lutheran 
Mission Church. 

JAMES P. TIBBETTS, Neponsot. This 
gentleman was born in Belgrade, Kennebec 
Co., Me. He is a son of Nathaniel and 
Hulda (Page) Tibbetts, who were natives 
of Maine; the latter was of French extrac- 
tion. They both died in Maine, and 
were the parents of seven children. Of these 
four are yet living, viz.: Mrs. Sally Page; 
James P., our subject; Mrs. Irene Weeks; 
and Gustavus Tibbetts. Our subject was ed- 
ucated in the East, and in the fall of 1844 
he came West and settled in Weatherfield, 
Henry Co., 111. In the spring of 1840 he 
removed to Section 19, Neponset Township, 
Bureau County, where he at present resides. 
He has made farming his principal occupa- 
tion in life and been veiy successful, at pres- 
ent owning 370 acres of choice land in this 
and Henry Counties. Mr. Tibbetts has been 
married twice. He was married the first 
time in Lowell, Mass., to Julia A. Savles, a 



native of New Hampshire. She was the 
mother of three children, viz. : Nathaniel, 
who married Mary Willie; Gustavus, de- 
ceased; and John Tibbetts, who is married to 
Franc Eldridge. Mrs. Julia A. Tibbetts died 
in November, 1866, in Bureau County. She 
was a model wife, and true woman, whose 
memory will be a bright spot in the minds of 
those who knew her. Mr. Tibbetts was 
married a second time May 23, 1876, to Jane 
Hamilton, a native of Stark County, 111. She 
is a daughter of John and Cassandra (Byard) 
Hamilton, both natives of Maryland. Our 
subject is one of the early settlers in Nepon- 
set Township, where he has been a valuable 
citizen, and tilled the office of Assessor for 
ten years, with tact and ability. Politically 
he is a Republican. 

CHARLES TOMLINSON, Mineral, was 
born Nov. 28, 1836, in Michigan City, Ind. 
His father, John Tomlinson, was a native of 
Pennsylvania. He was a carpenter and join- 
er by occupation, and died January 31, 1880, 
in La Porte, Ind. John Tomlinson married 
Anna Croupp, a native of Pennsylvania, 
where she died when our subject was only a 
year and a half old. Charles Tomlinson, the 
subject of this biography, received a common 
school education in Indiana. About 1857 
he came to Illinois, where he had previously 
bought a farm, which he subsequently sold, 
and after roaming a short time, visiting Mis- 
souri and Indiana, he permanently located in 
Mineral Township, Bureau County, where he 
is considered one of the leading farmers, 
owning 249 acres of land. He was married 
July 1, 1864, in Henry County, to Miss Maria 
A. Van Winkle, a native of Pennsylvania, 
and the mother of Clara M. and Myrtia L. 
Tomlinson. Politically Mr. Tomlinson is 
identified with the Republican party. 

ROBERT TONKINSON, Bureau, was 
born in Wolverhampton, England, April 16, 
1824. His parents, John and Sarah (Nichols) 
Tonkinson, both lived and died in Stafford- 
shire, England. They had a family of eight 
children, four of whom are living; one daugh- 
ter, Mary A., is in England, and another is 
supposed to be in Australia, and one son, 
AVilliam, lives at Woodgreen, England, and 
has been engaged on the London & North- 
western Railroad for fifty vears. Robert 



678 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



TonkiDson, our subject, went to work on the 
same road at the age of twelve years, and 
continued in that business in various posi- 
tions until IS-iy. He then left England Sep- 
tember 14, and came to America, arriving in 
Princeton October 28. He then began farm- 
ing, and has continued in that business ever 
since. He first rented land until he had ac- 
cumulated enough to buy a farm in Maulius 
Township, and afterward his present farm 
of 160 acres in Sections 35 and 36, Bureau 
Township. In spite of reverses he has been 
quite successful in his business of farming 
and speculating in stock and land. He was 
married in Princeton, 111., to Mary L. Kins- 
man, December 16, 1850. She was born in 
Williamstown, Vt., March 22, 1823, and 
came to Bureau County in 1847. Her father, 
James H. Kinsman, was born in Springfield, 
N. H., March 11, 1786. He was a descend- 
ant of Robert Kinsman, who came to Massa- 
chusetts from Southampton, England, in 
1634, and from whom are descended all the 
Kinsman families of the United States. 
James H. Kinsman was married to Sarah 
Eobinson in 1812. She was born in Putney, 
Vt. , January 14, 1784, and died June 28, 
1866, in Manlius Township, Bureau Co., 111. 
Her husband died in Princeton, February, 
1853. Of their family, six are living, viz. : 
Emily W. , widow of Egbert Colton, of Prince- 
ton; Denison. of Iowa; Aaron B., of Nebras 
ka; Mrs. T(mkinson; Newell, of Nebraska; 
Lucius, of Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Tonk- 
inson have four children, viz.: Henry M. , 
born September, 27, 1858, lives at Kearney 
Junction, Bufifalo Co., Neb. ; Clara, born Sep- 
tember 7, 1860, wife of Fred Eichmier, of 
Bureau County; Ellen M., born July9, 1863; 
Frank, born September 28, 1865. When 
Mr. Tonkinson first came to this countrj' he 
was an Abolitionist, and since the organiza- 
tion of the Republican party has been identi- 
fied with that party. He enlisted in the ser- 
vice dm-ing the Civil war, but was rejected 
by the examining surgeon. He is a member 
of Bureau Lodge, No. 112, A. F. & A. M., 
of Princeton. He has visited his native land 
twice since first leaving it, once in 1857, and 
again in 1881. 

MATTHEW TRIMBLE, Princeton, was 
born October 8, 1802, in North Carolina. His 



father, James Trimble, was a native of Ire- 
land, and his mother, Rhoda (Good) Trimble, 
of North Carolina. They were the parents 
of twelve childi'en, viz. : John, James, Mat- 
thew, Nancy, Peter, Jehu, Silas, Enoch, Rho- 
da, Jane, Sarah and Uriah, all of whom lived 
to reach maturity. Of these Matthew, Peter, 
Silas and Jane came to Bureau County. Mat 
thew Trimble came here in October, 1843, 
and settled two and one-half miles southeast 
of Princeton, where he lived twenty-five 
years, and then removed to Princeton, where 
he has since resided. He was married in 
Clinton County, Ohio, to Lydia Thatcher, 
who died here December 9, 1853, aged forty- 
seven years. She was the mother of eleven 
children, of whom the following reached ma- 
turity: Cairo D., of Ottawa; William C, of 
Princeton; U. J., of this county; Matthew 
M., of Des Moines, Iowa; Albert M. , of Lin 
coin, Neb. ; Harvey M. , present County 
Judge; Mrs. Emily E. Davis, of Poweshiek 
County, Iowa; Marshall U., States Attor- 
ney; Mrs. Lydia M. Small, of Dexter, Iowa. 
Mr. Trimble was married a second time to 
Mrs. Phoebe Dakin (nee McMannis), a sister 
of Judge George McMannis. She is the 
mother of the following children by her first 
husband: George M., James, Mrs. Mai-tha 
Cochran; Philip B., a physician in Princeton; 
Mrs. Maggie Trimble, wife of Judge H. M. 
Trimble, and Mrs. Elizabeth H. Gillam. Po 
litically Mr. Trimble is a supporter of the 
Republican party. 

U. J. TRIMBLE, Bureau, was born in 
Ohio, March 28, 1832. He is the son of 
Matthew Trimble, of Princeton, and came 
to Bureau County with his parents in 1843. 
He received his education in the schools of 
this county, and also at Eureka College, Eu 
reka, Woodford Co., 111., where he attended 
the years of 1856 and 1857. While at school 
in 1850 he had help employed, and began the 
improvement of his present farm. January, 
1858, he was married in this county to Miss 
Jane Cook, a daughter of Deacon Caleb Cook, 
one of the early settlers of Bureau County. 
After marriage Mr. Trimble came to his farm, 
where he has since resided. Mr. and Mrs. 
Trimble are the parents of six children, viz. : 
C. Howard, a stenographer and law student 
of Memphis, Tenn. ; Norman L., Cashier of 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



679 



First National Bank of Walnut, in which 
his father is a stock holder and director; Le- 
lia A., Lucy M., Nellie T. and Wilbur C. 
Mr. Trimble has ever taken an active part in 
the enterprises calculated to benefit the peo- 
ple and county, and in partnership v^ith A. 
Rogy was one of the early importers of 
Percheron Norman horses, and was also a 
successful breeder of thorough bred horses 
for some years. In politics Mr. Trimble has 
ever been an active Republican, and has rep- 
resented his township on the County Board 
for eleven or twelve terms. He is President 
of the Bui-eau County and Wyanet Farmers' 
Mutual Insurance Company. 

WILSON TRIPLETT, Wyanet. Aquilla 
Triplett, father of the above-named gentle- 
man, was born in Culpepper County, Va., 
August 6, 1807. At the age of nine years 
he removed with his parents to Belmont 
County, Ohio, and afterward lived nine miles 
below Zanesville. He was married August 
20, 1829, to Elizabeth Wilson, who was born 
November '25. 1807, in Chester County, 
Penn., and moved with her parents to Ohio 
when about twelve years old. October 17, 
1834, the Triplett family came to Bureau 
County. In the caravan were twenty-two 
persons, consisting of Stephen and Polly 
(Beaumont) Triplett, parents of Aquilla 
Triplett, and their entire family, with the 
exception of one nephew, who came in later 
years. They settled at Centre Grove on the 
farm where Aquilla Triplett afterward lived. 
He was one of the earliest settlers in the 
county, and in the earlier yeai-s of his resi- 
dence here was acquainted with every man 
in the county. He and his wife were among 
the seven members who organized the Centre 
Grove Baptist Church. Mr. Triplett died 
September 17, 1878, while on a visit to 
Brooklyn, Iowa. His widow is still living 
in Wyanet Township. They were the parents 
of nine children, eight of whom are living, 
viz. : Luther, resides near Brooklyn, Iowa; 
Thomas M., of Marshall County, Iowa; 
Lemuel, died in California, leaving a wife 
and three children; Levi, of Malcom, Iowa; 
Julius C, of Cass County, Iowa; Zilpha, 
wife of Lewis Sisler, of Cass County, Iowa; 
Wilson, of this county; Aquilla, of Friend, 
Saline Co., Neb. Mrs. Triplett has forty- 



one grandchildren living and seven great- 
grandchildren. Wilson Triplett was born 
October 14, 1849, at his present home, and 
has lived on the old homestead most of his 
life, being engaged in farming and stock- 
raising. He was married September 17, 1874, 
to Miss Mary Sellers, a native of this county. 
They have three children — Maud Ethel, 
Edith Clair and Bertha Merle, In politics 
Mr. Triplett is an independent Democrat. 
He is a member of the A. F & A. M. of Wy- 
anet and Chapter of Princeton. 

HENRY TRUCKENBROD, Clarion, was 
born March 17, 1831, in Baickheim, Bavaria, 
Germany. His parents, Henry and Margare- 
tha (Bauer) Truckenbrod, died in Germany, 
They were the parents of the following chil- 
dren: George, Adam and Henry Trucken- 
brod, who all died in Germany; Mrs. Mar- 
garetha Wendel died here; Thomas Truck- 
enbrod, who is yet living in Bavaria, and 
Henry and Johann Truckenbrod, who reside 
in this county. Henry Truckenbrod came to 
America in the spring of 1849. He landed 
in New York, and went by boat to Albany 
up the Hudson River; from thereon the Erie 
Canal to Erie, N. Y., where he took a boat 
for Chicago. From the latter place he went 
by canal to Peru. 111., where he met Jacob 
Keeper, with whom he rode out to J. Koeper, 
Sr., the old German settler of Clarion Town- 
ship, Bureau County. Mr. Truckenbrod 
worked three years for Rev. John Hetzler, 
after which he rented till 1854, when he 
bought eighty acres of land at $3.50 per 
acre. He was a successful farmer, and 
bought one farm after another till at present 
he has 840 acres. He made the first addition 
to his homestead about 1860, when he bought 
120 acres at $20 per acre. In 1868 he paid 
$45 per acre for land. In 1872 and 1880 he 
paid $60, and in 1882 paid $80 per acre, this 
showing about the gradual increase of the 
price of land in his neighborhood. Mr. 
Truckenbrod was married here March 10, 
1854, to Catharina Buehlhorn, who was born 
October 8, 1831 in Kueps, Bavaria. She 
was a great helper to Mr. Truckenbrod, and 
a hard worker. She died December 27, 1869. 
She was the mother of the following chil- 
dren: Johann, Friedrich, Eduard, Margare- 
tha, Heinrich, Jacob, Friedrich A. and Se- 



680 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COU^TTY. 



bastian H. Truckenbrod. Of the above 
Friedrich married Maggie Heimann; they 
have two children, viz.: Margaret Lydia and 
an infant daughter. Eduard Truckenbrod 
married Lizzie Geuther, who is the mother 
of Henry Paul Truckenbrod. 

JOHN TRUCKENBROD, Clarion, was 
born December 17, 1834, in Baickheim, Ba- 
varia. This honest, hardworking tiller of the 
soil is another son of Henry and Margaretha 
(Bauer) Truckenbrod. (See preceding sketch. ) 
Mr. Truckenbrod came to this county in June, 
1854. At first he worked on a farm, and 
then rented several years. In 1856 he bought 
ninety acres of Doctor Eame8,who had entered 
it. He improved it gradually and then sold 
it. In 1860 he bought 200 acres of land, 
where he now resides, of Arson Childs, now 
a resident of Waterloo, Iowa. Mr. Trucken- 
brod has been a successful farmer, and at 
present owns 370 acres of land in this coun- 
ty, 218 in Lee, and 160 in LaSalle Co , 111. 
He came to America a poor man, $2.50 being 
his earthly possession; but he was rich in 
perseverance and industry, which characterize 
his race. He was married here December 19, 
1858, to Lizzie Faubor, who was born No 
vember 24, 1841, in Saxony Cobui-g, Ger- 
many. She is a daughter of Nicholaus and 
Margaret (Marr) Fauber, and is the mother 
of the following children: Henry H., John 
N., Rosina, Carolina, Jacob F., Margai-etha 
K, William A., Philip H., Gustav A., Her- 
man P. and George H. Of the above Henry 
H. Truckenbrod, an enterprising, wideawake 
young business man, is a jeweler in Lamoille. 
Mr. and Mrs. Truckenbrod are members of 
the Lutheran Church. Politically he is a 
Republican. 

ALEXANDER TURNBULL, Neponset, 
was born August, 1832, in the Highlands of 
Scotland. He is a son of William and Mary 
(Harvey) Turnbull, who were also natives of 
Scotland, and who came to the United States 
in 1849, settling in Stark County, 111., where 
both died. They were the parents of seven 
boys and four girls, who came to this country 
with them. Their names are: Robert, George 
(deceased), James, John H., Alexander, Will- 
iam, Thomas, Ellen (deceased), Elizabeth, 
Margaret (deceased) and Stephana. Our sub- 
ject was educated in Scotland and in Stark 



County, 111., in which place he was also mar- 
ried to Sophia Turnbull, who was born July 
5, 1836, in Scotland. Her father, Robert 
Turnbull, was born November 2, 1799. Her 
mother, Margaret Graham, was born May 10, 
1806. Both were natives of Scotland. Mr, 
and Mrs. Alexander Turnbull are the parents 
of the following children: Maggie, Mary, 
Ellen, Elizabeth, Jennie, Maria M., Robert 
William, James A., Anna B., Adeline, George 
O. and Martha L. Mr. and Mrs. Turnbull 
are active members of the Presbyterian 
Church. He started in life without aid, 
relying only on the Scotch pluck and perse- 
verance inherited from his ancestors. He 
has been a very successful farmer, and is a 
wide-awake man. Politically he is a sup- 
porter of the Republican party. 

JOHN TURNER, Neponset, was born July 
11,1811, in Derbyshire. England. He is a son 
of Robert and Sarah (Harrison) Turner, who 
were natives of England, where they died. 
They were farmers by occupation and were 
the parents of five childi-en, viz. : Samuel, 
Robert, Mrs. Mary Oldtield, John and Mrs. 
Sarah Gould. The last two children are yet 
living, the latter in England. Our subject, 
John Turner, was educated in England and 
has been a reading man all his life. In En- 
gland he also learned and followed the car- 
penter's trade till 1843, when he immigrated 
to the United States. Here he first settled in 
Scott County, 111., where he worked at his 
trade till 1858, when he removed to Neponset 
Township, in Bureau County, where he at 
present resides on a farm of 160 acres. Mr. 
Turner was joined in matrimony in Derby, 
England, to Miss Juliet Dale, who was born 
August 20, 1812, in Derbyshire, England. 
She is a daughter of Robert Dale, and is the 
mother of eight children, of whom five 
reached maturity, viz.: Joseph D., served 
three years and three months in the Thirty- 
second Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infan- 
try in the war of the Rebellion, at pi'esent 
he is a resident of Cass County, 111. ; Mrs. 
Louisa Wilson is a resident of Page County, 
Iowa; John Turner, Jr., is a resident of Ore- 
gon; Mrs. Fannie Hicks, and Mrs. Sarah Em- 
mery, the latter deceased. Of the above, 
Mrs. Hicks with her husband, Milo D. Hicks, 
and child, Arthur L., is living on her parents' 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



681 



farm. Mr. and Mrs. Turner are members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church of Kewanee. 
Politically. Mr. Tm-ner is a strong Repub- 
lican. He served the people in the capacity 
of Justice of the Peace for two years, and 
although he has not been brought up a far- 
mer, he has yet had splendid success in that 
occupation. 

J. P. ULTCH, Clarion, was born Novem- 
ber 12, 1819, in Sehlottermuehl, Kronau, Ba- 
varia, Germany. His parents, Nicholaus and 
Carolina (Hemftling) Ultch, died in Ger- 
■ many. They were the parents of the follow 
ing children: John P. Ultch, our subject; 
Carolina, Mrs. Maggie Schmidt, Mrs. Redel 
Bohl, George Ultch, of Racine, Wis., and 
John Ultch, deceased. Our subject came to 
the United States in May, 1848. He landed 
in New York City and came direct to La- 
moille, 111., where he worked two months for 
James Borufl' at the blacksmith trade, which 
he had learned in the old country. After 
working on a farm some months he went to 
Princeton, where he worked in Mr. Gosse's 
brickyard, and the following spring worked six 
months on a farm in Perkins' Grove. Eventu- 
ally, after he was married, he went to farm- 
ing for himself, and by degrees and through 
indomitable perseverance, industry and econ- 
omy, he attained his present prosperity. None 
should envy him on account of his success in 
the world, as he sacrificed pleasui'e and health 
to attain it. At present he owns 2,664 acres 
of land; of this over half is in Kansas, and 
over 1.000 acres in Illinois. Mr. Ultch was 
married here August 10, 1850, to Elizabeth 
Wendel, a daughter of George Wendel. She 
was born August 9, 1824, in Eigenboehl, Ba- 
varia, and died August 9, 1868. She was an 
industrious woman and was the mother of the 
following children: Mrs. Carolina Kipp, of 
Ellsworth County, Kan. ; Frederick, deceased; 
William Ultch, of Brooklyn, 111., who mar- 
ried Katie Passing; Ely K. Ultch, of Sublet, 
111., wLo married Lottie Passing; George 
Ultch, who was born December 4, 1859, and 
and Johan P. Ultch, born July 24. 1862. Qui- 
subject was married a second time to Eva 
Martin, a native of Bavaria. She is the 
mother of Katie Ultch, born May 24, 1873. 
Politically Mr. Ultch has been a Republican 



so far, and religiously he and wife are mem- 
bers of the Lutheran Church. 

RUGGLES B. VAN LAW, Arlington, 
was born November 15, 1847, in Belmont 
Countj-, Ohio. He is a son of Joseph Van 
Law, who was also a native of Ohio, where 
he was married in Belmont County, Decem- 
ber 27, 1841, to Mary Haines. Joseph Van 
Law learned and followed the carpenter's 
trade in Ohio. This occupation he followed 
all his life. He came to Princeton, 111., 
about 1852, and the next year came to Arling- 
ton, where he resided till his death, which 
occurred March 21, 1875, aged fifty-six years, 
seven months and twenty- two days. He was 
a man whose influence for good was felt in 
Arlington and vicinity. He, though a poor 
man, relieved the wants of the needy and 
afHicted. and took a deep interest in all things 
pertaining to the welfare of the people with 
whom he was associated. It was owing 
chiefly to his untiring energy that the A. F. 
& A. M. Lodge was established in Arlington, 
for which he built the hall, and of which or- 
der he was an active member. His first wife 
died here March 27, 1857, aged thirty years. 
He was married a second time to Olive J. 
Davis, who survives him. His first wife 
was the mother of John W. and Ruggles 
B. Van Law. The former was born January 
28, 1846. At the age of fifteen he enlisted 
in Company B, of the Fifty-seventh Regi- 
ment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was 
a favorite with the "boys," and after having 
veteranized and passed through many battles, 
was drowned at Rome, Ga., May 28, 1864, 
while accompanying Gen. Sherman on his fa- 
mous "march to the sea." Ruggles B. Van Law 
was reared and schooled in Arlington. He en- 
listed in Company G, of the One Hundred 
and Thirty-ninth Regiment, Illinois Volun- 
teer Infantry, and served six months, doing 
garrison duty at Cairo. At the close of the 
war he returned to Arlington, where he soon 
after learned telegraphy, and in July, 1865, 
secured the position as night operator. In 
1870 he was appointed agent for the Chicago, 
Burlington & Quincy Railroad and the Amer- 
ican Express Company, which position he 
has held ever since. Mr. Van Law was mar- 
ried in Philadelphia, Penn., June 20, 1871, 



682 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



to Katie Knight, born May 20, 1849, in Bucks 
County, Penn. Her parents were Clayton 
and Lydia E. Knight. Three children were 
the result of this union: Mary E., born Au- 
gust 28, 1873; Maud L., born July 7, 1875, 
and Howard R., born June 15, 1878. Mrs. 
Van Law is a member of the Presbyterian 
Church, and Mr. Van Law of the A. F. & A. 
M. fraternity. 

THOMAS VAUGHAN, Bureau, was born 
in New Bedford, Mass., July 20, 1832. His 
father, Stillman Vaughan, was also a native 
of New Bedford, born July 10, 1800. His 
wife, Lucinda Washburn, was born at the 
same place Juae 15, 1804 They removed to 
Muskingum County, Ohio, in 1838, and in 
1851 to Bureau County, 111. They settled on 
the farm where our subject now resides, which 
was the old homestead of Henry Thomas, 
who settled there in 1828, and built old Fort 
Thomas, on the spot where Mr. Vaughan's 
house now stands. Stillman Vaughan and 
his wife resided here until their deaths. He 
died March 26, 1872, and his wife February 
28, 1856. Of their children, J. Stillman was 
drowned in Ohio, and Thomas, our subject, 
is the only one living. He was reared in 
Ohio and educated in the common schools. 
He has always been engaged in farming and 
now owns 300 acres in Bureau Township, but 
for several years has also been engaged in the 
mercantile business in Wyanet. He was 
married in this county November 9, 1855, to 
Lydia J. Hollinghead. She was born in 
Belmont County, Ohio, May 18, 1839, and is 
a daughter of Thomas and Sarah Holling- 
head; her father died in this county, but her 
mother is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Vaughan 
have eleven children: Lewis, born March 12, 
1857; John A., October 23, 1859; Nathan L., 
September 9, 1861, married; Julia A., Janu- 
ary 22, 1861, wife of S. Smith, of Bureau 
Township; Lillian M., August 17, 1866; 
Thomas C, November 4, 1868; Emma J., 
November 27, 1870; Fannie E., November 
20, 1874; Maggie S., May 1, 1877; Earl S., 
February 1, 1880; the baby, February 3, 
1883. In politics Mr. Vaughan is a Repub- 
lican, but independent. He and his wife are 
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
of Bureau Township. 

E. R. VIRDEN, Princeton, was born in 



Zanesville, Ohio, March 23, 1836, and is the 
son of Jerome and Sarah (Flemming) Virden, 
deceased, both natives of Ohio. In 1855 Mr. 
Virden came to Princeton, and for ten years 
clerked in the hardware store of A. S. and 
E. C. Chapman. He then engaged in the 
same business for himself at the depot, but 
in 1876 he retired from the hardware busi- 
ness, and accepted the position of President 
of the Farmers National Bank, and has been 
President of the bank since. April 26, 1861, 
he was united in marriage at Cambridge^ 
Ohio, to Miss Anna M. Thompson, who was 
born in Muskingum County, Ohio, Novem- 
ber, 1841. She is the mother of three chil- 
dren living, viz. : Nellie, born May, 1863; 
Mary and Martha, born February 14, 1868. 
During the Civil war Mr. Virden enlisted, 
first in the three months' service, and was 
elected Lieutenant of Company A, Sixty- 
ninth Illinois Infantry. After his return he 
raised Company A, One Hundred and Sixty 
ninth Illinois Infantry, and was elected Cap- 
tain of the company. He served till the close 
of the war, having been out in all about one 
year. In politics he has been an active Re- 
publican since the candidacy of John C. 
Fremont. He has served as Supervisor of 
Princeton Township, and has been an active 
member of the Board of Education of the 
Princeton High School, since 1876. Mrs. 
Virden' s mother died in her daughter's in- 
fancy, and her father, John Thompson, died 
in Princeton December 2, 1884. 

GEORGE L. VROOM, Berlin, was born 
December 7, 1819, in Warren County, N. J. 
His parents, John and Catherine (Lance) 
Vroom, were both natives of Warren County, 
N. J., where they lived on a farm until their 
deaths. They were the parents of eleven 
children, six of whom reached maturity, 
viz. : Mrs. Jane Lommason, Henry, John, 
Mrs. Elizabeth Warman, George L. (our sub- 
ject), and Mrs. Catherine M. Park. George 
L. Vroom was reared in his native county, 
and engaged in farming. He was married 
Februar}' 7, 1846, in Easton, Penn., to Miss 
Rebecca Ann Lance, who was born March 10, 
1822, in Warren County, N. J., a daughter 
of Abraham Lance (see sketch of A. S. Lance). 
Mr. and Mrn. Vroom are the parents of six 
children, viz.: John L., Mary C, Sarah S., 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



MelindaC, Barbara J. — the last three are de- 
ceased — and Ettie G. John L. married Anna 
C. McKinstrey, daughter of Houston and 
Rachel McKiustrey, by whom he has four 
children: George H. (deceased), Maude 
R., James C. and Charles H. The two 
daughters, Mary C. and Ettie G., are at 
home. Shortly after he was married, Mr. 
Vroom removed to Sussex County, N. J., 
where he lived eight years. In May, 1854, 
he came to Bureau County, and bought eighty 
acres of land in Section 36, Berlin Township, 
where he now resides. He has been a suc- 
cessful farmer and now owns 170 acres. Mr. 
and Mrs. Vroom are members of the Presby- 
terian Church. Politically he is identitied 
with the Democratic party. 

JOHN W. WADE, Lamoille, was born Oc- 
tober 15, 1845, in Richland County, Ohio. 
He is a son of Richard Wade, who was born 
in 1821, in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, where 
he was reared. He came to Bureau County 
in October, 1863, and died here July 1, 1873. 
He was a son of William and Mary (Bash) 
Wade, natives of Pennsylvania, who were the 
parents of twelve children The father of 
William Wade was a wealthy native of 
Turkey, who had come to the United States 
and bought his children farms in Ohio. 
Richard Wade first bought eighty acres in 
Lamoille Township, but added to it from 
time to time. He was an industrious man, 
and he and wife were active members of the 
United Brethren Church. He was married 
December 20, 1842, to Mary Shoup, born 
November 25, 1825, in Tuscarawas County, 
Ohio. Her parents, John J. and Barbara 
(Muma) Shoup, were natives of Pennsylvania, 
but died in Ohio. Mrs. Mary Wade is the 
mother of the following children: Mrs. Lydia 
A. Davis, John William, Mrs. Mary C. Lamb, 
Mrs. Dilla Nodine, Mrs. Sarah Hills, Mrs. 
Ella Scott, Mrs. Martha Hall, Anna D., R. 
Henry, Albert W. and George W. Wade. 
Our subject farms the home place. He was 
married April 27, 1876, to Augusta Phillips, 
born February 13, 1854, in Franklin County, 
Mass. She is a daughter of Elijah B. and 
Elizabeth V. (Rude) Phillips, natives of 
Massachusetts, and now residents of Living- 
ston County, 111. Mr. and Mrs. Wade are 
members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 



To them three children were born, viz. : Mary 
E., deceased, aged four years and eight 
months; Isabella P., born February 6, 1879, 
and Charlie B., born July 24, 1884. Polit- 
ically Mr. Wade is identified with the Repub- 
lican party. 

B. F. WAITE, Buda, was born in Lorain 
County, Ohio, Axigust 7, 1838. He is the 
son of Rev. Richard and Mary (Hill) Waite. 
The father was born in England, but the 
mother in Virginia. Rev. Richard Waite 
was for many years a contractor on Govern- 
ment works in England, but in later years 
entered the ministry; came to the United 
States under the auspices of the Missionary 
Society, and was sent into the Western Re 
serve in Ohio, where for many years he 
worked among the Indians and whites in his 
mission work. He continued his labors in 
this way till Ohio had become a populous 
State, and then he became the settled pastor 
of a church. At the time of his coming to 
the United States he was a widower, but had 
a family of eight sons all of whom also came 
to America and settled in western New York, 
where their families are quite prominent and 
numerous. During his labors as a mission- 
ary Rev. Waite was united in marriage in 
Ohio, to Miss Mary Hill, and then she trav- 
eled with him on his work till he had a set- 
tled charge. November 12, 1853, they re- 
moved to Bureau County, 111., and settled at 
Barren Grove, and the following year, 1854, 
he died at the age of seventy-eight years. 
She survived her husband till 1870, and died 
in this county. She was the mother of two 
sons and one daughter, viz.: B. F., Josiah 
H., and Mary J., now wife of Joseph Markee 
who resides near Buda. Josiah was a sol- 
dier in the Ninety-third Illinois Volunteer 
Infantry, but was brought home only a few 
days before his death. B. F. Waite has re- 
sided in this county since coming here with 
his parents in 1853. He followed farming 
till 1866, at which time he engaged in the 
mercantile business in Buda. His beginning 
was very modest, but a strict integrity in all 
business transactions gave him universal re- 
spect and confidence, and so, as the years passed 
by, his business increased till now he carries 
a stock of goods valued at about $16,000, 
and since 1875 he has also been doing a bank- 



684 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



ing business in connection with his general 
merchandise. June 22, 1866, Mr. Waitewas 
united in marriage to Mrs. Emily R. Denton, 
a daughter of Joseph Weston, who came to 
this county in 1855 from Bloomiield, Me. , 
and is now one of the oldest men in the 
county. To Mr. and Mrs. Waite three chil- 
dren have been born, viz. : Robert, Bertha 
and Marcia. By a previous marriage Mr. 
Waite had two children, but they and their 
mother, Vesta J. (Trask) Waite, all died. 
By her first husband. Samuel F. Denton, Mrs. 
Waite has one son now living, viz. : Elmer 
F. Denton. Samuel F. Denton was one of 
the first merchants in Buda, and died here in 
the fall of 1864. Mi-. Waite is a member of 
the A. F. & A. M. Lodge, No. 399, of Buda. 
In politics he is Republican. He was one of 
the tirsi members of the Buda Baptist 
Church. 

FRANKLIN WALKER, Champaign, 111., 
was born January 2, 1815, in Whiting,Vt. He 
is a son of Levi Walker, who was born May 22, 
1772, in Rutland, Vt. , and was the first white 
male child born in the town. He died July 
27, 1822, in Whiting, Vt. The grandfather 
of our subject, Girtan Walker, was born 
November 20, 1738, in Attleboro, Mass. He 
died November 2, 1793, in Whiting, Vt. 
Franklin Walker immigrated to Illinois in the 
fall of 1838, and the following spring bought 
a claim and settled in what is now Clarion 
Township, Bm'eau Co., 111., in Section 16. 
The Government had not then surveyed the 
land north of the Indian boundary line. At 
the organization of Clarion Township, Mr. 
Walker was elected Justice of the Peace, and 
since then has held the office of Town Clerk 
fourteen years, Township Treasurer six years, 
and Supervisor four years. In 1874 he sold 
his farm, having occupied the same thirty-five 
years, and now re.sides near Champaign, 111. 
By his moving away Bureau County has lost 
one of her best citizens, a man who took a 
deep interest in all things pertaining to the 
interest of the public. He was a great friend 
of the public school. The many offices he has 
tilled in this county show the confidence and 
trust the people put in him. Mr. AV'alker 
was married on the 2d of June, 1840, to 
Marrilla E. Haskins, formerly of Wilming- 
ton, Vt., where she was born March 11, 1820. 



Her parents were Jonathan and Susan* Has- 
kins. She died September 4, 1879. She 
was the mother of Frank E. aud William A. 
Walker. Frank E. Walker was born Janu- 
ary 10, 1853, in Clarion Township. He 
graduated from the Illinois Industrial Uni- 
versity in June, 1879. He was married 
January 1, 1880, to Florence M. Cushman, 
and now resides in Champaign, where he is a 
stock breeder. William A. Walker was born 
April 18, 1856. He graduated from the 
University of Chicago in 1880, and from the 
Rush Medical College in 1882. He was 
married in May, 1882, to Hattie Skates, of 
Chicago, and is now a practicing physician 
in New York Citv. 

LEVI WALKER, Clarion, was born Jan- 
uary 23, 1830, in Vermont. He is a son of 
Rev. Levi and Betsey (Pond) Walker, natives 
of Green Island, Whiting Township, Addi- 
son Co., Vt. They were the parents of the 
following children: Levi Walker (our sub- 
ject), Mrs. Martha Winslow (deceased), Dr. 
George B. Walker, of LaGrange, and Mary 
Walker (deceased), aged twenty-two years. 
The genealogy of this family dates back to 
1640, when a Mrs. Walker and two sons 
emigrated from England to Rehoboth, Mass. 
Rev. Levi Walker was a son of Levi and 
Lovina (Branch) Walker, both natives of 
Vermont, where they died. Rev. Walker 
graduated at the Hamilton Literary and 
Theological Institution, and was a minister 
in the East for fifteen years. He came to 
Bureau County in the spring of 1851, and 
settled on Section 9 in Clarion Township. 
Here he preached some, and died here Janu- 
ary 16, 1869, aged sixty-seven years. His 
wife died May 6, 1874, aged seventy-one 
years. Our subject was reared and educated 
principally in the New England States. Here 
he has been a farmer, and owns 185 acres. 
He was married in Cleveland, Ohio, Decem- 
ber 14, 1865, to Caroline C. Stannard, born 
December 13, 1832, in Eaton, Madison Co., 
N. Y. She is a daughter of Libius and 
Luceba (Fay) Stannard, who were old set- 
tlers of Clarion Township. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Walker three children were born, viz.: Mar- 
tha H, Lewis L. and John A. Walker. The 
daughter and her pai'ents are members of the 
Baptist Church. Politically Mr. Walker is 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



685 



a Republican, and has been Township Clerk 
for a period of seven years. 

FRED WALTERS, Fairfield, was born 
December 5, 1836, in Idenkoben, Bavaria, 
Germany. His parents, Theobald and Cath- 
arine (Mirring) Walters, natives of the above 
place, earoe to America in July, 1848. They 
settled in Selby Township, Biu-eau Co., 111., 
where they bought land and where they died. 
They were the parents of three children, viz. : 
Mrs. Catharine Gleich, of Hollowayville, Fred 
Walters and Mrs. Mary Kammermeyer, of 
Burlington. Our subject, Fred Walters, 
came to this county with his parents. He 
has owned land and farmed in Selby and 
Berlin Townships. He came to Westfield 
Township in February, 1875, where he has 
225 acres of good land. He was married 
February 24, 1857, to Catharine Meyer, 
daughter of Antony and Barbara (Acker) 
Meyer. Mr. and Mrs. Walters are members 
of the Presbyterian Church, and the parents 
of eight children, viz.: Fred, Mrs, Mary 
Meyer, Mrs. Elizabeth Heintz, George, Will- 
iam Henry, Charley and Louis Walters. Mr. 
Walters is an I. O. O. F., and votes the 
Democratic ticket. 

COURTNEY WARREN, Macon, was born 
in Wyoming County, Penn., April 13. 1842. 
He is the son of Milton and Ziporah (Avei-y) 
Warren, both natives of Pennsylvania, where 
they lived till 1848, when they removed to 
Stark County, 111. In 1856 they settled in 
Buda, where Mr. Milton Warren was in the 
grain and lumber business till about 1862. 
He died at Neponset, 111., in 1864. Mrs. 
Warren died in 1867 at the residence of her 
son, our subject. They were the parents of 
the three following-named children, now liv- 
ing: Courtney Warren, Mrs. Stella Avery, of 
Neponset, and Mrs. Elizabeth Smith, of Kan- 
sas. While living in Stark County, Milton 
Warren dealt in land to quite an extent, buy- 
ing farms, improving them, and then selling 
with a profit. September, 1861, our subject 
enlisted in the service of his country in Com- 
pany K, Fifty-seventh Illinois Volunteer In- 
fantry, and served till the latter part of June, 
1864, when he was discharged on account of 
ill health. For about three months after his 
enlistment he served as a private, but from 
that time till the close of his service he filled 



the office of Drum-Major. Since returning 
from the service Mr. AVarren has given most 
of his attention to farming and stock-raising. 
He bought his present farm of 240 acres, 
which lies in Sections 3 and 10, in 1864, and 
for some years gave his attention to cattle, 
but in later years to thoroughbred Hamble- 
tonian and Mambrino horses, and now owns 
a herd of over twenty roadsters. In Novem- 
ber, 1865, in this county, Mr. Warren was 
united in mamage to Miss Rebecca Kirk- 
patrick, a native of Ohio, but who came, 
while young, with her parents, to this State. 
To Mr. and Mrs. Warren three children have 
been born, viz. : Eva, Nellie and Edith. Mr. 
^'arren is a member of the Buda Lodge, A. 
F. & A. M. In politics he is identified with 
the Democratic partv. 

SOLOMON WARD, AVestfield, was born 
March 17, 1820, in Washington County, 
Penn. He is a son of William and Pleas- 
ant (Speers) Ward, the former a native of 
Maryland and the latter of Pennsylvania, 
where both died. Of their ten children only 
William and Solomon came to Illinois. 
William died in Little Rock. Ark. Solomon 
Ward came to Bm-eau County in 186(t, and 
rented land for several years. In September, 
1863, he bought 160 acres of land. He is a 
self-made man in every respect, and although 
he has met with serious losses is now one of 
our most successful farmers. He owns 628 
acres in Bureau County, and 480 acres in 
Livingston County, 111. 

EDWARD A. 'WASHBURN, Princeton, 
was born May 23,1847, on Cherry Island, Jef- 
ferson Co., N. Y. His parents, Alva and Cla- 
rissa (Adams) Washburn, were also natives of 
New York. His mother yet survives, but his 
father died in 1869. He was a farmer, and 
served one year in the late Civil war, in the 
One Hundred and Eighty-sixth New York 
Volunteer Infantry, and participated in the 
battles before Petersburg. His father, 
White Washburn, was a native of Massachu- 
setts, and a soldier in the war of 1812, and 
was in the battle of Sacketts Harbor. Mrs. 
Clarissa Washburn is the daughter of 
Ambrose Adams, who was a farmer and a 
native of Massachusetts. Our subject is one 
of a family of four children, all of whom are 
still living. He was educated in the schools 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



of his native county, and early in life began 
teaching school, which occupation he fol- 
lowed till 1870, when he came to Lamoille 
Township, Bm'eau Co., III., and engaged 
in farming. He was a member of the Board 
of Supervisors from 1873 till 1875, in which 
year he was elected County Treasurer, which 
office he still holds, having been re-elected 
in 1877, 1879 and 1881. His otScial term 
will expire December 1, 1886. He was 
married in Pillar Point, N. Y., January 4, 
1871, to Miss Fironia A. Lowe, who was 
born in the above place January 19, 1850. 
She is a daughter of Jacob and I3etsy (Han- 
cock) Lowe. To Mr. and Mrs. Washburn 
two children have been born, viz.: Gertie C, 
born October 12, 1871, and Elva L., born 
August 15, 1873. In politics 'Six. Washburn 
is a Republican. He is a member of the 
Princeton Lodge, No. 587, A. F. & A. M., 
also Princeton Chapter, No. 28. Temple Com- 
mandery No. 20, K. T., and Scottish Rite, 
32 degree. 

GEORGE W. WASSOM, Hall, was born 
October 17, 1859, in Hall Township, Bureau 
Co., 111. His father, Jacob Wassom, was 
born in Tennessee, July 11, 1810, and came 
to this county in 1835, settling on Section 
28, Hall Township, and married Jane Scott, 
daughter of Robert Scott. Shortly after Mr. 
Wassom went to Iowa, but returned to 
Bureau County in 1849, and bought land in 
Section 34, where Edward Hall built a cabin 
in 1829. Mrs. Wassom died there in 1852. 
She was the mother of live children, viz.: 
Mrs. Elmyra Miller (deceased), John, Mrs. 
Mary Jane Losh (deceased), William and 
Wesley. Jacob Wassom was again married 
to Elsa Hoffman, a native of New York, 
daughter oE William and Elizabeth (Mosher) 
Hoffman, also natives of New York. By his 
second marriage Jacob Wassom had sis chil- 
dren, viz. : Mrs. Josephine Snyder, George 
W., Lincoln, Thomas (deceased), Fannie E. 
and Frank J. Jacob Wassom was a hard 
worker and a good farmer, and at the time 
of his death, August 22, 1878, he owned 414 
acres of land. He was a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal Union Chapel, which he 
helped to build. In politics he was Repub- 
lican. 

E. W. WATSON, Berlin, was born in 



Voluntown, Conn., March 25, 1823. He is 
the son of Benjamin and Mary (Young) Wat- 
son. His father died when our subject was 
an infant, but his mother lived to the age of 
ninety-three years, and died March 25, 1877. 
E. W. Watson was the youngest of eight 
children, five of whom are now living. He 
was married June 4, 1850, to Fidelia L. 
Fisk, in Tolland County, Conn., who was 
born in the same county April 7, 1830. Her 
parents, William A. and Selyma (Whittemore) 
Fisk, were both natives of Connecticut. In 
1855 they came to Bureau County, and set- 
tled in Maiden, where he was engaged in 
business until his death, October 13. 1871, 
at the age of seventy years. He was one of 
the successful business men of Maiden, and 
always ready to assist in any public enter- 
prise. His wife died in Connecticut, within 
two miles of her birth-place, April 16, 1884, 
at the age of eighty- three. Of their family 
four are still living. Mr. Watson came from 
Tolland County Conn., in 1854, and settled 
on his present farm, which was then but 
slightly improved. Before coming to this 
State he had been a mechanic, and had but 
little money, but by industry has accumulated 
a competency. His farm contains 195 acres 
of well -improved land. Mr. and Mrs. Wat- 
son have five children, viz.: Ida L., born 
August 11, 1857, wife of F. M. Johnson, an 
attorney in Grundy Centre, Iowa; Carrie F., 
born May 26, I860; Charles A., born April 
30, 1863; William T. S., born March 7, 1866; 
Jennie M. , born April 5, 1868. 

JOHN WEBER, Hall, was born near 
Hesse-Cassel, Germany, in July, 1S27. His 
parents, Adam and Mary (Snyder) Weber, 
were natives of Germany, where they died. 
They had three children: Martin, now living 
in Germany; Mrs. Catherine Debus, who re- 
sides near Peru, and our subject. John Web- 
er, who was educated and studied music in 
his native land, and was a soldier in the Ger- 
man Army. He was married in the old 
country to Julia Hammel, by whom he has 
six children, viz.: Henry T., John H., 
Emma, Elizabeth, Louis P. and Ida. In 
December, 1854, Mr. Weber came to the 
United States and settled in LaSalle 
County, 111., near LaSalle. He was en- 
gaged in farming, first renting land and 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



687 



afterward buying a farm. In April, 1877, 
he sold his farm in LaSalle County and 
bought the E. C. Hall place of 200 acres, 
which was for many years the State Premium 
Farm. He now owns 410 acres of land. Mr. 
Weber is independent in politics, voting for 
the best man. He is a member of the A. F. 
& A. M. 

ANDREW T. WEISE. Princeton. Jacob 
Weise, father of the above named gentleman, 
was born and reared in New Jersey, and was 
married there to Mary Trimmer. In 1848 
they removed to Princeton, 111., and he pur- 
chased ninety-five acres of land lying on the 
south side of what is now Elm Street, for 
which he paid $2,100, but also got forty 
acres of timber land. He sold the prairie 
land afterward to Milo Kendall and J. V. 
and J. T. Thompson for $21,000. Mr. Weise 
resided in Princeton until his death, Decem- 
ber 11, 1870, at the age of eightj'-two years. 
His wife died April 11, 1869. They were 
the parents of nine children, six of whom are 
living, viz. : John Weise, of Iowa ; Mrs. Cather- 
ine Vanatta, of Chicago; Mrs. Mahala Coul- 
ter; Mrs. Pemina Thompson; Mrs. Emeline 
Richardson, of Princeton; and Andrew T. 
Weise, our subject. He was born in Morris 
County, N. J., February 28, 1832. He came 
to Bureau County in 1848, and has made 
this county his home most of his life, though 
he has been away several years. In 1852 he 
went to California, and remained there five 
years, but returned to this county. In 1871 be 
removed to Texas, living there and in Indian 
Territory for eight years, where he was en- 
gaged in the cattle business. In 1881 he 
came again to Bureau County, and in 1884 
purchased his present farm of 340 acres, and 
is giving his attention to stock-raising. Mr. 
Weise was married in Illinois October 16, 
1859, to Phebe Jane Courtright, who was 
born in Pennsylvania December 22, 1832. 
Her parents came to this county in Decem- 
ber 1853. Her father, Cornelius Courtright, 
died September 5, 1881, at the age of eighty 
years. His wife, Mary (Sirrine) Courtright, 
was born in 1803, and is still living. Fifty- 
seven years of their lives were spent together. 
Mrs. Weise's grandfathers lived to be ninety- 
two and ninety-three years of age, being of 
a long-lived family. Mr. and Mrs. Weise 



have four children, viz. : George, Frank, 
Will and Mary. Mr. Weise is a member of 
A. F. &. A. M, of Princeton, having taken 
the degrees to the Commandery many years 
ago. 

JOHN H. WEISSENBURGER, Hall, was 
born in Putnam County, 111., June 16, 1850. 
His parents, George and Eva Weissenburger, 
were natives of Bavaria, Germany. The 
former is now living in Dimmick Township, 
LaSalle Co., 111. The latter died in Section 
4, Hall Township, Bureau County, January 
31, 1862; they having come here in 1859. 
They were the parents of the following chil- 
dren, viz. : Conrad, of Iowa; Catharine, of 
Putnam County, 111.; Eva, of LaSalle County, 
111; George, of Hall Township; Valentine, 
of Hall Township: Louis, of Peru, and John 
H., our subject. John H. Weissenburger was 
married in this county March 14, 1871, to 
Catharine Dorn, who was born in Westfield 
Township June 12, 1852, a daughter of John 
and Carrie (Snyder) Dorn, old settlers of 
Bureau County. Mrs. Weissenburger died 
September 30, 1883, leaving two children, 
viz.: Jennie E., born May, 29, 1873; John 
H., March 14, 1877. Mr. Weissenburger is a 
Democrat in political views. 

J. W. WELLER, Bureau, was born in 
what is now Ohio County, Ind., August 6, 
1836. He is the son of Andrew and Nancy 
(Gaston) AVeller. The father was a native 
of Orange County, N. Y., and died in this 
count}'. The mother was born in Hamilton 
County, Ohio, and died ia Indiana. Of their 
children six are living — our subject and 
three sisters in Bureau County, one brother 
in Iowa and one in Missouri. J. W. Weller 
was reared on a farm and educated in the 
schools of his native county, and also at the 
Dover Academy in Bureau County, 111. He 
came to this county in 1858, without a penny. 
He first worked by the month, and was soon 
able to purchase a small farm in Dover Town- 
ship. In 1866 he sold his farm and went to 
Missouri and Kansas, influenced by the glow- 
ing accounts of the wealth to be gained 
there. But two years satisfied him that the 
Eldorado was behind him, and he returned 
to Bureau County, where he has since resid- 
ed. His farm of 160 acres lies in the south- 
east quarter of Section 12, Bureau Township. 



688 



HISTOKY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



His principal occupation during life has been 
that of farming, but has taught about fifteen 
terms of school in this county and in Mis- 
souri. Mr. Weller was married in Bureau 
Township, December 15,1868, to Miss Lucre- 
tia E. Studyvin, who was born in this county 
March 3, 1843. She is the daughter of Jef- 
ferson and Manda Melvina (Johnson) Study- I 
vin, of Putnam County, 111. He was a sol- 
dier in the Black Hawk war. Mr. and Mrs. 
Weller have four children, viz.: Gilbert G., 
bom September 20, 1869; HattieD., Novem- 
ber 16, 1872; Andrew J., December 12, 1875; 
John, April 20, 1879. In politics Mr. Wei- \ 
ler has always been a Republican. He and 
wife are members of the Heaton's Point Bap- 
tist Church. 

DAVID WELLS, deceased. This old set- 
tler was a native of Deerfield, Mass., where 
his father, David Wells, Sr. , was an old pio- 
neer. His mother, Sarah (Burt) Wells, was 
a native of Conway, Mass. David Wells 
was reared in Vermont. His first wife died 
in the East. She was the mother of Mrs. 
Sarah A. Edwards. He came to Bureau Coun- 
ty, 111., in October, 1838, and stopped one j 
year at Princeton, and then bought a claim 
of 140 acres of William Hart, south of Per- 
kins Grove. This place he improved, and on 
it he died September 28, 1875, aged seventy- 
one years. Owen Lovejoy, of national re- 
nown, married Mr. Wells in Princeton to 
Mary N. Smith, a native of Waitslield, Vt. 
She died here June 22, 1883, aged seventy- 
two years. She was a daughter of Moses 
and Mary N. (Chikls) Smith. Mrs. Mary N. 
Wells was the mother of the following chil- 
dren: Mrs. Pamela C. Edwards, Mrs. Cath- 
arine C. Snodgrass, Ephraim \V., Jarvis P. 
and Marian (deceased), aged five years. 
David Wells was a man well known for his ' 
many excellent qualities. He was an active 
member of the Congregational Church. He 
took a deep interest in home affairs, and held 
the offices of Supervisor, Assessor and Com- 
missioner. His son, Jarvis P. Wells, was 
born July 23, 1844, on the old homestead in 
Clarion Township. He was reared and edu- 
cated in Bureaii County, and has been a 
farmer and stock-grower by occupation. He 
has now a farm of 160 acres. He was mar- 
ried here December 28, 1870, to Carrie E. 



Smith, daughter of James and Sarah (Hunt- 
ley) Smith, old settlers of Princeton Town- 
ship, to which they came in October, 1835. 
(See genealogy of Smith family.) Mrs. Car- 
rie E. Wells was born here. She is the 
mother of the following children: Samuel 
W, was born December 6, 1872; Frank D., 
November 23, 1876; Harry J., October 5, 
1S79, and Charles H., December 27, 1883. 
Mr. Wells takes quite an interest in political 
affairs, and is identified with the Republican 
party. At present he holds the offices of 
Town Clerk and Treasurer. 

HON. J. H. WELSH, Tiskilwa, who is the 
subject of the following biography, was born 
June 11, 1834, in Canada. His parents, 
Maurice and Mary (Haley) Welsh, were na- 
tives of Ireland. They first immigrated to 
Canada, and from there in 1832 to New York 
State. About 1840 they removed to Van 
Buren, Onondaga Co., N. Y., where the fa- 
ther died in 1858. The mother afterward 
came to Tiskilwa, where she died. She was 
the mother of the following children: John 
H., our subject; Mrs. Margaret A. Wilkin- 
son, deceased; Ellen, Bertha, Mrs. Mary 
Rhodes; Daniel, died while in the army; Mrs. 
Anna Milling, Maurice, Katie, deceased. Our 
subject was principally reared and educated 
.in the State of New York, though properly 
speaking Mr. Welsh is self educated. He 
came to Illinois in 1852, and the following 
year came to Tiskilwa, where he clerked for 
Ozias Simmons till 1859, when he went into 
business for himself, keeping a general store. 
Orron AVilkinson was his partner till 1862. 
Since September 1, 1877, he has been in 
partnership with William Rhodes. The firm 
is known as Welsh & Rhodes. December 1, 
1877, Mr. Welsh formed a partnership with 
B. N. Stevens and his two sons, Alden N. and 
Charles M., and engaged in the banking bus- 
iness. The firm is known as Stevens & Welsh, 
of the Bank of Tiskilwa. His mercantile as 
well as his banking enterprise has proven 
successful. Politically Mr. Welsh is identi- 
fied with the Democratic party, and has filled 
the following township offices: Town Clerk, 
six years. Assessor, one year, and Supervisor, 
ten years. In 1880 he was elected Repre- 
sentative by the Democratic party in the 
Nineteenth District, comprising the counties 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



689 



of Bureau, Putnam and Stark, and re-elected 
in 1882. Mr. Welsh has been alive to every 
interest of our citizens, especially in the way 
of education, and for the last fifteen years, 
in the capacity of Director, has labored 
cheerfully for its advancement. He is an 
active member of the A, F. & A. M. frater- 
nity, Sharon Lodge, No. 550, also Prince- 
ton Chapter, No. 28, Royal Arch Masons, and 
Temple Commandery, No. 20, K. T. Our 
subject was joined in marriage November 14, 
1S6U, to Achsa L. Gardner, who was born 
January 23, 1838, in Peoria County, 111. Her 
parents were Otis and Mary (Weaver) Gard- 
ner, natives of New York. This union was 
blessed with three children, viz.: Ina, who 
was born October, 1861; Maggie, October, 
1863, and George E., October, 1865. 

FRIDRICK WENDEL was born May 28, 
1819, in Eigenboer, Kronau, Bavaria. Ger- 
many. His parents, George and Margaretha 
(Roth) Wendel, were also natives of Germany, 
where they died. They reared seven chil- 
dren, viz.: Casper (deceased), Fridrick (our 
subject), George (deceased), Adam, Mrs. Eliz- 
abeth Ultch (deceased), and Mrs. Caroline 
Trappe (deceased). Mr. Wendel came to 
America in August, 1847. He landed in 
Baltimore, from whence he made his way most- 
ly by water to Clarion Township, Bureau Co., 
111., where he worked five years for John 
Hetzler. With the money thus earned, together 
with SlOO brought with him from the old 
country, he bought eighty acres. He has now 
240 acres of land. Mr. Wendel was married 
here March 25, 1852, to Margaretha Truck- 
enbrod, a native of Germany. She died here 
February 15, 1864. She was the mother of 
two children, viz. : Henry and George Wen- 
del. Henry Wendel married Margaretha 
Faber, who is the mother of Lily and Frid- 
rick Wendel; they reside in Livingston 
County, 111. George Wendel is living on the 
homestead, he married Emelia Heiman. E'rid- 
rick Wendel was married a second time to 
Catharina Fritz. He is now practically re- 
tired from farming, and living one mile west 
of Mendota. 

W. D. WHA.PLES, Neponset, was born July 
3, 1832, in Newington, Conn. His father, 
Elisha Whaples, Jr., was a native of the same 
place, born in 1800; he died there 1854. He 



was a carpenter and farmer by occupation. 
He was a son of Elisha Whaples, Sr., the 
grandfather of our subject, who was also a 
native of Connecticut and of French extrac- 
tion. He participated in the war of 1812, 
and after that followed farming. The moth- 
er of our subject was Amanda A. Hart; she 
was born in 1806 in Avon, Conn., and died 
in 1850 in Newington, Conn. The following 
are her children: Mrs. Nancy A. Deming 
(deceased), Warren Day, our subject, and 
Shubael H. Whaples, now a resident of New- 
ington, Conn. Our subject was educated 
principally in Newington, Conn, where he 
also farmed and afterward taught school two 
winters. In 1856, at the age of twenty-four, 
he came West and settled in Neponset, Bu- 
reau County, 111., where he has been engaged 
in the mercantile business ever since. When 
Mr. Whaples first came to Neponset he 
clerked one year and then formed a partner- 
ship with Joseph Lyford, and kept a general 
store. The partnership was dissolved in 

1860, when Mr. Whaples formed a partner- 
ship with his brother, Shubael H. Whaples, 
which lasted till the close of the late war. 
Since then our subject has been alone in busi- 
ness, and has been very successful. In 1873 
he started an Exchange Bank in Neponset, 
and although he met with a heavy loss short- 
ly after through the failure of a Chicago 
bank, his banking venture is a decided suc- 
cess. In 1883 he built a fine brick store, of 
which he occupies the two lower rooms as a 
store, in which he has built a fire-proof vault 
and lately placed in it a burglar-proof safe. 
The bank is known as "Exchange Bank of 
W. D. Whaples of Neponset, 111. ;" it does a 
general banking business and makes collect, 
ing a specialty. When Mr. Whaples first 
came to Neponset he bought a one-fourth in- 
terest in the town lots, and dealt otherwise 
in lands which he has subsequently sold. He 
was married November 29, 1858, in Connecti- 
cut, to Miss Mary E. Lawrence, who was born 
September 23, 1837, in East Canaan, Conn. 
She was a daughter of AVilliam and Maria 
(Odell) Lawrence, who were natives of Con- 
necticut. This union was blessed with two 
children, viz.: William E., born March 31, 

1861, and Walter L,. born July 5, 1863. Mr. 
and Mrs. Whaples are active members of the 

41 



690 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Congregational Chui-ch, and take an interest 
in all things pertaining to the welfare of their 
community. He is also a Good Templar and 
politically is a Republican. 

HON. WILLIAM M. WHIPPLE, Prince- 
ton. When we study the history of self- 
made men, persevering industry and ener- 
getic effort seem to be the great secret of 
their success. What is usually termed luck 
has little to do in the success of men in gen- 
eral. It is rather a matter of experience, 
sound judgment and a determined power of 
will. Such, in a great measure, are the char- 
acteristics of the man whose name heads this 
sketch. He came from early New England 
families, and from his ancestors inherited 
those elements which have made his life a 
success. He was born in Croydon, N. H., 
August 9, 1817. He is the grandson of Sam- 
uel Whipple, and son of Capt. William 
Whipple, who was born in New Hampshire, 
January 13, 1768, and died in Croydon, De- 
cember 5, 1852. He was an extensive farm- 
er, and the largest wool-grower in his town, 
at times keeping 1,000 head of sheep. His 
wife was Judith (Putnam) Whipple, who was 
born December 22, 1780, in New Hampshire, 
and died there September, 1863. She was 
the mother of nine children, viz. : Harriet, 
Lyman, Sophia, Lyndia and Laura (twins), 
Mahala, Lucy, Samuel, and William M., our 
subject. He was reared in his native town, 
and there received his primary education, but 
afterward attended the academy at Canaan, 
N. H., and still later became a student at the 
Norwich University, Vt. At the close of his 
school years he followed the mercantile bus- 
iness for two years at Croydon, after which 
he engaged in manufacturing and selling 
machinery at Canaan for three years, then 
turned his attention to farming. In 1855 
Mr. Whipple turned his face westward, and 
after a short residence in Chicago came to 
Bureau County and purchased land near 
Buda, but the following year sold his farm 
and returned East to settle up his affairs, 
before making a permanent home in this 
county. Before he had completed his prep- 
arations for removal from his native State he 
was called upon by his many friends in Sul- 
livan County to represent them in the State 
Legislature, which he did with credit to him- 



self and to the honor of his constituents. 
Upon the expiration of his term of office the 
advantages of the West again presented 
themselves; consequently in the spring of 
1857 he returned to this county. He then 
invested in lands, and engaged in the mer- 
cantile business at Sheffield, and continued 
in the same for thirteen years, and seven 
years during this time was Postmaster. In 
1869 Mr. Whipple disposed of his store, 
and for the four succeeding years devoted 
his time to his farms near Sheffield. In 
1873 he removed to Princeton, but his life 
has been one of too great activity to permit 
of an idle old age, so he still retains 480 
acres of land in this county, which he over- 
sees, town property in Sheffield and Prince- 
ton, and still follows to quite an extent 
money loaning and trading, and is a stock- 
holder and Director of the Citizens' National 
Bank. Mr. Whipple has been very success- 
ful in almost everything he has undertaken, 
especially since coming to Bureau County. 
His success has not been the result of acci- 
dent, but rather the natural consequence of 
industry and a ju.dgment not impaired by- 
intemperance in any form. In his business 
life his aim has ever been to deal with all so 
that his simple statement of facts should 
never be questioned, and to avoid, as far as 
possible, all litigation in the courts. In 
political matters Mr. Whipple is in accord 
with the principles of the Republican party, 
and has ever taken an active interest in all 
that pertains to home or national affairs. 
While a resident of Concord Tovroship he 
represented it on the County Board, and in 
Princeton has been a member of the School 
Board for seven years. In Berlin, Vt., Mr. 
Whipple was vmited in marriage to Miss 
Ednah Comings, who was born in that place 
August 19, 1822, and is the daughter of Fen- 
no and Rebecca (Smart) Comings, who were 
both natives of New Hampshire. Mr. and 
Mrs. Whipple's quiet, pleasant ways and 
generous aid in all benevolent enterprises 
have gained for them a host of friends every 
where. One daughter, Annie L. Dewey 
Whipple, assists them in making the home 
circle a happy and pleasant one. 

CHARLES O. WHITE. Lamoille, was 
born May 5, 1859, in Lamoille Township. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



691 



He is a son of Oziel and Minerva (Hammer) 
White. Oziel White was a native of War- 
ren County, N. J. He was a thrifty farmer in 
this county, and died November 18, 1881. 
Mrs. Minerva White is now living in Dixon, 
to educate her younger children. She was 
born May 2, 1844, in Indiana, and is a 
daughter of George Hammer, an old settler 
of Lamoille Township and now living in 
Ohio. She is the mother of nine children; 
of these five are yet living, viz. : George M. , 
Mrs. Alida R. Perkins, Marion G., Charles 
O. and Edwin D. White. Our subject was 
schooled here and has made farming his oc- 
cupation, and has a fine farm of 195 acres. 
He was married in Bureau County, January 
18, 1883, to Ella Taylor, a daughter of Mat- 
thew Taylor. She was born August 3, 1858, 
and is the mother of Irena Bell White, who 
was born January 24, 1884. 

MAKION G. WHITE, Lamoille, was born 
December 31, 1853, in Dover, 111. He was 
married September 14, 1881, to Elizabeth G. 
Barrett, who was born March 31, 1859. This 
union was blessed with one child, Jennie B. 
White, born September 10, 1882. Mrs. White 
is a daughter of Mark and Josephine (Graves) 
Barrett, natives of Massachusetts. They 
came to this county in 1858. 

JOHN C. WHITE, Clarion, was born 
March 26, 1810, in Hainwiher, Bavaria, 
Germany. He is a son of Johann and Bar- 
bara (Bohman) White, who died in the old 
country. They were the parents of eight 
children. Of these, foiu- are yet living, viz.: 
Mrs. Kunigimda Hetz and Frederick White 
are yet residents of Germany, the latter on 
the old homestead; John White lives in Ge- 
noa, 111., and John C. White, om- subject, 
who came to the United States in 1839. He 
landed in Philadelphia, and from there went 
to Kutzdown, Penn. , where he worked seven 
years and then visited Germany. When he 
returned to this country he bought land in 
De Kalb County, 111., where he farmed four 
years and then he returned to Germany a 
second time, and there was married to his 
old sweetheart. Miss Catharina Stamberger, 
and with his bride retm-ned once more to the 
New World, here to lay the foundation of his 
present prosperity. He came to Bureau 
County, 111., about 1858, and now has a fine 



farm of 160 acres in Clarion Township. Mrs. 
Catharina White was born in 1810 in Ger- 
many. She died here June 2, 1881, aged 
seventy-one years. She has one daughter, 
Elizabeth, who was married December 14, 
1871, to Herman Ehlers. They are the par- 
ents of six children, viz. : Henry, Frederick, 
Herman, Ehle, Paul and Martha Ehlers. Mr. 
White and family are religiously connected 
with the Lutheran Church. He has ever 
been a quiet, peaceable citizen whom all love 
and revere. 

J. P. WHITE, Manlius, was born in Har- 
rison County, Ohio, August 26, 1833. He 
is the son of James and Rebecca (Dawson) 
White, both natives of Ohio. The mother 
died when our subject was small. Of 
her children, three are living and two died in 
infancy. James White was married a second 
time to Patience Harrison, who survived 
him. By her he had seven children, six of 
whom are living. He came to Bureau Coun- 
ty in 1854 and died here. J. P. While be- 
gan learning the trade of machine making 
when sixteen years old. In 1855 he came to 
Bureau County and worked at his trade, 
building threshers by hand, this being before 
machinery was used in their construction. 
A year later he settled on his present farm in 
Manlius Township, which contains 320 
acres, all of which he has made since he 
came to this county. Mr. White was married 
in Bureau County, June 12, 1859, to Marium 
R. Penn. She was born in Licking County, 
Ohio, December 4, 1836, and came to this 
county in the fall of 1858. They are the 
parents of eight children, viz.: Loreno, born 
March 15, 1860, wife of Arthur Aldrich, of 
Shabbona, 111. ; Wilbur, March 23, 1861 ; 
Ellsworth R., June 5, 1862; Alonzo, June 3, 
1864; Emerson, July 7, 1865; Amy, August 
24, 1866; Eva May, January 4, 1871, died 
October 1, 1872; Virgil, December 21, 1876. 
Mrs. White is the daughter of James and 
Margaret (Higgs) Penn. The father was a 
native of Maryland, and died in Ohio; the 
mother is still living, and resides in Ohio. 
In politics Mr. White has always given his 
support to the Republican party. He is now 
serving his fourth year as Supervisor of 
Manlius Township. He is a member of the 
County Central Committee. 



692 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



WILLIAM C. WHITE (deceased) was 
born in Ohio, July 7, 1824. He was the 
son of John and Jane (Robertson) W^hite. 
The father was of German descent, but was 
born in New Jersey, and the mother was a 
native of Scotland. By trade William G. 
White was a miller, and in Ohio owned a 
flouring-mill, and in connection with it had 
a turning lathe. In the spring of 1849 he 
went to California, where he remained till 
1852, being engaged in mining and dealing 
in cattle. In 1852 he came to Henry Coun- 
ty, 111., where his parents were then liv- 
ing. In the fall of 1852 he purchased the 
farm first settled in Macon Township of Mr. 
Motherell, and in 1853 he bought the pres- 
ent homestead. He gave most of his atten- 
tion to stock-farming and was very success- 
ful. At the time of his death he owned 532 
acres of land. Mr. White was a member of 
the Baptist Church of Buda, but contributed 
liberally toward the support of all churches 
or toward the advancement of any good 
cause. He was unable to enter the service 
daring the war, but did all ho could for the 
soldiers, and was known as the soldiers' 
friend. He was united in marriage in Bu- 
reau County, December 28, 1854, to Miss 
Elizabeth A. Lewis, by whom he had nine 
children. Mr. White died March 6, 1874. 
His children are: Loretta J., born Octo- 
ber 16, 1855; Florence A., born August 
29, 1857, died March 29, 1863; John 
William, born April 4, 1859; David A., 
born January 1, 1861, died March 8, 
1862; Carrie A., born December 20, 1862; 
Sarah E., born October 7, 1866; Warren J., 
born May 10, 1868; Martin E., born Janu- 
ary 11, 1870; Ellen C, born October 18, 
1872. Carrie A. was married October 29, 
1883, to Charles Wolfersberger, of Prince- 
ton, and John William was married in Jan- 
uary, 1884, to Miss Annie Wood, of Macon 
Township. Mrs. Elizabeth A. (Lewis) 
White was born in Lewis County, N. Y., 
August 18, 1834. She is the daughter of 
John W. and Ann (Koberts) Lewis. John 
W. Lewis was born December 14, 1807, in 
Lewis County, N. Y. He was the son of 
William I. and grandson of John Lewis, 
who came to the United States from Whales, 
in about the year 1784. William I, Lewis 



had one sister, who came at the same time, 
but she was married to a man named Jones, 
and settled in Philadelphia, but William I. 
and his brother Lewis settled with their 
father near Trenton Falls, N. Y. , and their 
descendants still live there. Both the broth- 
ers served in the war of 1812. John W. 
Lewis, the eldest son of William I. Lewis, 
came to Bureau County, 111., in 1853, and in 
the fall of the same year sattled on northeast 
quarter of Section 15 in Macon Township, and 
lived there till his death, which occurred 
January 8, 1873. In March. 1832, he was 
married to Ann Koberts, a native of Wales, 
born August IS, 1813. At the age of three 
years she came with her parents to the United 
States. She died November 16, 1874. She 
was the mother of twelve children, viz : 
William, Elizabeth, Sarah, David, John, 
Walter, Henry, Ellen, Thomas, Jerome, 
George and Albert. Walter died in New 
York in 1843, but all the other members of 
the family came to this county with their 
parents. John died in California in 1876; 
Albert W. died in 1858; Henry in 1868, and 
Thomas in 1875. The remaining members 
of the family yet survive, and with the ex- 
ception of Jerome, who lives in Waterville, 
Kan., and David in Mono County, Cal.. all 
reside in Bureau County, 111. 

WILLIAM WHITTIN (deceased) was born 
in Erie County, Penn., May 28, 1819, and 
there grew to manhood and then came West, 
and subsequently made Illinois and Iowa his 
home. In 1851 he was married, in Lee 
County, Iowa, to Eliza J. Larison, who was 
born near Ithaca, N. Y. , December 27, 1830, 
and in childhood went to Iowa. In 1860 
Mr. Whittin came to Bureau County, 111., 
and settled the farm of 160 acres now occu- 
pied by his family, and died January 20, 
1877. His only son — David L. AVhittin — 
was born in Putnam Co., III., August 31, 
1858, but was mostly reared and educated in 
Bureau County. He was married January 
7, 1880, to Miss Elizabeth Daggar. She was 
born in Putnam Co., 111., October 20, 1856, 
and is the daughter of Peter and Janet Dag- 
gar. The father is deceased, but the mother 
resides at Storm Lake, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. 
David L. Whittin are the parents of one 
daughter, viz. : Lucy E., born July 4, 1883. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



693 



Mr. D. L. Whittin is a standi Rfipublican in 
politics, as was also his father. 

HON. LORENZO DOW WHITING, Tis- 

kilwa, is a native of Wayne County, N. Y., his 
birth being dated at Arcadia, November 17, 
1819. His father, Samuel Whiting, was a 
farmer and contractor on the Erie Canal, and 
did at one time a lumber business on the 
Genesee River; was born in Connecticut; and 
his mother, whose maiden name was Zilpha 
Mather, was a lineal descendant of Cotton 
Mather, and a native of Connecticut. Sam- 
uel Whiting, Sr., the grandfather of Loren- 
zo, was a New Englander, and a young sol- 
dier in the Continental Army. The Whitings 
are of English descent. Our subject re- 
ceived an academic education, and was a 
merchant's clerk at Olcott, Niagara County, 
until eighteen years of age. He came West 
in 1838, and was engaged in the patent 
right business in Illinois four years, and then 
retiirned to New York State. For the nest 
seven years he was engaged in teaching and 
acting as Town Superintendent of schools in 
Newfane, Niagara County, filling also the 
office of Justice of the Peace most of the time. 
In lS-±9 Mr. Whiting returned to Illinois, 
made a purchase of a cpiarter section of 
land near Tiskilwa, and for the first three 
seasons was engaged in farming anil teaching. 
Since he ceased teaching he has given his 
whole time to agricultural pursuits, adding 
to his land from time to time until he now 
has nearly 600 acres largely under excellent 
improvement. Mr. Whiting served as Super- 
visor of Indiantown for five or sis years. He 
was elected to the Illinois House of Repre- 
sentatives in 1868, to the Constitutional Con- 
vention in 1869, to the State Senate in 1870, 
and still holds the latter office, having been 
a member of the upper house for twelve con- 
secutive years, and of the Legislature four- 
teen consecutive years. In the Constitutional 
Convention Mr. Whiting was first to pro- 
pose the insertion of a provision in the Con- 
stitution requiring the General Assembly to 
pass laws regulating railroad charges; and as 
Senator was active in carrying through the 
bill which embodied a law against unjust 
discrimination and estortionate charges 
known as the Granger Laws. He was the pro- 
jector of the Hennepin Canal scheme and the 



originator of other bills looking to the inter- 
nal improvement of the State. He was the 
author of several important laws relating to 
agriculture, roads and drainage, and of the 
bill which passed and became a law ceding 
the Illinois & Michigan Canal to the United 
States on certain conditions. For the last 
four or live years he labored in the Senate 
very earnestly to secure a more just revenue 
law, whereby all pftjperty shall be tased 
once and no property doubly tased. Cheap 
transportation and equal taxation are leading 
objects with him. No man in the Senate has 
a clearer head than '^Mr. Whiting, or 
labors more zealously to secure equal rights 
and equal justice to all classes of his con- 
stituents, and of the citizens of Illinois. In 
1869 he was among the most active in oppos- 
ing the lake front scheme, whereby three 
railroad corporations sought to possess them- 
selves of the shore line of the outer and 
future harbor of Chicago. In 1878 he led 
the opposition in the defeat of Senate bill 
114, which was to effect the release of a com- 
bination of railroads from a large amount 
of taxes adjudged by the courts to be due to 
the public. His championship of measures 
relating to the producers, and his watchful- 
ness of the public interest when assailed by 
special and corporate greed, have made him 
known as the " farmer's statesman." These 
powerful interests which he has so often 
foiled generally stir up a lively opposition 
to his repeated re-elections, but the people 
whom he has so faithfully served have so far 
successfully rallied to his support, having 
elected him seven times in succession to serve 
at the State capital. Senator Whiting is a 
Republican of Democratic antecedents. He 
was first married in 1846 to Miss Lucretia 
C. Clement, of Oneida County, N. Y. She 
died in 1872, leaving three children, two 
sons and one daughter. Senator Whiting 
was married the second time in 1874, to Miss 
Eriphyle Robinson, of Brooklyn, N. Y. She 
is the daughter of the late Dr. Daniel Rob- 
inson, of New York, a thorough scholar, with 
good taste for mathematics, horticulture and 
mechanics, and was a member of the New 
York Historical Society. Mrs. Whiting's 
mother's name was Caroline M. Cropsy, an 
accomplished lady of French descent; her 



694 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



mother's name was Helen Ackerman, who 
was connected with some of the most noted 
early Dutch settlers on the Hudson. Clem- 
ent A., the eldest son, is married, and Her- 
bert is tilling his father's lands; Lilian, the 
daughter, is connected with the editorial 
staff of the Boston Traveler, a correspondent 
of the Chicago Daihj Inter-Ocean, the Cin- 
cinnati Commercial and the Globe- Democrat , 
St. Louis, and an occ^ional contributor to 
the monthly magazines. 

JOHN 1. WILKINS, M. D., the oldest 
living physician in Tiskilwa, was born in Au- 
gust, 1827, in Dublin, Ireland. His parents, 
Charles and Catharine (Moore) Wilkins, 
were both natives of Ireland, where they 
died and where the father had been an at- 
torney at law. Dr. Wilkins was educated 
in Dublin. He received his medical educa- 
tion at the Eoyal College of Surgeons, Trin- 
ity College and " Rotunda," at which latter 
place he graduated. After a year's practice 
in Ireland he became Surgeon of the " Shen- 
andoah," an American vessel bound for Phila- 
delphia. This was about 1851. After his 
second trip to Philadelphia he abandoned 
bis position and came to Bureau County, 
111., where his brothers, Charles, Richard and 
George Wilkins, then resided. He located 
in the southern part of the county, where he 
remained till 1857, when he came to Tiskil- 
wa, where he now follows his profession. In 
the fall of 1862 he enlisted as a private in 
the Eighty-sixth Illinois. In January, 1863, 
he was appointed Assistant Surgeon of the 
Fourteenth Illinois Cavalry, and served till 
close of war. For sis mouths he Jwas in 
Libby Prison, and suffered the horrors of 
that slaughter-pen. Dr. AVilkins was married 
February 14, 1856, to Mary J. Church, who 
was born in 1830 in Pennsylvania. Her par- 
ents, William W. and Jane B. (Irwin) 
Church, were natives of Londonderry, Ire- 
land. The former is now a resident of Tis- 
kilwa. He came to St. Johns, New Bruus- 
wick, in 1823. He lived eleven years in 
Pennsylvania and forty-three years in Peoria 
County, 111. He is the father of twelve 
children. Dr. and Mrs. Wilkins are mem- 
bers of the Episcopal Church. Their son, 
Charles L., was born May 10, 1867. The 



Doctor is an A. F. & A. M., an I. O. O. F., 
and a Republican. 

ORRIN WILKINSON, Tiskilwa, was 
born September 27, 1836, in Bradford Coun- 
ty, Penn. His parents, George and Julia A. 
(Wanton) Wilkinson, were natives of Rhode 
Island, where the former was born in 1809. 
He was a farmer, . and came to LaSalle 
County, 111., in 1838. In 1844 he removed 
to Buda, in Bureau County, where he farmed, 
but eventually removed to Tiskilwa, where 
he kept hotel for about eighteen years, and 
then went to Henrj' County, where he died 
in 1880. His wife was born in 1811. She 
is yet living with our siibject, and is the 
mother of five children who reached matu- 
rity, viz.: Marshall S., Lyman J., Orrin, 
Charles H. and Mrs. Mary J. Smith. Our 
subject was a farmer in early life. In 1859 
he formed a partnership with J. H. Welsh, 
and kept a general store till August, 1862, 
when he organized Company E, of the Nine- 
tj'-third Regiment of Illinois Volunteer In- 
fantry. He was elected Captain and served 
till close of the war, participating in the 
siege of Vicksburg, the battles of Missionary 
Ridge, Allatoona, and minor engagements. 
He -was also with Gen. Sherman in his 
famous march to the sea. After the war Mr. 
Wilkinson returned to Tiskilwa, where he 
did a general collecting and insurance busi- 
ness till 1877, when he formed a partnership 
with M. W. Keigley, and at present keeps a 
general store. Mr. Wilkinson was married 
twice. His first wife, Maggie A. Welsh, 
died June, 1862. He was married a second 
time in October, 1865, to Sarah A. Smith, 
who was born in 1841 in Bradford County, 
Penn. Politically Mr. Wilkinson is a stanch 
Democrat. He was elected Justice of the 
Peace in 1860, and has held that office ever 
since; was Town Clerk from 1866 to 1880; has 
been Supervisor since 1880, and has been 
School Treasurer twelve years. He is an A. 
F. & A. M., of Sharon Lodge, No. 550, and 
a member of Princeton Chapter and Com- 
mandery; is also an I. 0.0. F, Senachwine 
Lodge, No. 147. 

J. H. WILLIAMS, Lamoille, was born 
August 24, 1821, in Culpeper County, Va. 
He is a sou of Jackson and Margai-et Will- 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



695 



iams, natives of Virginia. They died in 
Coshocton County, Ohio. Their children 
were: Cordelia, Mary, Charley, Addison, 
James H., "Washington, Eliza, Amanda and 
Jackson Williams. James H. Williams came 
to Coshocton County, Ohio, when he was fif- 
teen years old. In May, 1847, he enlisted in 
Company B, of the Third Regiment Ohio 
Volunteer Infantry, and served one year in 
the Mexican war. He came to I3ureau 
County, 111., in the summer of 1848, and with 
his Mexican land warrant entered 160 acres 
of land in Lamoille Township, on which he 
moved in March, 1850. This land he im- 
proved and to it added more, till at present 
he has 620 acres of choice land in the vicin- 
ity of Van Orin or Williams Station. Mr. 
Williams does not boast of an education, yet 
he has been a very successful and self-made 
man. He was married in Ohio to Elizabeth 
Shirk, who is the mother of the following 
children: Henry, Eliza and William now liv- 
ing, and James, Charles and Washington de- 
ceased. Henry Williams was born January 
24, 1850, in Fulton County, 111. Ho was 
reared and educated in this State. He taught 
school several terms in this county, and for 
three years was in the employment of James 
H. Williams & Co., grain, lumber and stock 
merchants of Van Orin. Since then he has 
been a farmer and owns 190 acres. He was 
married here August 9, 1874, to Mary A. 
Long, born February 5, 1854, in Ohio. She 
is a daughter of Frederick and Rachel (St. 
Clair) Long. Mr. and ]\Irs. Henry Williams 
are active members of the United Brethren 
Church. To them three children were born: 
Hattie, born May 24, 1875; James, May 23, 
1880, and Florence, January 6, 1882. Will- 
iam Williams was born July 8, 1854, on the 
old homestead. He was educated in his na- 
tive county, and has been a successful farmer 
and stockman, especially the latter, shipping 
his own stock. He raises some line cattle, 
horses and hogs. He is managing the home- 
stead of 640 acres, of which he owns half. 
Mr. Williams was married November 7, 
1877, to Sarah Crossman, born July 5, 1854. 
She is a daughter of John C. Crossman, 
This union is blessed with two children: 
Harry, born October 9, 1878, and Charles, 
who was born November 7, 1882. 



R. B. WILLIAMS, Hall, was born July 
16, 1826, in Boston, Mass., a son of Robert 
and Adeline (Hoyt) Williams. '1 he Will- 
iams family is of Scotch descent, and those 
now in the United States are descendants of 
early settlers of Deerfield, Mass., they having 
been there at the time of the Indian massa- 
cre. Our subject's grandfather, Solomon 
Williams, was born in Deerfield, Mass., and 
lived there until his death. He reared a 
family of six sons, all of whom lived to be 
very old men. Of these, Robert Williams, 
our subject's father, was a merchant for 
nearly fifty years, and died in 1863, at the 
age of seventy-seven years. His wife, Ade- 
line Hoyt, died in Boston, at the age of forty- 
two years. She was a daughter of Gen. 
Eperfras Hoyt, a soldier and engineer in the 
war of 1812. Robert and Adeline Williams 
were the parents of six children: Jane I. (de- 
ceased), Robert B., Arthur, Charles (deceased), 
John and Edward (deceased). Robert B. 
Williams was educated in Boston, where he 
learned and followed the machinist's trade 
for more than ten years, until his health failed. 
In July, 1855, he came to Bureau County, 
111., and bought 100 acres of land of his 
brother Charles, who returned East. Mr. 
Williams was married in Boston, August 7, 
1850, to Mary A. Wittaker, born in Lan- 
cashire, England, November 7, 1831. Her 
parents, William R. and Maria (Wilkinson) 
Wittaker, were also natives of England, 
where they died. Mr. and Mrs. Williams 
have five children living: Mrs. Fannie Hill, 
John, Robert, Edward and Charles. Two 
children died in infancy, and in April and 
May, 1868, they lost three daughters; Ada, 
aged sixteen years; Tena D., aged nearly fif- 
teen years, and Jennie I., aged thirteen. Mr. 
Williams votes the Republican ticket. He 
has held the various township offices. 

SOLOMON WILLIAMS, Lamoille, was 
born at Amherst, Mass., May 1, 1809, and is 
a son of Chester and Sarah (Howe) Williams, 
both natives of Massachusetts, where they 
were born January 27, 1772, and January 13, 
1772, respectively, and married January 14, 
1802. The father died at Amherst, Mass., 
February 6, 1822, and the mother September 
5, 1860. They had five children: Frederick, 
George, Mary, Solomon and Sarah. The last 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



two being the only ones now living. Fred- 
erick lived and died on the old homestead at 
Amherst; two of his children — Chester and 
William — are still living; Sarah is now a 
widow (Mrs. Sarah H. Ferry), and resides at 
Pittsfield, Mass. ; she is the mother of Irving 
D. Ferry; Solomon Williams, the subject of 
this sketch, was reared to the life of a farmer, 
and like nearly all New England boys, re- 
ceived the advantages of a good education. 
In 1836 he decided to seek his fortune in the 
West, and made his objective point Illinois, 
arriving in Chicago by canal and steamer 
over the lake; from this point he walked to 
Ottawa and Peoria, and finally to this county, 
in search of a good location whereon to found 
a home. He decided that Bureau County af- 
forded advantages for him superior to any 
that he found elsewhere, and in the fall of 
1836 bought a claim for 540 acres of land, 
located in Lamoille and Clarion Townships, 
on which he now resides. He was then a 
single man, and kept bachelor's hall in a log- 
house located on his purchase in Clarion 
Township, until the following year, when he 
returned to his native State and was married 
at Hatfield, Mass., September 5, 1837, to Har- 
riet D. Smith, who was born in Hampshire 
County, Mass., August 17, 1809. He soon 
afterward with his wife, returned to his pres- 
ent farm and commenced housekeeping. His 
wife died February 16, 1853, leaving one 
child — S. Dwight Williams — who married 
Elizabeth Keed and is now a resident of New- 
ton, Harvey Co., Kan., where he was one of 
the first settlers; they have three children: 
Earl D., Harriet and Ada L. Solomon 
Williams was again married May 24, 1855, 
to Frances Prime, who was born November 
16, 1837, at Ticonderoga, N. Y., an only 
daughter of George W. and Frances (Brown) 
Prime, natives respectively of Vermont and 
Massachusetts. By Mr. Williams' second 

marriage there are the following-named chil- 
es o 

dren: Maria E., born September 20, 1857, 
(and now the wife of Albert E. Porter, born 
December 28, 1844, in Clarion Township, this 
county, where his father, Albert Gr. Porter, 
was prominent among the early settlers, 
though he now resides at Waterloo, Iowa); 
George P., born December 1, 1859; Frederick 
F., born October 31, 1864; and Sumner H., 



born March 22, 1866; all of whom are at 
present living at the old homestead with their 
father. The mother, Mrs. Frances (Prime) 
Williams, died April 28, 1874. Mr. Will- 
iams' home farm consists of the original piu'- 
chase of over 500 acres, highly improved and 
thoroughly drained. His residence is one of 
the finest in the county, and situated in the 
midst of a beautiful and well-kept lawn, de- 
lightfully shaded by trees set by his own 
hand. The outbuildings are models of con- 
venience, and the whole appearance of the 
place indicates the care of a tasteful and in- 
telligent, as well as a successful farmer. Mr. 
Williams is also the owner of a farm in Min- 
nesota. In politics he is a Kepubliean and 
in public affairs thoroughly progressive. 

C. WILLIAMSON, Neponset, was born 
November 6, 1823, in Steuben County, N. Y. ; 
a son of Abraham and Sarah (Smith) William- 
son, both natives of New Jersey. They died in 
Steuben County, N. Y. They were the par- 
ents of ten children, viz. : Eobert, Lucy and 
Johu are deceased; Charity, Chester (our 
subject), Mime, Elias, Charles, William and 
Daniel. Our subject, Chester Williamson, 
was reared in the State of New York, where 
he was also married and in 1855 came West 
and settled on Section 18, in Neponset Town- 
ship, Bureau County, 111., where he now 
resides on a farm of 120 acres. He was mar- 
ried July 22, 1849, to Miss Electa J. Eodgers, 
who was born September 27, 1831, inThomp- 
kins County, N. Y. She is a daughter of 
John and Luzitta (Smith) Eodgers, natives 
of New York. She is the mother of ten chil- 
dren, viz: Seymour, born May 7, 1850, now 
a resident in Iowa; Lafayette E., born May 
16, 1852, a resident of Oregon; Mrs. Sarah 
A. Kepler, born September 26, 1854, a resi- 
dent of Webster City, Iowa; Pardon, born 
May 22, 1857 — he was a ranchman in Hepp- 
ner, Oregon, and died April 20, 1884, in St. 
Paul, Minn., while on his way to Bufi'alo to 
be treated for consumption by Dr. Pierce; 
Mrs. Luzitta Lewis, born May 14, 1S59; 
Gilbert E., born June 28, 1861; U. Grant, 
born July 28, 1863; Chester, born Septem- 
ber 8, 1865; Etfie, born August 29, 1870; 
and Hattie, who was born March 1, 1873. 
Mr. and Mrs. Williamson are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. He has held 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



697 



school offices and been identified with the 
Democratic party. 

CHARLES O. WILSON, Buda, was born 
in Knox County, Ohio, June 23, 18-40. He is 
the son of Prentice S. and Mary (Updyke) 
Wilson. In early life he began learning the 
machinist's trade in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. 
When about eighteen years of age he came to 
Vermont, 111., but in 1859 or 1860 removed 
to Kewanne, where he worked at his trade till 
in August, 1802, when he enlisted in the 
service of his country in Company A, One 
Hundred and Twenty- fourth Illinois Volun- 
teer Infantry, under Col. Howe, of Kewanee. 
He participated in the engagements of Cham- • 
pion Hill, Black River, siege of Vicksburg, 
Jackson and Meridian, Miss., Spanish Fort, 
etc., and then went to Montgomery, Ala., 
where for about three months he acted as 
Superintendent of the Quartermaster's 
Department, and while superintending the 
unloading of a boat his hand was crushed 
and so crippled for life. Up till the fall of 
Vicksburg, he was in Gen. Logan's com- 
mand, but then went to New Orleans under 
the command of Gen. A. J. Smith. He was 
in the service for three years and nine days. 
After receiving his discharge he returned 
again to Kewanee and followed his trade of 
machinist and engineer there till about 1868, 
when he took charge of the engine at the 
Lovejoy coal miues near Buda. He remained 
at the mines for four years, and then began 
farming, in which business he continued till 
1880, when he opened a meat market in Buda 
but soon afterward began in the restaurant 
business, but in 1882 he opened the Wilson 
House in Buda, which has met with success. 
Mr. Wilson is one of the charter members of 
the G. A. R. Post of Buda. In politics he is 
a Republican and for the past nine years has 
been a member of the I. 0. O. F. He has 
twice been married, first to Laura Earl 
about 1860, by whom he has one child living 
— Cloa A., — now wife of Allen Anderson. 
He was married March 5, 
Aker, who is the mother 
named children: Florence, 
previous marriage, and by 
band, Alice, Norman P., 
ceased), and Lizzie. 

WILLIAM S. WILSON, Ohio, was born 



1867, to Lucinda 

of the following- 

a daughter by a 

her present hus- 

Edna May (de- 



in Belmont County, Ohio, May 15, 1831, and 
is the son of Stejshen and Amy Wilson. The 
father was born in New Jersey, July 20, 
1793, and the mother was born in Pennsyl- 
vania, December 28, 1805. They were mar- 
ried in Brown County, Ohio, in 1824, where 
they resided until they came to this county, 
Aj)ril 1, 1837, and settled at Princeton, re- 
siding at and near there till 1851, when they 
removed to and settled in Ohio Township. 
Mr. and Mrs. Wilson were the parents of 
five children, three of whom are now living: 
Rebecca, born April 26, 1826, wife of John 
Warfield; William S., May 15, 1831; Joseph 
G., August 20, 1833, died May 3, 1884; 
Nancy, September, 1835, wife of L. T. 
Pomeroy, and Edwin, deceased. The father 
died in Ohio Township, March 30, 1873. 
The mother is still living. The subject of 
this sketch came to this county with his par- 
ents, and resided at home till October 7, 1852, 
when he was married to Maria Jones, the 
daughter of Abram and Mary Jones, of 
Princeton, 111., who was born April 29, 1834, 
in Princeton, 111. The father was born Sep- 
tember 5, 1801 ; the mother was born March 
18, 1802, and came to this county in 1831. 
(See sketch of Daniel Jones.) Mr. Wilson 
settled in Ohio Township in 1850 on Section 
17, the south half of which he still owns, 
and where he resided till 1876, when he re- 
moved to Ohio Village. He engaged in the 
mercantile trade in Ohio in 1870, and con- 
tinued in that business for ten years. Mr. 
and Mrs. William Wilson have no children 
of their own, but have raised two: Emma 
Morse, born April 25, 1859, now Mrs. Fen- 
wick R. Anderson, Ohio, 111., and Addie 
Doty, May 25, 1873. Mr. Wilson has been 
in the past extensively engaged in stock-deal- 
ing, and is at present engaged in farming 
and stock-raising and feeding. He is the 
owner of 363 acres in Ohio Township, 320 
acres in Lee County, 160 acres in Nebraska, 
also residence and business propertj' in Ohio 
Village. In politics Mr. Wilson was formerly 
a Republican, and early a member of the 
Free-Soil party, but at present favors the 
policy of the Democratic party. In 1870 he 
served as Supervisor of Ohio Township. Mr. 
Wilson is President of the banking firm of 
Wilson, Pomeroy & Co., of Ohio, 111. He 



698 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



is a member of the Methodist Protestant 
Church. 

HENRY WINGERT, Princeton. Among 
the enterprising foreigners who have come to 
Bureau County, 111., and have, by their in- 
domitable perseverance, industry and fru- 
gality, made money and judiciously invested 
it, wo class him whose name heads this 
sketch. The people of any community are 
always glad to have such men as he to come 
and settle among them. Mr. Wingert was 
born January 8, 1842, in Hesse-Darmstadt, 
Germany. He is a son of George and Cath- 
arine (Au) Wingert, who were farmers by 
occupation. They came to the United States 
in 1865, and both died in Princeton. Henry 
Wingert learned the tailor's trade in Ger- 
many. He followed his trade two years in 
New York City, and then came to Princeton, 
111., where he worked one year for Edward 
Erhard, and then in 1868 opened a tailor 
shop of his own, which he has continued till 
the present writing. In the summer of 1883 
he built a livery and feed stable, and in the 
future will devote most of his attention to 
that business. From time to time Mr. Win- 
gert has bought real estate near where he 
resides, and at present owns several fine 
pieces of town property. He came to the 
United States in debt for his passage money, 
but through hard work he has managed to 
gain his present prosperity. He was married 
to Miss Mary Zinke, who was born Septem- 
ber 23, 1837, in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany. 
She is a daughter of Philip and Mary (Albi- 
ger) Zinke, and is the mother of seven chil- 
dren, viz.: Peter, Lottie, George, Henry, 
Willie, Emil and Charley. Mr. Wingert 
owes much of his prosjjerity to the industry 
of his wife. Both are members of the Prot- 
estant Church. He is an I. O. O. F., and 
politically is identified with the Democratic 
party. 

SINOE. WINSER,Hal], wasborn June 19, 
1849, in Hall Township, Bureau County. His 
father, James Winser, deceased, was born in 
Hawkhurst, County Kent, England, August 
18, 1824. He was the son of Edward Winser, 
a native of the same place, who afterward 
came to Bureau County, and died in Henry 
County, 111. James Winser left England 
September 9, 1841, and came directly to Bu- 



reau County. He worked for Robert Scott 
and others several years, and then went to 
Livingston County, where his brother-in-law 
resided. He located a claim there, but after- 
ward returned to Bureau County, and bought 
land in Section 30, Hall Township, moving 
to it in 1850. He was a successful farmer 
and stock-grower, and the home farm, where 
his widow now resides, contains 460 acres of 
well-improved land. In 1872 Mr. Winser 
went to England, making the trip in twelve 
days. When he first came to this country 
they were six weeks in crossing. James 
Winser was married in this county August 
12, 1848, to Serena Munson, born September 
19, 1832, in Warren County, Ind. Her father, 
Sino Munson, was a native of New York, and 
her mother, Sarah (Fenton) Munson, of Ohio. 
Mrs. Winser came to Bureau County in 1842. 
She has four children, viz.: Sino E., William 
B. (deceased), Mrs. Nancy J. Campbell, Mrs. 
Isabel S. Miller. James Winser was a Dem- 
ocrat, as is also his son, Sino E. 

JAMES WINTERS, Clarion.was born Aug. 
15, 1821, in MifBin County, Penn. His father, 
Christian Winters, was born in Hohenloh, 
Germany, where he learned the baker's trade, 
and as journeyman traveled a great deal. 
He came to MilHin County, Penn., when a 
young man, and there was a farmer by occu- 
pation. He was married there about 1810, 
to Nancy Frazier, a native of Mifflin County. 
She was of Scotch Irish descent, and died in 
August, 1826. She was the mother of six 
children, viz. : Eve, Elizabeth, Andrew, 
Margaret, James and Sarah. Christian Win- 
ters was married a second time to Mrs. Sarah 
Stratton, now deceased, who was the mother 
of Nancy and Hannah Winters. Christian 
Winters came to Bureau County in 1851, and 
died here April 8, 1860, aged seventy-nine 
years and four months. Our subject, James 
Winters, was educated in his native State, 
where he learned and followed the carpenter's 
trade. He went to Des Moines County, Iowa, 
in the fall of 1843, and followed his trade 
till the spring of 1845, when he went to 
Minnesota, where he lumbered up and down 
the Mississippi River, from the falls of St. 
Croix to St. Louis. After this he ran a 
horse ferry-boat nearly two seasons across 
the river at Burlington. In the fall of 1847 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



699 



be returned to his old home in Pennsylvania, 
where he was married, in August, 1849, to 
Catharine Sheller, who was born November 
21, 1826, in Lebanon County, Penn. Her 
parents were John A. and Anna M. (Grass- 
myer) Sheller, natives of Pennsylvania. Mrs. 
Winters is the mother of nine children now 
living, viz.: Mrs. Anna M. Corbett; William 
A., a farmer of Cherokee County, Kan.; Mrs. 
Mary E. Dean, a resident of Wisner, Neb.; 
Hannah C, Mrs. Emma J. Frizzell, Andrew 
C, Sarah B.. Alice M. and John R. Winters. 
After Mr. Winters was married, he took a 
contract to build a wagon road over Eli and 
Juniatta Mountain, in Pennsylvania. In the 
summer of 1851 he came to Clarion Town- 
ship, Bureau Co., 111., and bought 120 acres 
of land of his brother, Andrew Winters, who 
had entered it in 1848. Mr. Winters has 
been a successful farmer, and has besides his 
well-improved homestead 480 acres in Kansas 
and eighty acres in Nebraska. Politically he 
is a stanch Eepublican. He was formerly a 
member of the Union League, and is now a 
member of the A. F. & A. M. fraternity. 
Mrs. Winters is a member of the Presbyterian 
Church. 

W. H. WINTER, M. D., Princeton, was 
born January, 1826, in Butler County, Penn. 
His parents were John and Eliza (Wilson) 
Winter. The mother was born in 1793, in 
Newcastle,-on-the-Tyne, in England, and 
died, 1866, in western Pennsylvania. She 
was the mother of four children now living: 
John S., Mrs. Mary W. Irvine, Mrs. S. F. 
Miller and William H., our subject. The 
father of W. H. Winter was born, 1794, in 
Wellington, England. He was a gi-aduate of 
one of old England's best colleges, and in 
early life studied medicine. He came to the 
United States in 1821, and in this country 
devoted his whole life and energy to the 
preaching of the Gospel, being a minister 
of the Baptist Church. His field of labor 
was in western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio 
and West Vinginia. His ability as a writer 
and historian in the Baptist Church is recog- 
nized throughout that section of the country, 
and he has done much for the interest of that 
church. He was a man of ability, and ever 
ready to sacrifice his own and even the inter- 
est of his family for that of the church. His 



last years of Christian labor were spent 
in western Pennsylvania, where he died 
in 1878. Our subject, Dr. Winter, re- 
ceived his primary education in western 
Pennsylvania, in different schools, among 
others that of Beaver Academy; but is 
mainly self-educated. Having gained some 
knowledge of drugs from his father, he pur- 
sued the study of medicine four years with 
Dr. J. M. Irvine as his preceptor. At the 
end of that time, in 1846, he came to Fulton 
County, 111., where he practiced medicine 
three years, and then went to Knox County, 
where he practiced one year, and also sold 
drugs. In March, 1850, he came to Bureau 
County, with which he has been identified 
ever since. In April of the same year he 
came to Princeton, where he opened a drug 
store, which was the first of its kind in the 
place, and has been the largest and best drug 
store in the county ever since. The Doctor 
commenced business here on a small scale, 
but has increased his stock from time to time 
till it reached its present magnitude. It is 
one of the largest retail stores in the State, 
containing a stock valued at over $15,000. 
Its reputation for pure drugs is well estab- 
lished, as the firm manufactures their own 
tinctures and extracts. In May, 1872, C. G. 
Cushing went into partnership with Dr. 
Winter, the firm being known as Winter & 
Cushing. Early in life, at the age of four- 
teen, the Doctor expressed the wish of some 
day owning a farm and stock, which desire 
has since been fully realized. In 1873 he 
bought 400 acres of land four miles north- 
west of Princeton, which he has converted 
into a stock farm, buying his first blooded 
stock in the fall of 1873, and some more in 
1874. He has now the finest short-horn herd 
in the county, to which he frequently adds 
tine imported stock. He has counted the 
"May-flower" and "Maid of Honor" among 
his herd; the latter was exhibited at the Cen- 
tennial. At present he has between fifty and 
sixty head of short-horn cattle, with " Wild 
Duke of Geneva " at the head of the herd. 
He has also a tine lot of blooded horses, 
which are raised on his fafm. Dr. Winter 
has lived on his farm since April, 1874, but 
can be found in Princeton every day of the 
week except Thursday, when he remains on 



700 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



his farm, ever ready to entertain his visitors 
and customers. Dr. Winter was married, 
June 1, 1848, to llelissa H. Curtis, who was 
born in 1828, in Portage County, Ohio. She is 
a daughter of H. P. Curtis, who was a farmer 
by occupation. The Doctor is an A. F. & A. 
M., Bureau Lodge, No. 112, of which he was 
a charter member, and its second Master; 
has taken the degree of Royal Arch Mason. 
He is also a member of the I. O. O. 
F., Tonnah;ka Lodge, No. 89, of which he is 
also a charter member, and belongs to the 
Encampment. In politics he is a Democrat, 
and is a self-made man in every respect. 

CEARLES WIXOM, Hall,was born August 
7, 1852, in Hall Township, Bureau Co., Ill, 
on the farm where he now resides. His 
father, Abraham Wixom, was born in Ohio, 
February 19, 1816. He uiarried Rachel N. 
Scott, born April 14, 1825, in Indiana. She 
is the daughter of Robert and Polly (Hall) 
Scott, who came to this county in 1834. (See 
sketch of Henry J. Miller.) Abraham Wixom 
came to Bureau County and settled on Sec- 
tion 33, Hall Township, where he bought 200 
acres of land of his father-in-law, Robert 
Scott. The farm now contains 300 acres, and 
is the home of our subject, Charles Wixom. 
Abraham Wixom died in this county August 
29, 1870. His wife is still living, and was 
married a second time to Absalom Sweet. 
She is the mother of two children now living: 
Mrs. Cynthia Clark and Charles. In poli- 
tics Charles Wixom is identified with the Re- 
publican party. 

JOHN WOLFER (deceased) was a native 
of Wui'temberg, Gex-many, born December 
28, 1815. He came to this country in about 
1834, and bought 708 acres of land in Hall 
Township, Bureau Co., 111., and was a large 
and successful farmer. He died May 4, 1879. 
He was married in this county July 5, 1849, 
to Anna M, Sessler, daughter of George and 
Anna M. (Mertz) Sessler. The latter is still 
living at the age of eighty years. Mrs. 
Wolfer was born October 7, 1826. She is 
the mother of eight children now living, viz.: 
Christian, born October 27, 1852, in Hall 
Township, Bureau County; Mrs. Carrie 
Loekle, Mrs. Emma Snyder, John J., William 
S., Louisa, Sarah and Ida. The Wolfer family 
are members of the Lutheran Church. The 



i three brothers are engaged in farming, hav- 
; ing 320 acres of land. They are Democratic 
in political views. 

CHARLES WOLFERSBERGER, Prince- 
ton, was born in Lebanon County, Peun., 
July 13, 1828. He is of German descent, 
and his parents, John and Elizabeth (Carper) 
Wolfersberger, were both natives of Lebanon 
County, Penn. His mother died there Feb- 
; ruary 25, 1852, at the age of sixty-one years, 
two months and ten days. His father was 
killed by cars at Harrisburg, Penn., Novem- 
ber 29, 1864, aged seventy- five years, one 
month and twenty- three days. Charles Wolf- 
ersbei'ger sjaent most of his youth in Camp- 
bellstown, Penn., farming and attending 
school. At the age of seventeen he went to 
Cumberland County, Penn. , where he learned 
the trade of a shoe-maker, serving three 
years as apprentice and two years at journey 
work. In 1851 he removed to Illinois, and 
for several months worked at his trade at 
Princeton. In October, 1851, he bought a 
farm in Berlin Township, removed to it the 
following spring, and has since been engaged 
in farming. In 1867 he built on his present 
farm in Princeton Township, northeast quar- 
ter, Section 1, where he has since resided. 
He also owns the northwest quarter of Sec- 
tion 6, in Selby Township. He was married 
in Cumberland County, Penn. , A.ugust 20, 
1849, to Susanna Fahnesstock. She was 
born in the same county February 17, 1830. 
Her father, Dr. Samiiel Fahnesstock, died 
when she was eighteen months old. Both he 
and his wife, Sarah N. Colier, were natives 
of Cumberland County, Penn. Mr. and Mrs. 
Wolfersberger are the parents of ten chil- 
dren, seven of whom are living: John F., 
born August 24, 1850, in Cumberland Coun- 
ty, Penn., now in Leadville, Col.; Mary E., 
September 7. 1852, in Bui-eau County, 111., 
wife of Edward Scott, of Selby Township; 
Ida A., August 9, 1857, wife of Franklin 
Cottrell, of Menlo, Iowa; Sarah M., Novem- 
ber 28, 1859, wife of Samuel Rinker, of 
Maiden; Cora B., December 16, 1861, died 
May 23, 1865; Charles E., January 15, 1864, 
is at home; Lilly, March 19, 1866, died March 
21, 1866; Minnie Annetta, September 5, 
1867, died April 22, 1869; George S., No- 
vember 12, 1870; Susan Maird, February 18, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



701 



1874. Mr. "Wolfersberger is Republican in 
politics. He and his wife are members of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church, of Maiden. 
PHILIP WOLFERSBERGER, Prince- 
ton, was born March 28, 1826, in Campbell- 
town, Lebanon Co., Penn. His father, John 
Wolfersberger, was born in 1793, in the same 
place. He was a merchant by occupation, 
and was killed by the cars in 1864. John 
Wolfersberger, Sr., was the grandfather of 
oar subject, and a native of Hessen, Germany. 
The mother of our subject was Elizabeth 
(Carper) Wolfer.sberger. She was also a na- 
tive of Campbelltown, where she died. She 
was a daughter of Frederick and Mary Car- 
per, and she is the mother of nine children, 
viz. : Julian, Gabriel (deceased), Mary, Mar- 
garet, John, Philip, Charles, Isaac and Eliz- 
abeth. Of the above John was a soldier in 
the late war, and killed at Murfreesboro. 
Philip, the subject of this biography, was 
educated in the common schools of Campbell- 
town. In early life he learned and followed 
the carpenter and joiner's trade there. In 
1853 he came to Princeton, 111., where he 
followed his trade till the breaking out of the 
Civil war. September 1, 1861, he enlisted 
in the Fourth Illinois Cavalry, Company D. 
After serving two years as a private he was 
promoted to the position of First Lieutenant 
Commissary of the Third Colored United 
States Cavalry, in which capacity he served 
till the close of the war. Before coming 
home he served four months on the " Freed- 
men's Bureau," returning to Princeton Janu- 
ary 26, 1866. There he followed his trade 
two years, and then became a partner in es- 
tablishing a planing-mill. Four years after- 
ward he sold his interest in the mill, and 
worked at his trade one year, and then entered 
upon a mercantile career by opening a book- 
store, to which he afterward added a full line 
of groceries, queensware, willow and wood- 
enware. Our subject was married twice. 
His first wife was Martha Miller. She died 
in 1853, leaving three daughters, viz. : Mrs. 
Leah Walters, Mrs. Clara Holman and Mrs. 
Emma Carr. His present wife, Elizabeth 
Miller, was a sister to his first wife. She is 
the mother of three sons, viz. : Frank (de- 
ceased), William and Charles. The latter mar- 
ried Carrie White, and is now a partner in 



his father's store. William graduated from 
the high school of Princeton, and was ap- 
pointed to the Naval Academy at Annapolis, 
Md., where he graduated, and then served 
two years on the United States flag ship 
" Pensacola." He then resigned his position 
and went into the exj^ress business, and at 
present is express agent at Leadville, Col. 

JASPER WOOD, Mineral, was born No- 
vember 15, 1829, in Erie County, Ohio; a son 
of Bourdett and Rhoda (Harrington) Wood, 
who were among the pioneers of Erie County, 
Ohio, where they yet reside. They are the 
parents of ten children. The grandfather of 
our subject, Jasper Wood, Sr., was a Captain 
in the war of 1812, and participated in the 
battle of Lake Erie. He married Elizabeth 
Boylstone, a native of Massachusetts. Both 
died in Ohio. The grandfather of our sub- 
ject on his mother's side was Seth Hareing- 
ton, a native of Ctinnecticut. He served un- 
der Gen. Harrison in the war of 1812, and 
was the commander of Fort Bloomingville, 
near Lake Erie. Our subject was reared and 
educated in Ohio, where he also farmed. In 
1850 he crossed the plains, and in California 
mined for gold successfully for two and one- 
half years, and also teamed. In 1854 he re- 
turned to Ohio, and the same year came to 
Gold Township, Bureau Co., 111., where he 
became a successful farmer. He also took a 
deep interest in township affairs, and has held 
the office of Supervisor, Justice of the Peace, 
School Trustee and Treasurer. In 1867 he 
came to Mineral Township, where he at pres- 
ent resides. Here he has been School 
Trustee for fifteen years, and at present is 
Highway Commissioner. Mr. Wood was mar- 
ried here to Miss Ruhecy Goble, a native of 
Rock Island County, 111. She is a daughter 
of Benjamin and Barbara (Vandruff) Goble. 
To Ml-, and Mrs. Wood six children were 
born: Benjamin B. and Mrs. Flora G. McKee 
are deceased; Richard B., Thaddeus J., Ada 
S. and Henry L. Mrs. Flora G. McKee died 
May 22, 1884, aged twenty-four years and 
seven months. She left two children : Blanche 
and J. B. W. McKee. Financially Mr. 
Wood's life so far has been a success. He 
has accumulated a handsome property of 
nearly 2,000 acres of land. Of this 680 
acres are in Gold and 1,200 acres in Mineral 



703 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



Townships. He engages extensively in the 
stock business. Politically he is a Repub- 
lican. 

JOHN WYLIE, Tiskilwa, was born 
August 8, 1848, in Fayette County, Penn. 
His parents, Joseph L. and Jane (McKean) 
Wylie were also natives of Pennsylvania. 
They now reside in Tampico, Whiteside 
Co., 111. Of their eight children the fol- 
lowing are yet living: Elizabeth Wylie, 
Thompson M., Mrs. Sarah Robinson, An- 
drew, .John (our subject) and William. Mr. 
Wylie was brought to Bureau County by his 
parents. In early life he clerked, princi- 
pally in Tiskilwa, where he gained the es- 
teem and confidence of his fellow men. In 
November, 1879, he embarked in the mer- 
cantile career for himself, in partnership 
with U. Tebow, selling hardware, imple- 
ments and groceries. In February, 1884, 
the firm dissolved partnership, and our sub- 
ject engaged in the implement business, 
making the sale of buggies a specialty, and 
80 far has met with deserved success. He 
was married January 29, 1873, to Miss Bell 
Wierd, who is the mother of one child, Lou- 
isa B. Wylie, born May 31, 1875. Mr. Wy- 
lie takes an active interest in local affairs. 
He has been Village Trustee and Commis- 
sioner of Arispe Township. 

MICHAEL YOUNG, Arlington, was born 
May 11, ]882, in Mehren, Rhein Prussia, 
Germany. He is a son of John A. and Mar- 
garet (Pantenburg) Young, natives of the 
above place, where the former was a farmer 
and cooper by occupation. In 1841 he came 
to Peru, 111., where the family lived three 
years, after which he went to farming, having 
entered 160 acres of land in Westfield Town- 
ship, where both parents died. They reared 
four children, viz. : IMrs. Catharine Thealen, 
Michael, Peter and Joseph Young, the latter 
deceased. In 1853, at the age of twenty-one, 
Michael Young crossed the plains and became 
a successful gold miner in California, at one 
time possessing $60,000 of the filthy lucre, 
but meeting with reverses he was only able 
to bring 110,000 home with him, which he 
invested principally in Arlington, where he 
built several buildings, which burnt down in 
March, 1869. This was a heavy blow to Mr. 
Young, as he received no insurance, but noth- 



ing daunted, he engaged in the hardware bus- 
iness on a small scale with borrowed capital. 
Eventually he also engaged in the agricultural 
implement and husk mattress business, putting 
up machinery and using from 400 to 600 tons 
per year of the latter material. He has 
been wonderfully successful since he started 
in business, which is due mainly to his untir- 
ing energy and perseverance, his business 
amounting to about $80,000 per annum. 
Mr. Young was married July 17, 1861. to 
Miss Elizabeth Betendorf, a native of Ger- 
many, who is the mother of the following 
children: Joseph (deceased), Ella, Katie, 
Anna, Maggie, Elizabeth and Michael Young. 
Mr. Young has filled school and township 
offices and is identified with the Democratic 
party. 

WILLIAM J. YOUNG, Ohio, was born in 
Coles County, 111., May 6, 1841, and is the 
son of Bazel and Sarah Young. (See sketch 
of Marion Kiser.) They came from Knox 
County, Ohio, to this State in 1840, and set- 
led in Coles County, where they remained 
till 1841. They then removed to Knox 
County, and resided there till 1847, when 
they came to this county, and settled near 
Princeton, remaining till 1851, when they 
removed to Ohio Township, and settled on a 
part of Section 17, which he bought at $3.50 
per acre. The mother died in 1861 and the 
father in 1878. In 1862, August 15, Will- 
iam J. Young]enlisted in Company B, Ninety- 
third Illinois Infantry, and served till June 
23, 1865, when he was mustered out by 
reason of expiration of term of service. He 
was engaged in the battles of Jackson, Miss., 
May 14, 1863; Champion Hill, May 16, 1863; 
siege of Vicksburg from May 19, till Julv 
4, 1863; Mission Ridge, November 25, ISBS"; 
Dalton, February 25, 1864; Allatoona, Ga., 
October 5, 1864, and Sherman's march to the 
sea. December 25, 1867, Mr. Young mar- 
ried Miss Mary E. Cowan, of this county, who 
was born November 11, 1842, and is the 
daughter of William and Emeline Cowan. 
The father was born in Kentucky, April 2, 
1800, and is still living at Beattie, Kan. He 
came to this county in 1834. The mother 
was born at Rome, N. Y., February 27, 
1809, and is a lineal descendant of the Puri- 
tan fathers. She died in Kansas, October 17, 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



703 



1874. Mr. and Mrs. Young both completed 
their school course at Wheaton College, at 
which place they were married. Mr. Young 
had three brothers in the service. George 
was a member of Company K, Eighty-ninth 
Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was confined 
in Andersonville prison for eight months. 
Lyman was a member of Company K, 
Twelfth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and 
served three years, and re enlisted in the 
One Hundred and Fifty-first Illinois Volun- 
teers as First Lieutenant. Marion was a 
member of the One Hundred and Fifty-first, 
and served till the end of the war. Mr. and 
Mrs. Young have a family of eight children, 
all living: Maria E., born February 9, 1869; 
Charles L., born September 11, 1870; Byron 
R., born June 6, 1872; .John \V., born May 
24, 1874; Frank, born September 18, 1876; 
George, born October 23, 1877; Julia F., 
born April 21, 1880; Catharine, born Sep- 
tember 5, 1882. Mr. Young settled on the 
farm which is his present home in 1870. 
He owns eighty acres in Ohio Township. In 
politics he is Republican. 

MARTIN ZEARING, deceased. The com- 
plete genealogy of the Zearing family was 
published several years ago in the East. We 
learn from it that the Castle or Schloss Zear- 
ing was founded by the Romans, who had 
conquered the Germanic nations, A. D. 65. 
It was afterward destroyed by the Franks or 
Huns, and rebuilt by the house of Zearing. 
At present Zearing Schloss is situated near 
Zearingville, Baden, Germany. Ludwig I., 
the American progenitor of the Zearing fam- 
ily, emigrated from Baden about 1725. His 
son, Henry Zearing, was the father of eight 
children. The oldest of these, Henry Zear- 
ing, Jr., was born March 20, 1760; he mar- 
ried Maria E. Rupp, who was born October 15, 
1762. They had nine children. The sev- 
enth child, Martin Zearing, was born in Leb- 
anon County, Pennsylvania, July 4, 1794, 
and died in Dover, Bureau Co., 111., July 24, 
1855. He was married in Pennsylvania, 
April 19, 1819, to Sarah Shafer, a native of 
Cumberland County, Penn., born May 9, 1797, 
died October 29, 1869. She was the daugh- 
ter of 'John and Barbara (Lohmiller) Shaf- 
er, natives of Lancaster County, Penn. He 
died October 10, 1816, aged seventy-three 



years, she died November, 1838, aged seven- 
ty- six years, both in Cumberland County, 
Penn. John Shafer was twice married and 
Mrs. Sarah Zearing was the twenty-fourth 
child. She was the mother of thirteen chil- 
dren, viz. : Mrs. Caroline Mohler, Mrs. Mary 
Denning and Mrs. Elizabeth Roberts Colton, 
all deceased; Martin R. ; Louis; Mrs. Susan 
Steele; Mrs. Sarah Foster; Catharine, de- 
ceased; David S. ; Samuel M. , who was killed 
at the battle of Champion Hill; Martha J., de- 
ceased; infant, deceased; and John M., of 
Missouri. Martin Zearing came to Bureau 
County on a tour of observation in the sum- 
mer of 1835; returning to Pennsylvania he 
made preparations to bring his family West, 
and after an eventful trip of five weeks they 
arrived in Princeton May 9, 1836. In De- 
cember, 1836, the family moved out on the 
bleak prairie about one mile east of where 
Dover stands. The winter of 1836-37 is re- 
membered to this day by old settlers as the 
severest ever experienced, and will never be 
forgotten by the members of the Zearing 
family as one of intense suffering and desti- 
tution. Martin Zearing was a man of great 
fixedness of purpose, of an indomitable will, 
and was never heard to utter a word of com- 
plaint in all his troubles and trials. An hon- 
est man, an exemplary Christian, he died as 
he had lived. To-day his memory is sweet to 
all who knew him. His wife bore with him 
his trials and privations with a singular for- 
titude, so characteristic of the pioneer moth- 
ers, of whom more should be said and writ- 
ten. 

MARTIN R. ZEARING, Princeton, was 
born in Shiremantown, Cumberland Co., 
Penn., December 15, 1825. He is the son of 
Martin Zearing. (See sketch of Martin Zear- 
ing, deceased.) Mr. Zearing came to Bu- 
reau County with his parents in 1836, and 
has since resided in this county. He was 
reared on a farm and suffered the hardships 
to which the pioneer is subjected. He was 
the oldest son, and much of the burden fell 
upon him of supporting the family in the 
new country. And so his youth was occupied 
in the steady plodding necessary to improve 
a farm and gain.a sustenance. He remained 
at the old home near Dover till his marriage 
in 1855, when he settled on his farm, three 



704 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



miles east of Dover. His wife, Louisa Rack- 
ley, was born September, 1825, and was the 
daughter of Nathan Rackley, a native of Ver- 
mont, but who had lived in the State of New 
York some time previous to coming to Bu- 
reau County in June, 1836. Mrs. Zearing 
died January 12, 1877. She was the mother 
of one daughter, viz. : Mrs Susan L. Moore, 
a resident of this county. April 3, 1879, Mr. 
Zearing was united in marriage to Mrs. Fan- 
nie E. Garten, widow of E. D. Garten, by 
whom she had five children, now living, viz. : 
Mrs. Mary Gary, of Joliet, 111. ; William, 
Melchard, Emma and Laura B. Garten. Mr. 
Zearing followed farming till January, 1882, 
when he removed to Princeton and retired 
from an active business life; but yet retains 
his farm of over 300 acres. For many years 
he has been an active member of the Method- 
ist Episcopal Church, as is also his wife. 
His first wife was also a member of the same 
church. In politics he is a Republican. 

LOUIS ZEARING, Westfield, was born 
September 10, 1827, in Sbiremantown, Cum- 
berland Co., Penn. He is the son of Martin 
Zearing, deceased (see sketch.) Louis Zear- 
ing came to Bureau County with his parents 
May 9, 1836. He was reared and educated 
in this county, and has made farming his oc- 
cupation. In 1850 he crossed the plains 
with an ox team, making the trip in 180 
days, and was one of the first to enter Hang- 
town. He was engaged in mining success- 
fully in California for three years, and then 
returned via Nicaragua and New York. April 

I, 1856, he bought a farm in Westfield Town- 
ship, where he now resides and owns 257 
acres of land. He has always taken great 
interest in the affairs of the county and town- 
ship, and has held the offices of School 
Trustee, Commissioner and Supervisor. Mr. 
Zearing was married in New York City to 
Jane Cochran, a native of Scotland. She 
died November 10, 1868, aged thirty-seven 
years. She was the mother of four children, 
viz. : Louis F., of New York City; Mrs. Jes- 
sie McKee, of Galesburg; Margaret, de- 
ceased, and Martin. Mr. Zearing was again 
married in Mechanicsburg, Penn., February 

II, 1869, to Helen M. Whistler, daughter of 
Nathaniel and Frances (Schneble) Whistler, 
natives of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Zearing was 



born September 8, 1885, in Shiremantown, 
Penn. She is the mother of two children, 
viz. : Susan and John P., the latter deceased. 
Mr. Zearing is a member of the Baptist 
Church; his wife of the Lutheran. In poli- 
ties he is a Republican. 

DAVID S. ZEARING, Princeton, was 
born February 16, 1834, in Shiremantown, 
Cumberland Co. . Penn. He came to Bureau 
County, 111., with his parents in I83(). (See 
sketch of Martin Zearing, deceased.) He 
was educated in Dover and Peru, and fol- 
lowed farming until 1859, when he crossed 
the plains with an ox team, starting April 25, 
and crossing the eastern line of California 
September 6. While in California he met 
with many adventures, and was a successful 
gold miner. In the winter of 1867 he re- 
turned to Bureau County and resumed farm- 
ing. At present Mr. Zeariug owns about 
900 acres of land, mostly in this county, and 
is considered one of our most thrifty and 
prosperous citizens. In the fall of 1879 he 
came to Princeton, where he has resided ever 
since. Since July, 1881, he has owned a 
one-third interest in the mercantile firm of 
Zearing, Johnson & Bros., of Princeton. Mr. 
Zearing was married December 5, 1869, to 
Harriet Bass, who was born August 10, 1842, 
in Bureau County, 111. She is a daughter of 
George and Mary L. (Carey) Bass, and is the 
mother of the following children: Alice M., 
born December 2, 1870; Elmer E., born Jan- 
uary 19, 1872; George B., born December 8, 
1874; David S., born December 28, 1877; 
Roy William, born September 21, 1880; and 
Martin M., born April 14, 1882. Mr. and 
Mrs. Zearing are active members of the Bap- 
tist Church. In political matters Mr. Zear- 
ing's sympathies are with the Republican 
partv. 

GEORGE ZINK, Concord, was born in 
Bedford County, Penn. , November 80, 1822. 
He is the son of Samuel Zink. (See sketch 
of John Zink.) Our subject came to this 
county in 1844 without anything but willing 
hands and a strong determination to succeed. 
For nearly three years he worked for John 
Stevens & Sons, and during that time pur- 
chased eighty acres of land in Macon Town- 
ship, and in 1848 settled on it. Through 
his industry Mr. Zink has added to his farm 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



705 



till now he owns 220 acres of well- improved 
land near Buda, and now lie resides on the 
farm in Concord Township. His occupation 
has been that of farming, and in this he has 
been successful. November 25, 1847, he was 
united in marriage to Catherine Thompson, 
who was born in Huntingdon County, Penn., 
in 1822, and is the daughter of Andrew and 
Elizabeth Thompson, who came to this State 
in the fall of 1845, and died here. Mr. and 
Mrs. Zink have seven children, viz.: Davis, 
who died while in camp at Springfield, 111., 
during his service in the army; Andrew T., 
of Buda; Elizabeth E., at home; Catherine 
M., wife of William H. Stutzman, of Buda; 
George A., Orren and WaiTen. The two lat- 
ter are twins. In politics Mr. Zink is iden- 
tified with the Republican party. He and 
wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church of Buda. 

JOHN ZINK, Macon, was bom in Bedford 
County, Penn., August 23, 1813. He is the 
son of Samuel and Catherine (Hannawalt) 
Zink, both natives of Pennsylvania and of 
German descent. The father died in this 
county February 7, 1800, but the mother yet 
survives. She was born August 26, 1789. 
She is the mother of six sons and five daugh- 
ters; four sons and two daughters are yet 
living. Our subject is the oldest of the fam- 
ily. His early life was spent on the farm, but 



at the age of twenty- one years he learned the 
tanner's trade, which he followed till 1844, 
when he removed to Fulton County, 111., since 
which time he has been engaged in farming. 
In 1840 he came to Bureau County and set- 
tled his present farm of 199 acres. He was 
married in Bureau County, 111., September 
5, 1847, to Elizabeth Thompson, who was 
born November 2, 1810, and died November 
27, 1859. She was the daughter of Andrew 
and Elizabeth Thompson, who came to this 
State in the fall of 1845. Mrs. Zink was the 
mother of the following-named children: 
Mary E., John A., Harriet A. (deceased), and 
Christian W. S. March 7, 1865, Mr. Zink 
was united in marriage to Elizabeth Sensel, 
who was born August 22, 1835, in Knox 
County, Ohio. She is the daughter of John 
and Catherine (Schnebly) Sensel, both of 
whom were born in Washington County, Md., 
and were married there, but soon after mar- 
riage, in 1829, removed to Ohio, and he died 
there June 14, 1868, in his sixty fourth year. 
His widow now lives in Mt. Vernon, Ohio. 
She is the mother of thirteen children, ten 
of whom yet survive. Mrs. Zink is the 
mother of the following-named children: 
James L. (deceased), George E., Catherine 
E., Samuel H, Maggie J. (deceased) and 
Almeda M. 



706 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



RECEIVED TOO LATE FOR INSERTION IN PROPER ORDER. 



ELIJAH DEE, Princeton, was born 
in Franklin County, Vt., in 1816, December 
20. He is the son of Elijah and Mary(Po8t) 
Dee, natives of Connecticut. The father's 
occupation was that of a farmer. During 
the war of 1812 be fouglit in the battle of 
Plattsburg, N. Y., as a volunteer. He died 
in 1842 in Vermont at the age of sixty-nine 
years. His widow lived till 1864, and died 
at the age of about seventy-five. She 
was the mother of eleven children —seven sons 
and four daughters. The sons are all liv- 
ing, the eldest being seventy-one years 
of age. Only two of the daughters now sur- 
vive. Our subject's early life was spent on 
his father's farm in the Green Mountain 
State, and in attending the schools of his 
native county. In 1843 he came West, and 
for some years lived in Greene County, 111., 
but in 1855 he came to Princeton, 111., and 
has since continued to reside here. His bus- 
iness through life has been that of farmer 
and stock-raiser, and was one of the earliest to 
engage in the growing of thorough-bred cat- 
tle in this county, as he began in 1856, and 
continued in the same till 1883, when he sold 
his herd, and also his farm near town ; but 
owns a farm of 160 acres in Wyanet 
Township. Mr. Dee in politics is far 
from being an exti-emist, but yet is iden- 
tified with the Republican party. For years 
he has been a member ot Tonaluka Lodge, 
No. 89, 1. O. O. F. He was married October 
10, 1850, in this county, to Mrs. Angeline 
(Wiswal) Woodman. She is a native of Mas- 
sachusetts. 

A G. DOWNER, M. D., Princeton, was 
born in Rensselaer County, N. Y., in 1856. 
When but seven years of age he was taken 
to Madison County, and was there educated 
in the high schools of Chittenango, where he 



began the study of medicine under the occu- 
list and surgeon, W. E. Deuel, with whom he 
remained one year. He then entered the 
Homoeopathic and Ophthalmic Medical Col- 
lege of New York City, and after a three years' 
course graduated in 1882. During this time 
he was private student and assistant surgeon 
to Dr. W. T. Helmuth, and was student to 
S. P. Burdick, and assistant of W. O. Mc- 
Donald. The New York Homoeopathic and 
Ophthalmic Medical College is the only one 
in the United States, which confers the de- 
gree of O. et A. Chirg. and this degree Dr. 
Downer deservedly received. He was 
appointed to Five Points House of Indus- 
try, New York City, but resigned on account 
of ill health, and in the fall of 1882 located 
at Princeton where he makes a specialty of 
the treatment of the eye, ear, and. throat 
diseases and surgery, and is also assistant of 
Dr. E. J. Schenk. 

GEORGE B. HARRINGTON, Princeton, 
was born January, 31, 1844, in Williams- 
town, Vt. His ancestors were of Scotch de- 
scent. His grandfather, Daniel Harrington, 
removed from Williamstown, Mass., to 
Williamstown, Vt.; how long before 1794 
cannot be ascertained, but in that year he 
purchased his farm, which has remained in 
the possession of the family ever since. In 
1797 he brought his newly-married wife, 
Bethiah Smith, from Putney, Vt., one horse 
being suflScient to carry wife and household 
goods. They were the parents of seven chil- 
dren, of whom Daniel M., the father of om- 
subject, was born December 12, 1799, on the 
old homestead, where he also died in June, 
1878. He was a farmer, and married Esther 
Allen who was born in Brookfield, Vt. , in 1800. 
She was the daughter of Nathan Allen, a 
native of Connecticut. Mrs. Esther Harring- 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



707 



ton died in 1878, having reared a family of 
twelve children, six of whom are now living, 
viz.: Mrs. Bethiah Goodrich, of Williams- 
town, Vt. ; Mrs. Mary A. Smith, of Mont- 
pelier, Vt.; Mrs. Atlanta Winchester, of 
Wiliiamstown, Vt. ; Nathan, of Grinnell, 
Iowa; Asa, of Barre, Vt.; and George B. Har- 
rington, the subject of this sketch, who was 
reared on a farm in Vermont, where he also 
obtained his education. For several years he 
taught school in his native State, and in 
September, 1867, came to Bureau County, 
where he continued to follow his profession. 
In 1869 he was elected Principal of the 
Annawan, Henry County, schools, which posi- 
tion he held for five years, and for the two 
years following had charge of the Tiskilwa 
schools, resigning at the end of that time on 
account of ill health. In 1877 he was elected 
County Superintendent of schools, serving 
five years, during which time he was actively 
engaged in promoting the interests of the 
schools. In 1879 he published Circular No. 
1, a system for teaching Civil Government 
in the common schools, which was repub- 
lished by the New York Tribune and Inde- 
pendent, and also by many of the leading 
educational journals in different States, 
arousing a deep interest in this important 
but hitherto neglected subject During this 
time he also published in book form a "Help- 
er for the Teachers of Bureau County," 
which was of material assistance to teachers 
and proved a great benefit to the common 
schools. He was the prime-mover in and 
has the credit of erecting the Educational 
Hall, at the fair grounds, which has proved 
such a decided success. Mr. Harrington 
holds a certificate from the State Superin- 
tendent of Public Instruction, which is of 
perpetual validity throughout the State. 
July 27, 1869, Mr. Harrington was united in 
marriage in this county to Miss Emma V. 
Carpenter, a native of Orange County Vt 
Her parents, Marshall D. and Dorcas (Con- 
ner) Carpenter are natives of Vermont, but 
are now residents of Humboldt County, Iowa. 
Mr. and Mrs. Harrington have had two chil- 
dren : L. Ward, who died at the age of four 
years, and Grace V. Mr. and Mrs. Har- 
rington ^re members of the Congregational 



Church. Politically he is a Republican. 
He is an A. F. & A. M., having taken the 
degree of Knight Templar. 

W. H. SAUNDERS, Sheffield, 111., was 
born in Litchfield County, Conn., in 1834; 
son of Harry Saundcirs, who had a family of 
seven children — three sons and four daugh- 
ters —and he being a thrifty, well -to do farm- 
er, our subject was brought up on the farm. 
Both his parents died when he was seventeen 
years of age, but he remained on the farm 
till he was twenty-one. He then went to 
Chicago, where he remained for about four 
years; from there he went to Bureau County, 
111., and engaged in farming till the break- 
ing out of the war of the Rebellion in 1861. 
In September, 1861, he enlisted in what was 
then known as Birgo's Western Sharpshoot- 
ers, afterward the Sixty-sixth Illinois Volun- 
teer Infantry. This regiment, which was 
organized at St. Louis, spent the winter of 
1861-62 in north Missouri, guarding the rail- 
roads. In the spring of 1862 the regiment 
returned to St. Louis, and shortly after ac- 
companied Gen. Grant down the Mississippi 
in opening up that river. They landed at 
Fort Henry, marched to Fort Donelson, and 
after a two days' fight went to Pittsburg 
Landing. Our subject was present at the 
battle of Shiloh, the siege of Corinth, etc. 
He enlisted in Company C, but was trans- 
fen-ed by the Colonel to Company F, and on 
November 26, 1862, was promoted to First 
Lieutenant; his regiment veteranized and 
returned home for thirty days' furlough. Be- 
ing then attached to Gen. Sherman's army, 
it accompanied him in his memorable march 
to the sea, participating in all the battles. The 
captain of Company F being on detail serv- 
ice much of the time, the command devolved 
upon Lieut. Saunders. When starting on the 
campaign through Georgia the Captain re- 
turned to his company, but lost his leg on 
the 14th day of May, 1864, when Lieut. 
Saunders again took command of the compa- 
ny, which he held during the campaign. On 
July 22, 1864, when in front of Atlanta, Ga., 
he received a flesh-wound in the shoulder. 
At Savannah — his three-years' term of service 
having expired while at Atlanta — Lieut. 
Saunders was mustered out and returned 



708 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



home, but only for one week's repose, for an- 
other call for men being then made, he at 
once raised a company of one year's service 
men and was elected Captain of Company G, 
One Hundred and Fifty-first Illinois Volun- 
Infantry. The regiment was ordered to 
Georgia, where it remained nearly a year. 
While the army lay at Corinth in the winter 
of 1863 an order came that one oflScer from 
each regiment should be sent home on re- 
cruiting service, and Lieut. Saunders was 
chosen from among the ofScers of the Sixty- 
sixth Kegiment for that purpose. He enlist 
edsome twenty men for the Sixty-sixth Illinois 
Volunteer Infantry. It may here be said that he 
enrolled as many recruits as any man in Bureau 
County. In 1800 he was married to Miss 
Sarah Barnes, of Sheffield, Bureau Co., 111., 
and by this union were born four children, 
the two eldest of which died in infancy. 
Those now living are George E., aged twelve 
years, and Sophia M., aged ten years. 

J. M. WILSON, Westfield, was born Oc- 
tober 3, 1822, in Medina County, Ohio, in a lit- 
tle village called Wilson's Comer, named after 
our subject's father and uncle who were the 
first settlers of that vicinity. His grand- 
father, Martin Wilson, was born in Mary- 
land, and was of Irish extraction. He mar- 
ried Margaret Kent who was the mother of 
six children. Of these John Wilson married 
Margaret Martin ; they reared three chil- 
dren. Mrs Wilson died in 1826 in Medina 



County, Ohio. Mr. Wilson was married a 
second time to Elizabeth Van Slack, who was 
the mother of nine children. Mr. and Mrs. 
Wilson died in Medina County, Ohio. The 
former was a farmer and a soldier in the war 
of 1812. Of the twelve children eleven 
reached maturity and reared families. Our 
subject was reared in his native county where 
he farmed. He was married in Cleveland, 
Ohio, to Jane E. Curtis, a native of Bruns- 
wick, Medina Co. Ohio, daughter of Joel 
and Sally (Hulett) Curtis ; he a native of 
Connecticut and she of Massachusetts. Mrs. 
Wilson is the mother of fovu: children, viz. : 
Mrs. Clara B. Wilds (who is the mother of 
Martin Wilson Wilds), Adelia, Maggie and 
Hannah M. Wilson (a teacher of this 
County). Mr. John M. Wilson came to 
Bureau County in June, 1844, and clerked 
over three years for Wm. Carse, after which 
he farmed in Clarion and Westfield Town- 
ships. In 1875 he engaged in the hardware 
business. In January, 1882, the store and con- 
tents were burned, and since then Mr. Wilson 
has engaged in the agricultural implement 
business. He has ever been a quiet, peace- 
loving citizen, and made his influence for 
good felt in Arlington and vicinity. He is 
a Knight Templar. Politically he has always 
been identified with the Democratic party, 
and has filled the offices of Commissioner, 
Collector, Trustee and Supervisor. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



709 



In JnSpmoriBin. 



HON. JUSTUS STEVENS died at. his 
residence in Princeton at twenty minutes 
past one o'clock, Sunday afternoon, January 
18, 1885. 

The sad event occurred after this book had 
gone to press, and hence this notice appears 
here, and not in the biography of Mr. Stevens, 
as it may be found in a preceding page, 
and to which the reader is referred for the 
facts and the prominent records in his life. 

On the Wednesday preceding his death 
Mr. Stevens was seized with neuralgia of the 
stomach, and was stricken to the floor while 
passing from the dinner table to the lounge. 
From that attack he soon rallied, and although 
at intervals suffering acute pain for twenty- 
four hours, yet the day following he was 
resting quietly, and his family and friends 
believed he was slowly and completely recov- 
ering. On Sunday morning he felt greatly 
better, and within a few minutes of his death 
he so expressed himself to his friends. About 
1 o'clock he arose from his bed, walked to a 
chair which had been prepared for him, and 
seated himself in it, and assisted his daugh- 
ter in placing the wraps about him, and while 
thus engaged he suddenly leaned back in his 
chair, placed his hand on his breast, and ex- 
claimed that there was a terrible pain in his 
heart; his head sank back upon the chair, 
and he was dead. 

Mr. Stevens came to Princeton in 1842, 
and with his father opened stores in Prince- 
ton and Tiskilwa, and Justus Stevens soon 
became not only the leading merchant, but 
the chief pork and grain buyer, and at the 
same time one of the most extensive farmers 
in Bureau County. In his varied and exten- 
sive enterprises he was a leader among men, 
and his large warehouses, stores, farms, 
public buildings and residences contributed 
more than probably any man ever in the 



county to encourage a spirit of enterprise 
among the people, and to adorn, enrich and 
beautify this portion of Illinois. With all 
these demands upon his mental and physical 
powers, his sleepless energies enabled him 
to more than supply the deficiencies of his 
early opportunities of education and esthetic 
culture, and in social, intellectual and politi- 
cal life he was well equipped at an early 
age to command the same influence and 
power here that he so easily possessed in the 
business and commercial world. His execu- 
tive and financial talents were of the highest 
order. A Democrat by birth and conviction; 
and although spending the days of his useful 
manhood in a community and district over- 
whelmingly Republican, and although in no 
sense a politician by profession or practice, 
yet his Republican friends rarely failed to 
call him to the helm where they might enjoy 
the benefits of his masterly abilities exer- 
cised in their behalf in positions of im- 
portant financial or executive responsibility. 
Thus, as early as 1854, when the people 
wanted a much needed county building, the 
vexing question was settled by making Mr. 
Stevens Supervisor. When war funds were 
wanted in the trying ,times of the late war, 
he was made a member of a committee to 
solve the hard problem. He had thus many 
important political trusts thrust upon him, 
and upon his private and public life no 
shadow has ever fallen. Whenever and 
wherever the public weal was to be conserved, 
great and beneficial improvements to the 
county or the city of Princeton to be formed 
or fashioned into actual existence, the com- 
mon mind turned to Mr. Stevens as the one 
man wholly to be trusted, and the rich agri- 
cultural county of Bureau and the lovely 
and splendid little city of Princeton, with 
its perfect drainage, smooth gravelled streets, 



710 



HISTORY OF BUREAU COUNTY. 



elegant parks and trees and flowers and 
splendid houses, are and will forever remain 
his true and imperishable monument. 

To his rare financial and executive tal- 
ents were added abilities, in any walk of 
life he might have chosen, of a high order 
and varied character. He possessed a vigor- 
ous body and an active temperament, an iron 
will, indomitable perseverance and a sleep- 
less energy. Astute, far-sighted, a deep 
thinker, and a keen and logical reasoner; 
honest and sincere in his convictions, he 
never sought popularity, and yet this came 
to him as only he would have had it come — 
through the performance of what he believed 
to be his duty. He was robust in body as in 
mind; fearless, honest, sincere and cleanly 
in his characteristics; his friendship was a 
precious boon, given without the asking to all 
of real worth, and his ill-will was to be 
dreaded by the evil-doers, whom he ever 
struck down unflinchingly. In person he was 
above the average in size, and heavy and 
muscular in build. A complexion and hair 
of light color, with small blue eyes intense- 
ly penetrating; erect and strong, and 
nervous in every movement, he was the 



picture of a strong, healthy man. He was 
suave in manners; genial and companionable 
in his business and social life, it was but 
natural that his strong guerdon of friends 
should be ever widening and e.itending. 

In the sacred precincts of that stricken 
family circle he has left we will not intrude 
except to say here, indeed, he was best 
known, best understood and best beloved. 

His loss to the community and to his wide 
circle of friends is irreparable. 

But he is gone. A master mind among men, a 
man of affairs, an honest man, a good citizen, a lov- 
ing husband and father, he has paid the debt of life. 
A rich man, exacting his due, and dealing with rich 
and poor on business principles, he has gone to his 
grave with his departure regretted by an entire com- 
munity; and none feel more genuine or unselfish 
sorrow than there rests now in the hearts of the 
laboring men of Princeton, in the hearts of those 
who feel the aches of toil and the stern realities of 
an existence sustained by daily labor. The working 
men of Princeton have long been the unswerving 
friends of Justus Stevens, and a prouder epitaph a 
rich man cannot have. 

Funeral services were held at his late residence 
by Rev. Mr. Milligan, at 11 A. M., Wednesday, and 
notwithstanding the intense cold, about 20 degrees 
below zero, some 300 of his late fellow citizens 
were present as a testimonial of their appreciation 
of his worth. 




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